Post by : Raina
Al-Fahim
Nepal has kicked off an innovative five-year initiative aimed at cleaning Mount Everest and other high-altitude peaks. Spearheaded by the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation, the initiative will span from 2025 to 2029, focusing on maintaining mountain cleanliness and enhancing safety for climbers.
For years, Mount Everest has suffered from pollution, with climbers, Sherpas, and porters leaving behind various types of waste such as plastic bottles, food remnants, and even human waste. The accumulation of plastic poses severe risks as it can linger for centuries, contaminating both soil and air.
Japanese climber Ken Noguchi remarked on the shocking amount of litter he encountered on Everest: “Before climbing, I saw stunning images of Everest on TV, but upon my arrival, I found trash everywhere,” he stated.
The new plan mandates that all climbing teams participate in a clean mountain briefing prior to their expeditions. A temporary waste collection center will be established at Camp 2 on Everest. Climbers will be required to bring back a designated amount of trash from higher camps for disposal at Camp 2, as part of a concerted effort to minimize litter.
Additionally, the plan seeks innovative waste management solutions, potentially utilizing ropeways and drones to gather refuse from remote areas above base camps, along with GPS tracking to locate human remains on the mountains.
As of 2024, all climbers are required to utilize waste bags above the base camp to handle human waste. The new plan also proposes to restrict the number of climbers allowed on the mountain at any given time, addressing the issue of overcrowding. Regulations will be enacted to manage climbers in accordance with the mountain's natural constraints and prevailing weather conditions for safe climbing.
A study is also recommended to assess the possibility of relocating Everest Base Camp to mitigate environmental degradation. Himal Gautam, director at the Department of Tourism, noted, “The base camp is currently overcrowded and delicate. We aim to identify a more suitable location to safeguard the mountain.”
Nepal has previously undertaken cleanup operations on Everest. A campaign in 2019, led by the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee (SPCC), successfully removed waste with help from the Nepali Army, which collected 10.8 tonnes of refuse and recovered four human bodies. To date, the military has retrieved a total of 119 tonnes of waste along with 12 human bodies and four sets of human remains.
Despite earlier efforts, the trash situation on Everest remains critical. From 2000 to 2007, Noguchi and his group retrieved around 90 tonnes of waste; however, 25 years on, pollution persists at alarming levels.
Home to eight of the world’s tallest peaks, all over 8,000 meters high, and numerous mountain ranges and rivers, Nepal's five-year plan aims to protect its majestic landscapes while ensuring safer and more ethical climbing practices.
The Everest Cleaning Action Plan represents a significant commitment towards preventing mountains from becoming waste dumps and guarantees that future climbers can relish the breathtaking beauty of Nepal’s high peaks safely.
English
