KATHMANDU, JUNE 20
The Everest Summiteers Association (ESA) has issued a press release highlighting critical environmental and safety concerns in the fragile ecosystem of the Himalayan regions, including Everest. This comes in response to the ongoing increase in mountaineering activities, which have raised alarms about ecological balance and climber safety.
Shiva Bahadur Sapkota, General Secretary at the ESA, stated, "The ESA has been raising concerns regarding climate change and its impact on the Nepalese Himalayan regions for the last few years to the government as well as international organizations for the conservation and preservation of these regions."
Despite raising the issue of environmental preservation in the Himalayan region, including Everest, and advocating for strong legislation over the past 20 years, the ESA laments the lack of concrete efforts to promulgate such laws, despite initial steps by the government, as stated in the release.
The ESA has been actively organizing cleanup campaigns in the Everest region since 2006. Under its leadership, more than 8.1 tons of garbage were collected from above the Everest Base Camp in 2011, which were then repurposed into products for revenue generation, according to Sapkota.
This year, the first Vice President Diwas Pokhrel, as well as a team from the ESA, including Secretary Sapkota and central executive committee members, conducted a thorough inspection of the Everest Base Camp (EBC) and areas above it. They subsequently made public several key concerns and demands:
- The ESA emphasizes the need for government regulation of helicopter flights over the Everest Base Camp. The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) should increase monitoring of the objectives, numbers, and routes of helicopters to minimize environmental impact.
- Climbers are required to bring back their waste from the mountains using poop bags or biodegradable bags. However, this waste is often left unmanaged at the EBC, necessitating further management efforts.
- There is a pressing need to formulate policies that ensure safe mountaineering activities. The ESA advocates limiting Everest climbs to those who have previously climbed 8,000 meters to enhance safety and reduce the death toll on the world's highest peak.
- The ESA calls for the formation of a monitoring team at the EBC, including the Tourism Department, Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality, security forces, and other relevant stakeholders to effectively oversee activities at the EBC and above.
- After monitoring and research, the ESA found that each climber accumulates a minimum of 8 kg of garbage at the second base camp and an additional 8 kg at altitudes above Camp II. There is a need for inspecting climbers and teams to ensure they bring down their garbage to the base camp, with climbing certificates issued only after presenting proof of compliance.
The Everest Summiteers Association urges all stakeholders to carefully study these issues and take necessary actions to ensure the sustainable management of Everest Base Camp and surrounding areas.
