Tourism, Social Management of Water and Climate Change in an Area of High Altitude: the Everest Massif in Nepal

Abstract

Our analyses are the result of a five-year multidisciplinary research programme in upper Solukhumbu, involving researchers in social sciences, hydrology and glaciology 1 .

Mount Everest's photogenic weather during the post‐monsoon

“…That allure draws large numbers of tourists to Nepal every year with hopes of seeing or climbing the famed mountain. Importantly, the large tourist presence has wide ranging environmental (Napper et al ., 2020; Aubriot et al ., 2019; Semple et al ., 2016; Faulon and Sacareau, 2020; Miner et al ., 2021; Byers, 2005), cultural (Rai, 2017; Nepal et al ., 2020), societal (Pallathadka, 2020; MOFA, 2021) and economic (Nyaupane, 2015; Mu, 2019) implications for the Khumbu Region of Nepal. Using data from a new array of automatic weather stations (AWSs) installed as part of the 2019 National Geographic and Rolex Perpetual Planet Everest Expedition (Matthews et al ., 2020a,b) shows that seasonal variations in the weather on Mt.…”

“…Everest's southern flanks, from 3600 visitors in 1979 (UNESCO, 2021) to over 35 000 in 2013 (Baral et al ., 2017) and 57 289 in 2019, with almost 43% visiting around the post‐monsoon (MOCTCA, 2020). The influx of visitors not only provides much needed financial resources to the Khumbu Region, but also creates stress on the local environment (Byers, 2005; Semple et al ., 2016; Aubriot et al ., 2019; Faulon and Sacareau, 2020; Napper et al ., 2020; Miner et al ., 2021). While most climbers attempt to summit in the pre‐monsoon season (April/May/June) and 32% of visitors also travel there during this time (MOCTCA, 2020), using meteorological and photographic data, we determine that the post‐monsoon season (October/November) offers a markedly better opportunity for trekkers on the Nepali side of the mountain wanting to see – rather than climb – Mt.…”

Weather, Vol. 77, no. 5, May 2022, pp. 154–192

“…Mount Everest's photogenic weather during the post-monsoon Importantly, the large tourist presence has wide ranging environmental (Napper et al, 2020;Aubriot et al, 2019;Semple et al, 2016;Faulon and Sacareau, 2020;Miner et al, 2021;Byers, 2005), cultural (Rai, 2017;Nepal et al, 2020), societal (Pallathadka, 2020; MOFA, 2021) and economic (Nyaupane, 2015;Mu, 2019) implications for the Khumbu Region of Nepal. Using data from a new array of automatic weather stations (AWSs) installed as part of the 2019 National Geographic and Rolex Perpetual Planet Everest Expedition (Matthews et al, 2020a,b) shows that seasonal variations in the weather on Mt.…”

“…Everest's southern flanks, from 3600 visitors in 1979 (UNESCO, 2021) to over 35 000 in 2013 (Baral et al, 2017) and 57 289 in 2019, with almost 43% visiting around the post-monsoon (MOCTCA, 2020). The influx of visitors not only provides much needed financial resources to the Khumbu Region, but also creates stress on the local environment (Byers, 2005;Semple et al, 2016;Aubriot et al, 2019;Faulon and Sacareau, 2020;Napper et al, 2020;Miner et al, 2021). While most climbers attempt to summit in the pre-monsoon season (April/May/June) and 32% of visitors also travel there during this time (MOCTCA, 2020), using meteorological and photographic data, we determine that the post-monsoon season (October/ November) offers a markedly better opportunity for trekkers on the Nepali side of the mountain wanting to see -rather than climb -Mt.…”

A Sustainable Solid Waste Management Plan for Sagarmatha (Mt Everest) National Park and Buffer Zone, Nepal

“…Most solid waste deposited in landfills is composed primarily of tin, steel, or aluminum cans, glass bottles, plastic bottles, and other plastic goods (Figure 3). Electronic waste such as batteries, computer parts, and old household appliances is increasingly found in the landfills, as is medical waste in the vicinity of health clinics (Posch et al 2015;Maharjan and Gustafsson 2019;Faulon and Sacareau 2020). Local lodge owners and waste management organizations have treated this waste as ''burnable garbage'' since around 2010, as other options were either absent or perceived to be too costly.…”