Sagarmatha National Park

• Air pollution
• Illegal activities (Poaching)
• Impacts of tourism / visitor / recreation (Rapid increase and commercialization of mountaineering tourism, including resort and trail development);
• Effects arising from use of transportation infrastructure (noise pollution and visual impacts from helicopter use)
• Livestock farming / grazing of domesticated animals
• Major visitor accommodation and associated infrastructure (Unclear legal basis for establishment and operation of Kongde View Resort, including access trails)
• Mining
• Other climate change impacts
• Quarrying
• Solid waste (Inadequate solid and liquid waste management)
• Forestry / wood production (Firewood collection)
• Others: Human-wildlife conflict; Subsistence wild plant collection

N/A

On 30 November 2022, the State Party submitted a report on the state of conservation of the property, which is available at https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/120/documents and reports the following:

• A strategy on climate resilient and sustainable financing of protected area management has been adopted by the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC). The Management Plan for the property and the nationally designated buffer zone is being revised and will include a chapter on tourism issues;
• Following a drop in visitor numbers from a high of 58,018 in 2018-19 to 4,819 during COVID-19, numbers increased to 25,521 in 2020-21. A Visitors Tracking System has been established to monitor and regulate tourism. Procedures are implemented to regulate the hotel, lodge and tea shop, and waste management within the property;
• Waste management by the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee (SPCC) continues, including construction of solid waste collection containers along trekking routes, collection of 10,000kg of waste in 2022, and a request for SPCC to develop and implement an Action Plan for waste management from the Khumbu Region;
• Helicopters are used for rescue and relief works. Regular meetings are conducted with security agencies and the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal to manage the flights;
• Regular patrolling and monitoring of the Kongde View Resort area has been undertaken to control any adverse environmental impact. A check post has been established near the resort to monitor any illegal activities. The revised Management Plan will include a chapter on the mitigation plan;
• The proponent of the proposed optical fiber network has been requested to incorporate IUCN recommendations on the Environmental Impact Assessment (ElA) (from 2019). A revised plan will be submitted to the World Heritage Centre and approved after incorporating comment;
• The zonation of Sagarmatha National Park (SNP) is to be divided into a core zone (1,148 km²) forming the property and a buffer zone (275 km²) adjoining the property. All settlements inside the park are also considered as a buffer zone, as per the Nepal gazette of buffer zone declaration;
• Local communities use mostly gas and electricity for cooking. Firewood collection remains banned in the property, supported by law enforcement. The revised Management Plan will include interventions to reduce firewood collection and promote alternative energy;
• The Himalayan musk deer poaching incidence occurred during COVID-19 when surveillance activities were limited, which have since resumed;
• Stakeholder engagement on the formal declaration of the SNP buffer zone as the buffer zone of the property continues. Community support remains to be secured;
• Strategies and initiatives are underway to monitor impacts of climate change on biodiversity and local community. The revised Management Plan will include climate change impacts and adaptation strategies.

On 27 February 2023, the World Heritage Centre sent a letter to the State Party raising third party concerns reporting large-scale construction works related to a hydropower project in Chaurikharka, Lukla, which may negatively impact on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property. The State Party replied on 23 April 2023 confirming that physical construction of the hydropower project in Chaurikharka and Lukla areas is ongoing, according to the approved “Initial Environmental Examination Report” (IEE report), and that all the construction work at the site is “under the control of the Park Warden and according to the prevailing laws”.

It is welcomed that the revision of the 2016-2020 Management Plan for the property is underway and will include key matters such as tourism management, climate change adaptation, firewood collecting and alternate energy sources, as well as poaching and mitigation plans for the Kongde View Resort. Since the previous Plan expired in 2020, this should be finalised as soon as possible.

Given the importance of tourism to local community livelihoods and management, the reported recovery following COVID-19 is positive. However, recalling concerns over growing tourism pressure prior to the pandemic, it is important to ensure tourism is sustainably managed as visitor numbers continue to recover. The inclusion of a tourism chapter in the revised Management Plan, as well as measures to track visitors and manage waste, are positive. The continued efforts by SPCC to address tourism-related waste including waste containers on trails, waste removal, and proposed development of an Action Plan for waste removal, are commendable and should be continued. It is regrettable that no response has been provided regarding the previous Committee’s request for a visitor carrying capacity study for the property, nor the development of the planned Tourism Management Plan as indicated in the DNPWC’s letter to the World Heritage Centre dated 28 January 2020. Since visitation is likely to continue to increase, it remains important to clearly understand the carrying capacity for the property to enable authorities to implement an informed management approach that ensures tourism is sustainable and does not negatively impact the OUV. The study should inform the development of the planned Tourism Management Plan and be aligned with the revised Management Plan for the property. Although helicopter rescue operations are reported, no response was provided regarding the request to address monitoring and regulation of tourism-related helicopter traffic.

Recalling the long history of concerns of impacts from the Kongde View Resort on the OUV, the activities to patrol, monitor and control environmental impacts and illegal activities, following the Supreme Court decision to continue operation of the resort, are noted. Noting also the planned inclusion of mitigation measures in the revised Management Plan, the State Party should be urged to continue monitoring and enforcement efforts and submit the final mitigation plan to the World Heritage Centre for IUCN review.

Noting the State Party has requested the proponent of the optical fibre project to incorporate IUCN’s comments into a revised EIA, it should be requested to keep the World Heritage Centre informed of progress and ensure the revised EIA is completed in line with the new Guidance and Toolkit for Impact Assessments in a World Heritage Context.

Regarding zonation, it is useful to recall the 2018 state of conservation report and Decision 42 COM 7B.70, which highlight that the 2016-2020 Management Plan recognizes the need for an effective internal zonation system for the property. This was considered of particular relevance due to the designation of buffer zones within the property where settlements exist, but which would be more appropriately managed using a zonation scheme. Such a zonation is separate to the designation of the core and nationally designated buffer zones and would support management within the property. It is recommended that the World Heritage Centre organise an online meeting with the State Party and the management authority of the property to allow IUCN to provide further guidance.

The continued efforts to consult with local communities on the formalization of the nationally designated buffer zone of SNP as a buffer zone to the property are appreciated. Recalling that such a designation would formalise the existing buffer zone but which would not imply any constraints to communities beyond the legal provisions that already exist at the national level, it is recommended the State Party provide clarification regarding the resistance. The State Party should be encouraged to continue the implementation of the Management Plan which applies to the nationally designed buffer zone.

The continued ban on firewood collection in the property, law enforcement, and plans to incorporate interventions to reduce collection and promote alternative energy in the revised Management Plan, are positive. Noting the Himalayan musk deer poaching incidence occurred during a time of limited surveillance, which has since resumed, it is recommended antipoaching measures are continued and included in the revised Management Plan.

The reported commitment to develop strategies and initiatives to monitor impacts of climate change, and that impacts and adaptation strategies will be addressed in the revised Management Plan, are welcomed.

, and prior to continuation of the project.