Hello and welcome back to our land pollution series! As our previous post covered the more chemical forms of soil pollution from tourist activity and its detrimental impacts on the environment and human health, today’s post will continue that topic in the context of Nepal.
Nepal is a Third World and landlocked country situated between India and China. It is also a popular tourist destination as many visit for its rich culture and heritage as well as for Mount Everest, the tallest mountain and one of the most iconic landmarks in the world. This makes it a highly demanded tourist destination, especially for thrill-seekers and avid trekkers. While it is a bucket list and life goal for many, taking on Mount Everest can be tragic and fatal for some which is why Nepal issues permits to avoid overcrowding. However, this is not the only thing in Himalayan tourism that has to be restricted.
The tourism industry has blessed the country’s economy and development, being the reason for the government’s shift towards reliance on mass tourism for continued growth. While this will provide jobs and income to many citizens, it brings along many sets of concerns, especially the country’s capacity to accommodate millions of tourists on top of the existing number of citizens. One such issue is pollution. Nepal suffers from an array of pollution forms including air pollution, however, in the case of our land pollution series, this will be our particular focus.
Waste Pollution on Mount Everest
With the sheer amount of tourists arriving in Nepal (a whopping million in 2018) and visiting tourist sites comes the problem of waste and trash pollution. As Mount Everest is coined by many as the world’s largest rubbish dump, it could also be an everlasting one if something is not done about the estimated 50 tons of rubbish accumulated on the slopes. The freezing temperatures mean that the human waste (food wrappers, climbing gear etc) do not decompose. The reason for such a sticky litter and waste problem on the mountain is that (amateur) mountaineers leave their trash behind so that they do not have to spend their energy dealing with it and focus on completing their treacherous trek.
Since the Everest trek is dangerous and difficult for tourist or base camp operators to collect trash as well as improper infrastructure, waste disposal has become an issue for the Nepalese. Also, the sheer amount of trash on the slopes can obstruct and cover the trails which would compromise the safety of tourists and locals (Sacareau, 2009).
What are the solutions to this trash problem?
An easy way out has been to keep the trash hidden in crevasses adjacent to the trails or around base camps from trekkers and tourists or to burn the garbage, which has contributed to the intense air pollution in the country (Magditsch and Moore, 2011).
In 2014, Nepal’s tourism ministry implemented a penalty system that fines climbers, that go beyond the base camp, if they do not return with at least 8kg of their personal waste. The goal is to deter trekkers from leaving all their trash on the slopes or suffer losing their $4000 deposit. An issue with this solution effort is implementation. Lives are certainly more important than waste and pollution (though they are not mutually exclusive), and many climbers may be faced with choosing between the two. Climbing Everest is no easy feat and as mentioned above, many lose their lives so it is tough to ensure these climbers do not pollute the mountain when survival is at stake.
One long term solution we think would be most effective is to educate tourists on their environmental impact and promote a culture of environmental conservation in the locals which would hopefully rub off on visitors. Will this alleviate the waste problem immediately? Unfortunately, no. However, Nepal is keen on continuously attract tourists and mountain trekkers so it needs to cultivate a tourism industry that is environmentally conscious and sustainable with infrastructure to deal with its waste disposal problem on the mountain.
References
Brandlin, A.S 2014, ‘Taking control of Everest climbers’ environmental impact’, Deustche Welle, viewed on 11 October 2020, https://www.dw.com/en/taking-control-of-everest-climbers-environmental-impact/a-17502443
Magditsch, D & Moore, P 2011, ‘Solid Waste Pollution and the Environmental Awareness of Trekkers in the Annapurna Conservation Area, Nepal’, Himalayan Journal of Development and Democracy, Vol. 6, No. 1, viewed on 11 October 2020, https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://www.google.com/&httpsredir=1&article=1162&context=hprc
Nepal Tourism Board, online image, viewed on 11 October 2020, https://www.welcomenepal.com/
Sacareau, I 2009, ‘Changes in environmental policy and mountain tourism in Nepal’, Le tourisme montagnard au crible de la durabilité, 97-3, viewed on 11 October 2020, https://journals.openedition.org/rga/1031
Zein, Z 2019, ‘Reflections from Nepal: Is there a sustainable future for tourism in Asia?’, Eco-Business, viewed on 11 October 2020, https://www.eco-business.com/opinion/reflections-from-nepal-is-there-a-sustainable-future-for-tourism-in-asia/