KATHMANDU: Nepal and China could soon announce new height for Mount Everest, located in Nepal and Tibet and usually said to be the highest mountain on earth. A draft MoU — Memorandum of Understanding was exchanged between the two countries last month.
The Draft MoU between China's Ministry of Natural Resources and Nepal's Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation (MOLCPA-Nepal) is titled the joint announcement of 'height of mount Zhumulangma/Sagarmatha'.
The Article 1 of the MoU states, "According to the joint statement between the People's republic of China and Nepal on October 13, 2019, the parties shall jointly announce the heigh of mount Zhumulangma/Sagarmatha" with "date and details about the form of the announcement" to be discussed by both.
While the Draft does not specifically say joint measurement but does mention collaboration in mapping. Article 5 of the draft calls on Beijing and Kathmandu to 'shall establish a communication mechanism to promote the joint collaboration on various activities on surveying, mapping and geoinformation management.'
Last year, Nepal mounted an expedition to measure the mountain. This year, China sent an expedition for the same purpose. It is believed that China is keen on the expeditious announcement by both countries on the new height of the highest mountain on the planet.
The Article 4 of the draft document calls for both countries to 'jointly conduct scientific research and engineering cooperation' in the fields of 'Topographic mapping, geographic information system' the region of Mount Everest.
The current elevation of mount Everest is 8,848 m, recognised by India, China and Nepal. It was established by an Indian survey done in 1955. The development is expected to raise eyebrows globally, even as Nepal and China come close to each other.
