On sustainability of Nepalese-Himalayan Trekking and Climbing

In the 50 years since Nepal opened its borders to outsiders, tourism has brought many benefits, in terms of wealth generation, employement opportunities, infrastructure, healthcare, education and transport, creating a level of social mobility that would have been unthinkable in the past. Many Nepalis who own trekking companies today worked as porters themselves 20 years ago.

Now over 450,000 tourists visit the Himalayan Kingdom of Nepal every year. Nepal faces several social and environemental issues as a result of, or at least coumpounded by tourists' actions and expectations. Some negative effects of tourism are also clear to see: Begging is widspread; litter chokes mountain trails -Trekkers in Nepal leave behind an estimated 100 tonnes of unrecyclable water bottles every year-; new hotels and lodges are built at an unprecedented rate; forests are vanishing as lodge owners collect ever more firewood to keep trekkers supplied with warm showers and hot meals...

There is endless discussion among travellers about the most environmentally and culturally sensitive way to travel. What is certain is that making a positive contributuion is as much about the way travellers behave as the money they spend. A number of Gov and non-gov organisations are addressing the topics of sustainable development in Nepal. Among these:
* the Kathmandu Environmental Education Project (KEEP) aims to help minimize the negative influences of tourism by advocating and promoting "minimum impact trekking";
* the Tourism for Rural Poverty Alleviation Programme (TRPAP) aims to develop new community-based environmentl and cultural tourism projects in rural areas
* also, a number of treeking agencies use the proceeds from their trips to support charitable projects around nepal, and many travellers also undertake sponsored treks and climbing expeditions in Nepal to raise money for specific charities and projects.

DB Gurung, Director of KEEP, spoke to me about how trekkers and mountaineers can minimise their footprint in Nepal. Here are his tipps on environmental issues:
* Stay at lodges that use alternative fuels for cooking;
* Don't make campfires and only take showers if the water is solar heated;
* Leave all non-bidegradable items at home and carry out anything you do bring in;
* Avoid drinks or foods in plastic wrappers, bottles and tins, and purify your own drinking water with iodine;
* Use biodegradable soaps for washing and take your batteries home for proper disposal;
and his tipps on social issues regarding porters:
* Provide porters with a fair wage;
* Do ot overload your porters, and provide adequate clothing;
* Ensure that the trek organiser takes care of its porters and provides them with medical and life insurance

Organisations and Resources on Responsible Tourism in Nepal-Himalaya:
* Kathmandu Environmental Education Project (KEEP): www.keepnepal.org
* Tourism for Rural Poverty Alleviation Programme (TRPAP): www.welcome2nepal.com.cn/index-2.htm
* Trekking Gently in the Himalaya, Wendy Brewer Lama - essential tips for trekkers!
* World Expeditions: www.worldexpeditions.net / 'responsible travel' links
* Tourism Concern: www. tourismconcern.org.uk