The Nepalese government is to hold a cabinet meeting on Mount Qomolangma to highlight the impact of global warming on the Himalayas ahead of next month's climate change talks in Copenhagen.

The entire cabinet will travel to the mountain's base camp at an altitude of 5,360 meters for the meeting later this month.

The visit is an opportunity for ministers to see first-hand the effects of climate change on the vast mountain range.

Around 1.3 billion people depend on the water that flows down from the Himalayan glaciers.

Experts say they are melting at an alarming rate, threatening to bring floods and later drought to the region.

The meeting aims to raise international awareness of the vulnerability of the Himalayan region.

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