United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) film Himalayan Meltdown won the prestigious Platinum Award in the broadcast documentary category last weekend at the 45th Annual Worldfest International Film Festival, the oldest independent film festival in the world.
The one-hour film examines the
shrinking glaciers of the Himalayas and the effects they have on the
lives and livelihoods of billions of people in Asia. The movie
illustrates solutions, small and large, simple and technologically
complex, for coping in a changing environment that can make the
difference between survival and disappearance.
Revealed: The Himalayan Meltdown was produced by UNDP and Arrowhead Films
to examine the human development impact of the glacial ice melt on
communities in Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India and Nepal. It shows the
plight of the affected countries and the ways they are adapting,
adjusting and preparing for tomorrow’s inevitable changes in the
Himalayan glaciers.
“This film highlights the challenges
faced by those exposed to the effects of the Himalayan glacial melt in
building resilience to the impact of climate change, and the solutions
they are pursuing at the local level”, said UNDP Administrator Helen
Clark. “UNDP is honoured by the award and hopes the film will help
stimulate a stronger international response to meeting the challenges of
climate change and a stronger commitment to achieving sustainable
development. The recognition the film is receiving is especially timely
in the lead up to the Rio+20 UN Conference on Sustainable Development in
June.”
“We wanted to make this movie because
the glacial ice melt in the Himalayas is already altering lives and
could potentially affect billions of people,” said UNDP Communications
Advisor for Asia Pacific and Himalayan Meltdown Executive
Producer Cherie Hart, who accepted the award on behalf of UNDP. “The
film shows the ingenuity and resourcefulness of communities that are
struggling to survive.”
As part of the week-long film festival
in Houston, the WorldFest competition includes the following categories:
TV Production, Documentary, Corporate and Business Films, Student and Experimental, TV Commercials, Film and Video Production, Music
Videos, New Media (Interactive and Web Sites) and unproduced
Screenplays. Himalayan Meltdown won the highest award, the Platinum
Prize, in the broadcast documentary category.
According to Himalayan Meltdown,
developing countries are more vulnerable to the impacts of climate
change, but are less able to afford to adapt to it. For them, the
future is now – they must already adapt to the changing climate and
prepare for an uncertain tomorrow.
The film offers examples of how countries and communities affected by the Himalayan glacier melt are responding to the problems. Technological advances from leading glaciologists, and experts at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, NASA and UNDP present insights into what research and applications are in progress and what still needs to be done for countries to address the Himalayan ice melt.
The film offers examples of how countries and communities affected by the Himalayan glacier melt are responding to the problems. Technological advances from leading glaciologists, and experts at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, NASA and UNDP present insights into what research and applications are in progress and what still needs to be done for countries to address the Himalayan ice melt.
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