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Mountain Environment
1. Mountain environments are important but also face threats from climate change, land degradation, pollution, and overtourism. 2. Conservation efforts include using renewable energy, reducing waste, promoting eco-friendly infrastructure and practices, and ensuring local economic benefits from tourism. 3. Achieving "leave no trace" and "zero waste" goals in mountain areas is challenging due to lack of waste management infrastructure and decomposition issues at high altitudes. 4. All stakeholders including local communities, tourists, guides, and governments must work together and take responsibility to protect mountain environments through sustainable practices.
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Mountain Environment
- 1. Mountain Environment: Importance &Conservation June 10 2010 Presented by: E-mail: [email protected] Mob. 9841-323842 ARJUN KUMAR LIMBU, Program Officer Kathmandu Environmental Education Project (KEEP)
- 2. Importance : MountainEnvironment Importance: why? Conservation: How? Interaction: Q/A Why? Benefits ISAS (Information Search & Analysis Skill) Life Betterment. Knowledge is Power. Skill is a tool. Use your Power to use Tool.
- 3. Presentation Topics About NepalMountain Geography. Mountain Importance Mountain Opportunities Threats & CHALLENGES Mountain Conservation
- 4. Mountain steep, sloping sidesand sharp or slightly rounded ridges and peaks. -3500 m (SNOWY) – 600 m -1500m -2500m -About 1/5 world's landscape, -homes at least 1/10 world's people. -Tallest known mountain -solar system is Olympus Mons, located on Mars. -mountains under the surface of the sea -Highest Mountain Range: Himalayan -Longest : Andes of Mountain -Himalaya = Andes = Rockies = Alps =
- 5. Elevation : 60 - 8848 m Geographical Division : 3 geographical zones- Mountainous & Hilly (75%), Plain. HKH Region. Young Mountain-Australia Immense Altitudinal Changes Climatic Great Variations Diversity of Ecosystems: Rich many high altitude plants medicinal economic value of mountain people (Yarsa Gumba)
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- 9. Mountain Importance: Cultural •Unique Indigenous Culture, life-style 125 languages spoken in Nepal (Summer Institute of Linguistics)
- 11. Mountain Importance: Tourism •Tourism- Development: local income (BHTMC- tell tourists the indepth of indigenous culture, knowledge, tradition) • "The expansion of tourism to villages will contribute more to the economic development.” (Ninth Plan of HMG pg 64) • Over 80 percent of all visitors come for holiday / pleasure or trekking / mountaineering purposes • Major contributor to Nepal's economy: US$170 million annually 463,646 - in the year 2000 (MoCTCA 2001) • Provides direct and indirect employment for over 300,00015% of total export earning. (Nepal Tourism Board 2001) people • Major earner of foreign exchange dollars and represents
- 12. BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY: • Oneof Asia’s most rich biodiversity. No biodiversity: No life-Food chain • wide range of altitude has contributed to abundant and diverse ecosystem, species and genetic resources. • home of 2% of world’s flowering plants. • 4% of the world’s mammals (the largest population of one horned rhino is found in Royal Chitwan National Park). • 8% of the world’s bird populations, among which the Spiny Babbler is found only in Nepal. • Out of an estimated 1,000 species of indigenous medicinal plants approximately 700 species have been identified.
- 14. OTHER UNIQUE FEATURES: •Eight of the world’s 14 highest mountains found in Nepal • The world’s deepest gorges—the Kali Gandaki named after the ferocious goddess Kali, which is also Nepal’s very best river for white water rafting. • Tilicho Lake (at 5,099m) north of Annapurna is one of the highest lakes in the world. • In terms of hydroelectric power, Nepal has the world’s second largest hydroelectric power potential
- 15. • Nepal has two natural and eight cultural sites listed as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO • Two Natural Heritage Sites are: Sagarmatha National Park and Chitwan National Park. • The eight Cultural Heritage Sites are: Kathmandu Durbar Square, Patan Durbar Square, Bhaktapur Durbar Square, Swoyambu Nath, Pashupati Nath, Baudha Nath ,Changunarayan and Lumbini. • Nepal—the largest figure declared for conservation in any country. • 16 Protected Areas in Nepal, i.e 18% of the total area • There are currently nine National Parks, three Wildlife Reserves, three Conservation Areas and one Hunting Reserve.
- 16. Mountain importance • Climbersand tourists visit them for the scenery. • Farmers graze their animals on them. • Water authorities make reservoirs and pump the water to towns and cities. • Forestry companies grow coniferous forests and harvest wood on them.
