Nepal and China agree for the first time on height of Mount Everest

Nepal and China have agreed for the first time on the height of Mount Everest: 8,848.86 meters.

The revised snow height - some 86 centimeters taller than Nepal's previous official figure - was announced jointly during a Tuesday videoconference attended by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Nepalese counterpart, Pradeep Kumar Gyawali, after independent surveys carried out by both countries.

Nepal had sent a team of surveyors to the top of the peak in May 2019, while China sent a team earlier this year - the only climbers to reach the summit this year, because of coronavirus travel restrictions.

It was the first time Nepal had independently carried out such measurements on the world's highest peak, amid speculation of a possible change in height due to global warming and a 2015 earthquake.

Nepal used to recognize 8,848 meters as Mount Everest’s official snow height, according to the results of a survey conducted by India in the early 1950s. But more recent measurements have come up with different figures.

Although China had measured Mount Everest a few times in the past, it also decided to remeasure the peak after Nepal announced its own initiative.

Highest point on earth

The two countries last year signed an agreement to jointly announce the height, and the new figure is expected to put an end to the debate surrounding the highest point in the world.

Janakraj Joshi, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Land Management Cooperative and Poverty Alleviation - the ministry that conducted the survey - said that it was a historic moment.  

“It's important to remember that Nepal has never measured the peak although it has been measured multiple times in the last 200 years. It's certainly a proud moment for us all,” Joshi said.