Nepal's Ambitious Plan to Clean Up Mount Everest
Mount Everest, the world's highest peak, is grappling with a severe waste issue. The Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee recently disclosed that 85 tonnes of garbage, including 28 tonnes of human waste, were cleared during the 2024 spring season alone. Nepal is now poised to unveil a five-year cleaning strategy following a Supreme Court directive.
The proposed plan aims to address the growing threat of plastic waste, which can take up to 500 years to decompose and presents health risks if incinerated or buried. A key component of the strategy is to hold climbers accountable for their waste. This includes a refundable garbage deposit and a non-refundable environmental fee, with a portion of climbing revenues earmarked for clean-up initiatives. The Supreme Court has directed the government to specify the number of climbers in climbing permits to prevent congestion and growing trash piles.
To manage waste effectively, the plan envisions establishing a team of 'Mountain Rangers' consisting of climbers. These rangers will oversee and manage waste at Everest Base Camp and higher camps. The use of drones is also being explored to collect waste above the base camp. Stricter regulations on equipment and materials are also proposed, such as requiring rope-fixing teams to report their annual use of ladders and nylon ropes. Nepal has significantly increased climbing fees, with the per person royalty for foreigners climbing via the south route in spring jumping from $11,000 to $15,000.
The draft of the 2025–2029 cleanup campaign for Everest estimates a fund of Rs308 million for clean-up efforts. However, insiders estimate the actual cost will exceed Rs1 billion. With the plan to make climbers responsible for their waste and the formation of 'Mountain Rangers', Nepal is taking substantial steps to clean up 'Earth's tallest garbage dump'.
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