Glaciers

Risolat from Tajikistan spoke at our evening meeting on Tuesday night in Huddersfield. At 18 years old Risolat is our youngest marcher, and saw the sea for the first time by coming on the march.

Tajikistan is a former republic of the Soviet Union in Central Asia. With 7 million people it has high levels of poverty following the extreme free market policies which were introduced after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Tajikistan also makes effectively no contribution to climate change, emitting 1 tonne of carbon dioxide per person (compared to the UK's 10 tonnes).

Risolat told us how Tajikistan is a mountainous country, which depends on glaciers for much of the water supply. But the glaciers are disappearing. Fedchencko, the largest glacier, has already shrunk by 1km, and is now retreating at a rate of 10 metres a year.

Glaciers act as gigantic water towers, storing water for the dry season, but as they shrink they become less effective. If we allow glaciers to disappear, dry season water supplies disappear as well.

One-sixth of the world's population depends on glaciers for their dry season water supply. Over 1 billion people. Scary.

Distance covered so far: 426 miles