Waste Management Outlook for Mountain Regions

Lukla, a small town which is popular starting point for treks into the Everest region of Nepal. Photo © iStock/efesenko

Organic and biodegradable material forms the highest proportion of waste generated in rural/remote communities globally (Taboada- González et al., 2010; ADB, 2013; Allison, 2008). Organic waste is waste that degrades naturally within a few weeks or months. This includes leftover food, fruit, vegetables, beverages, plant residues, seeds, paper and ash fromfirewood. Non-biodegradable waste, on the other hand, persists in the environment for decades or even hundreds of years and includes materials such as plastics, glass bottles, metal tins, processed leather and e-waste. Tourists often bring products and materials with them – for instance, modern plastics and electronics – which are relatively scarce in remote mountain regions. While the organic/biodegradable waste is relatively harmless from an environmental perspective, the non-biodegradable waste poses substantial risks, especially when disposed of improperly or burned, causing air and water pollution, and posing risks to domestic animals and wildlife. Plastics which are

labelled as biodegradable can also persist for long period in the environment (UNEP and GRID-Arendal, 2016).

Tourism, remote communities and waste

Tourism is important for many developing economies (World Tourism Organization, 2016). The steady growth in the industry has meant that the numbers of visitors to mountainous regions has also risen, drawn by the natural surroundings, the lure of adventure and the cultural opportunities that mountains offer. Mountain tourism provides one of the few opportunities to develop poor mountainous regions. According to UNEP (2007), travel to mountain regions is thought to account for between 15 and 20 per cent of global tourism – although this is a very rough estimate. Some mountain areas receive far more tourists than others: the European Alps, the North American Rockies and Japan typically receive tens of millions of tourists each year (Debarbieux et al., 2014). Mountain tourismhas also seen a steady

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