Kate Middleton Is 'Impressed' by Prince William's Geography Skills While Highlighting Climate Change
Kate Middleton and Prince William are shining a spotlight on an important cause: global warming.
During an outing to the mountainous north in Pakistan on Wednesday, the royal couple saw firsthand the effects of climate change in Pakistan when they saw a melting glacier.
The couple was briefed on glacial melting, climate change and its causes and implications by Pakistani hydrometeorological and glacier expert Dr. Furrukh Bashir of the Pakistan Meteorological Department.
William and Kate, who arrived in Pakistan on Monday evening, then walked on the northern tip of a glacier in the Hindu Kush mountain range — a stark example of the climate change crisis affecting the area. The royals, who were presented with traditional Chitrali hats as they landed in Chitral the Hindu Khush, near the Afghan border, saw how the glacier has retreated in recent years as a result of global warming.
Through their visit to the glacier, the royals hope to shine a light on the “very real consequences of global warming, and its devastating effects on our planet,” their spokesman says.
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The pair also saw a number of “inspiring community-led initiatives that aim to equip the local society with the tools they need to adjust to the changing landscape and weather patterns in the area,” the palace adds.
At the glacier, William said, “more education, more awareness and political action” was needed to tackle climate change.
“The young are starting to get engaged in it,” William continued, adding that a “positive conversation” around the issue of climate change and global warming was required in order to enact change.
William, who graduated from the University of St. Andrews with a geography degree, said: “Dr. Warren, my geography teacher, would be well impressed that I’m back at a glacier after all these years.”
Kate added: “I’ve been very impressed by William’s geography.”
William continued to eagerly ask Dr. Bashir about the glacier’s size and flooding while on their tour. According to the glacier expert, there are more than 5,000 reasonable sized glaciers in the area but nearly 70 percent of them are retreating due to global warming — this includes the Chiatibo Glacier.
After their visit to the glacier, the royal parents, who left their three kids home in London, headed into a village in a valley in Chitral, which has been hit by flash flooding in recent years. During their visit, they witnessed how farmlands have been destroyed by glacier melting. They were also able to hear from locals about how they are changing their way of life.
In a speech at a cultural reception on Monday night, William covered issues including education for girls and climate change, urging Britain and Pakistan to continue to work together.
“Whether in Pakistan or the U.K. or elsewhere on our planet – we face shared global challenges. The effects of climate change threaten the present and the future – and therefore demand a concerted effort by everyone,” he said.
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During their outing on Wednesday, they also saw emergency response drills from a local team which is supported by U.K. aid.
Later, in a settlement of the local Kalash people, William and Kate, both 37, will join some children and young people from the tribe in the village square.