- 17. Mountain Importance: Water •Water-power for life: hydroelectricity, drinking, Water Towers of Asia, • One of the World’s richest • Nepal Major economy -cultivation. • Third Pole • Fresh water
- 20. Locals Dump Wastein Syabru Besi Dumping Site at Dhunche
- 21. GOOD ENVIRONMENTAL PRACTICE WASTE GENERATION AND DISPOSAL Protection of waterways • In Dhunche, the drainage doesn’t reach river system • Syabru Besi, few hotels at the Bank of the river discharge their waste water into the river system • But in Syarbu Besi, though they dump their waste on the river bank they are planning to build a incinerator, • In Gosainkunda during high season, the waste water seeps into the lake. • In Phedi, the toilet is directly flushed into the stream
- 22. Dumping Site Under Constructionin Syabru Besi Beer Bottles at Lauribina
- 23. Mountain Environment: Threats •Mountain systems are sensitive to climate change • Small change has large scale effects, • Unpredicted river flows, frequent floods, droughts and crop failures • Others include, landslides, land degradation, desertification, GLOF ( Glacial Lake Outburst Flooding) • Five GLOF events are known to have occurred in Nepal between 1977 and 1998. In August 1985 a GLOF from the Dig Tsho (Langmoche) glacial lake destroyed 14 bridges and caused about US$ 1.5 million worth of damage to the nearby completed Namche small hydropower plant.
- 24. GLOF (Glacial LakeOutburst Flood)
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- 30. WASTE DECOMPOSITION AtHIGH ALTITUDE NOTHING decomposes Batteries contain very pollutant toxic products and cannot be RECYCLED in Nepal REDUCE canned food products
- 31. Mountain Environment: Opportunity Developmountain by preserving its environment. Leave nothing but footprints ake nothing but photographs." old phrase Leave nothing but Memories ake nothing but local products." new -arjun June 112010
- 34. Case Study: Khumburegion • Annual Visitors: Approx 50,000 • Average waste disposal of 50-60kg/km2 • On Average, a lodge in Namche Bazaar produces 15,000 empty beer bottles per year. • Heavy forest cover damage • Alteration in traditional cultural practices • Deterioration on traditional values • Despite the availability of kerosene and LPG, there is a high dependence on forest resources for energy supply. It is estimated that in Langtang, locals consume 20-40 kgs of firewood per day while an average lodges use around 30-40 kgs per day (Banskota et.al, 1998).
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- 36. Mountain Environment: Conservation ENERGY SOURCE CONSUMPTION Actions to minimize energy consumption • Firewood major source of energy in upper elevations, • Hotels in the area have installed Improved Cooking Stoves (ICS) and brought energy efficient heaters, • Solar Energy for lighting purposes at Higher Elevations • Travelers usually have torch lights and head lamps
- 38. Mountain Environment: Conservation • ECO- TECHNIQUES • • Solar energy • Rain water • Collection and utilization • Bio-climatic design • Local materials • – LOCAL MATERIALS AND PEOCEDURES WILL DEVELOP LOCAL CRAFT AND UNIQUENESS – RECYCLING OF WASTE WILL HELP REDUCE SOLID WASTE PROBLEMS IN THE FPREST OR THE RIVERS • • Issues in Eco-tourism Development • (National Parks, ACAP, Sirubari) • • Avoiding negative impacts • Ensure economic benefits to local communities • Revenue for conservation • Carrying capacity • Ownership and empowerment • Education (Local ECO/GREEN CLUBS)- Life skills equip : leadership, management • Planning and management • Harmonious development • Capacity building • BUILD AWARENESS AND INCULCATE A FEELING THEREBY THAT CONSERVATION IS BY CHOICE RATHER THAN COMPULSION • – External intervention to get the community through the initial stages – User pays concept for the visitor
- 41. • “Leave No Trace Principle” • Zero Waste: Challenges in the Mountains • Use of Cotton Bag than Plastics • Higher prices of land and food • Pollution from traffic • Erosion • Litter • More crowded • Trees felled to supply timber and fuel wood • Lost of cultural identity among the mountain people
- 42. Waste MINIMIZATION • ATrekker can consumes 72 plastic bottles is left behind as waste • 1 IODINE tablets = 1 liters of Mineral Water • CARRY your waste and don’t LITTER on the TRAILS • Suggestion to Guests.
- 43. Mountain Conservation: Challenges Problem Efforts (?) Issues Mountain Environment Responsi Importance bilities (?) Action (?)
- 44. Mountain Environment: Importance& Conservation
- 45. Interaction What canwe do to address these issues? Is there anyway ‘Leave no trace’/ ‘Zero waste’? Whose responsibility? In your experience, Tourists what they say n do? What are the locations needed Environment prob?