ACHIEVEMENTS
epal faces a formidable environmental challenge," says Mingma Norbu
Sherpa, Country Representative for WWF Bhutan and Nepal Programmes. "The government of Nepal, various conservation organizations, an
d WWF share a commitment to preserving the country's rich natural and cultural heritage while also addressing the needs of a growing human population."
One of Nepal's most impressive recent successes is the "clean up" of the Mt Everest (8,848m) area, protected as the Sagarmatha National Park (1,243km2) and recognized internationally as a World Heritage Site. Situated in the northeast
of Nepal, this highland Khumbu region has long attracted trekkers and mountaineers with its spectacular scenery, hospitable Sherpa villages, Buddhist monasteries, and Everest, the world's highest mountain, which is known to Nepalese as Sagarmatha and to
Tibetans as Chomolungma.
In 1994, some 16,000 foreign trekkers and mountain climbers visited Sagarmatha. During peak climbing seasons, many expeditions camp at Everest's base. Each expedition can carry as much as 3,600kg of supplies, most of which is left behind as rubbish. Walki
ng trails and camping grounds were littered with trekkers' discarded sweet wrappers, film cartons, and half-empty food cans. Improper human waste disposal added to the garbage problem causing ecological and health threats. Equally serious was the p
roblem of deforestation - the direct result of demand for scarce fuelwood from both foreign visitors and Sagarmatha's 3,000 resident Sherpas.
In 1991, with WWF's assistance (Project NP0025) local villagers formed a committee chaired by the Rinpoche of Tengboche Monastery to prevent and control pollution in Sagarmatha, and to strengthen reforestation efforts and protection of the park's remainin
g forests. This Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee (SPCC) includes representatives and advisers from local voluntary clubs, village development councils, and the warden of the Sagarmatha National Park. WWF produced an Operational Plan in 1993 to focus
priorities. A deposit system was introduced, the charges based on the weight of equipment and supplies brought in, thus giving visitors an incentive to pack and carry away as much as possible at the end of their journey. All funds forfeited help f
inance the clean-up programme.
The SPCC has tried out different methods of managing human and other kinds of waste, such as compost and incinerators. Community and tourist support for better waste management is promoted through training workshops and public education. There are visitor
centres in Lukla and Namche, and brochures and posters are distributed.
After seeing the SPCC success in Sagarmatha, His Majesty's Government of Nepal, through the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation, started enforcing regulations, limiting expeditions to Everest and collecting trash deposits from mountaineering teams in N
epal. Since 1993, the SPCC has received funds from the Ministry, who have committed part of the mountaineering fees earned from the area to be ploughed back for environmental improvements. Under this pioneering agreement, SPCC receives three million rupee
s (Sfr 64,800) every year for its activities. With its strong community support and pragmatic approach, other donors have also been attracted to finance SPCC's activities. The Nepal Heritage Society has applauded SPCC's success in achieving its objectives
for the benefit of all.
SPCC has gathered momentum in the past four years and expanded its activities beyond pollution control to include community services, environmental protection, tourism development, and cultural preservation. Development benefiting the community includes s
upport for alternative energy, water supply, health services, sanitation, schools, trails, and bridges. Conservation measures include forestry, pollution control, erosion control, and environmental education. Tourism development is assisted by providing v
isitor centres, lodge owners' training, visitor safety measures, and communication systems. The cultural heritage of the region is being reinforced by promoting rituals, festivals, religious values, and monastery conservation.
With the government and KMTNC, WWF is continuing to support the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP Project NP0016) which was initiated with WWF funding in 1986. WWF's largest and most successful project has given the 120,000 inhabitants of the beau
tiful Annapurna region (7,000km2) of mid-north Nepal control over the area's natural resources, and enabled the people to enjoy earnings from tourism while caring for their environment for almost a decade. The project's field offices have incre
ased from five to eight, with three additional field stations, and ACAP staff have increased to over 220 persons. WWF continues to support ACAP personnel for higher study, both regionally and internationally. WWF's other major focus is to revise and updat
e the existing 1986 Operational Plan into a comprehensive management plan with measurable goals, objectives and policies.
Other achievements during 1995 include the development of several new projects. DNPWC and WWF carried out a joint feasibility study of the Kanchenjunga area in east Nepal. Conservation plans for the 8,586m area include establishing a protected area jointl
y with India and the Tibet Autonomous Region of China.
WWF assisted DNPWC in setting up a biodiversity inventory and preparing a management plan for the Royal Bardia National Park. With funding from the Biodiversity Conservation Network, a programme was initiated to promote local guardianship of endangered wi
ldlife species and habitats in the Royal Chitwan National Park, especially in the buffer zone areas. The Integrated Pest Management Project (Project NP0863) has been developed in response to concern over the adverse effect in Nepal of extensive use of pes
ticides in the health, agriculture and industrial sectors. The Abraham Conservation Award (Project NP0864) is given annually to honour and recognize grassroots conservationists in Nepal, thus creating awareness and motivation.
In April 1995, the WWF Nepal Country Representative gave a briefing to the US First Lady, Hillary Rodham Clinton, who was visiting the Royal Chitwan National Park. They discussed conservation issues in Nepal and the First Lady showed particular interest i
n the WWF-supported community forestry efforts around the park. Indeed, WWF's various programmes and activities have attracted considerable media interest both in the region and internationally. Foreign and local visitors, and study groups frequently visi
t the office in Kathmandu for advice.
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