KATHMANDU: Nepal is all set to organise the fifth edition of the sustainable summits conference in 2020, according to stakeholders.

A meeting of the SSC board has recently decided to invite the world leaders from the mountaineering fraternity in Kathmandu to take part in the fifth SSC, New Zealand Honorary Consul to Nepal Lisa Choegyal told THT.

The SSC board meeting, which was held in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc on the sidelines of the fourth SSC, has chosen the home to the greatest range of mountains in the world for the next edition of the conference, Choegyal, one of the organising committee members, shared. “The conference will take place from June 1-5, 2020.”

The event will be organised by Nepal Tourism Board in association with other stakeholders including Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Nepal Mountaineering Association, Himalayan Climate Initiative, Great Himalayan Trail and Eco Everest Expeditions among others.

Roger Robinson, one of the founders of SSC, said that Nepal would be a great venue to discuss the future of high mountain regions as well as to boost awareness of the vulnerability of the high mountains.

According to organisers, the Sustainable Summits conference was launched by the American Alpine Club in 2010 with the primary goal of sharing solutions for managing human waste in the high mountain peaks around the world.

“SSC 2020 will provide a great forum for the Nepali stakeholders to share their knowledge on mountain sustainability,” Dawa Steven Sherpa, climate change ambassador for World Wildlife Fund as well as a member of the organising committee, said.

According to Etienne Grillot, Consultant for the fourth SCC, the Chamonix conference invited land managers, researchers, representatives from NGOs and non-profit organisations, outdoor companies, guides and mountaineers from around the world as they shared their knowledge and experience and proposed solutions for the future of the high mountains.

Addressing the conference, Paul Petzl, Chairman of the Fondation Petzl, urged all to create a great mountain community together, with more solidarity and respect for our mother Earth.

During the fourth conference, the participants discussed about the roles of high mountains in societies, impact of climate change in the mountains and mountain communities, as well as impacts and solutions of human activities in the high mountains among other issues, Anne Gery, Press Relations for the SSC 2018, said.

Professor Wolfgang Cramer at the Mediterranean Institute for Biodiversity and Ecology, professor of cultural and political geography and land planning at Geneva University Bernard Debarbieux, former mountaineering ranger for Denali National Park Roger Robinson, Environmental Scientist and Geographer Carolina Adler from the Mountain Research Initiative, co-founder of the Sustainable Summits Initiative Ellen Lapham, geomorphologist and glaciologist Bernard Francou, programme director at Chamonix Research Centre for Alpine Ecosystems Irène Alvarez and researcher Brad Carlson shared their experiences during the conference.

Similarly, other speakers included Sandrine de Chastellier from Ecrins National Park, Head of the Chamonix-Glaciology association Luc Moreau, geomorphologist Ludovic Ravanel, Director of the Mountain Environments Research Institute and the American Climber Science Program John All, biologist at the Alpine Ecology Lab Sébastien Lavergne, Blaise Agresti, an expert on Mountain Rescue and Crisis Management, biologist and ecologist Francine Brondex, architect Jacques Félix-Faure, mountain geographer Irena Mrak, Björn Alfthan from GRID-Arendal, Programme Management Officer of UN Environment Matthias Georg Jurek, Nepalese tourism entrepreneur Dawa Steven Sherpa, New Zealand sustainable tourism advisor Dave Bamford, forestry engineer Pascal Stoebener, CEO of Terres d’Aventure Lionel Habasque, biometeorologist at the Environmental Protection Agency of Aosta Valley Marta Galvagno, researcher and advocate for liberal Māori educational pathways Te Ngaehe Wanikau and professor at the Institute of Alpine Geography Philippe Bourdeau.

“Head of Information and Education Service at Triglav National Park Public Institution Majda Odar, creator of the “82-4000 Solidaires” association Hugues Chardonnet, editor in chief of Le Monde Diplomatique Philippe Descamps, Dani Bach of Camptocamp Association, Paul Petzl of the Petzl Foundation, Head of Sport and the Environment at the Swiss Alpine Club Anne Roches, CEO of Compagnie du Mont-Blanc Mathieu Dechavanne, National Sales Manager for RESTOP Lou Ortego, Director of Conservation for the Central North Island of New Zealand Allan Munn, past president of the New Zealand Alpine Club John Cocks and Chamonix municipal councilor Claude Jacot also addressed the event,” Gery said.