KATHMANDU, MARCH 15
Climbers attempting to summit Mount Everest will now be required to bring back at least two kilograms of garbage from areas above Camp II, as authorities tighten waste management measures on the world's highest peak.
The rule was announced today by the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee (SPCC) during a multi-stakeholder consultation on improving waste management for trekkers and expeditions. SPCC Chief Executive Officer Tshering Sherpa said, "Climbers are already required to deposit eight kilograms of garbage at Everest Base Camp after their expeditions." Under the new rule, two kilograms must be collected specifically from areas above Camp II, including higher camps such as Camp III and IV.
The measure has been approved by the Department of Tourism under the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation. SPCC said a monitoring team would be stationed at Camp II during the climbing season to ensure compliance. Officials say climbers previously met the eight-kilogram requirement by collecting waste from lower areas while leaving garbage scattered in higher camps.
SPCC personnel at Camp II will now check returning climbers to ensure they are carrying waste from above that point. For over three decades, the SPCC has been at the forefront of waste management in the Everest region. In a further measure, Sherpa announced, "From this season, expedition members will not be allowed to use their own poop bags and must instead use the bags provided by the SPCC and Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality." He added that this move is intended to discourage climbers from leaving the poop bags on the mountain. "The mandatory bags will be recorded and collected once climbers return from the expedition," Sherpa said. The SPCC also proposed designating a specific area at Camp IV where climbers could deposit rubbish in case of emergencies. "By doing so, the garbage could be brought down in the next season," he added.
Chairman of the rural municipality Mingma Chhiri Sherpa said the growing number of climbers had made waste management a major environmental challenge in the Everest region. Rishi Bhandari, general secretary of the Expedition Operators Association of Nepal, said operators would comply with the rule, calling it a positive step toward keeping Everest clean. "All need to work towards implementation and monitoring of rules rather than only framing them," he added.
Everest Summiteers Association general secretary Shiva Bahadur Sapkota urged the DoT to assign each climber a specific terms-of-reference on garbage management when they embark on an Everest expedition. Director General of the Department of Tourism Ram Krishna Lamichhane said the DoT would work with stakeholders to enforce the regulation and improve environmental protection on the mountain.