'Himalayan Meltdown' wins at Worldfest film festival

New Delhi, April 23 (IANS) "Himalayan Meltdown", a documentary on the shrinking glaciers of the Himalayas and their effects on the lives and livelihoods of Asians, has been honoured with a Platinum Award at the 45th annual Worldfest International Film Festival.

The hour-long film, funded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), won the award in broadcast documentary category at the ceremony in Houston, US.

The movie illustrates solutions, small and large, simple and technologically complex, for coping with a changing environment that can make the difference between survival and disappearance.

"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," UNDP administrator Helen Clark said in a statement.

"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 strong sustainable development," Clark added.

Cherie Hart, UNDP communications advisor for Asia Pacific and executive producer of "Himalayan Meltdown", reveals that they wanted to highlight how the meltdown is affecting lives.

"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. The film shows the ingenuity and resourcefulness of communities that are struggling to survive," said Hart.