Waste Management Outlook for Mountain Regions

First page Previous page 14 Next page Last page

Systems of waste management in small and remote mountain communities Small and remote mountain communities face very specific challenges to waste management. Poverty is generally more widespread in mountain regions than in lowland areas (FAO, 2007). Many mountain communities have multiple, pressing concerns, such as economic development and food security, and as a result waste management is not given as much importance (Wilson, 2007). In mountain areas in developing countries, 39 per cent of people are food insecure, compared to an average of 12.5 per cent in lowland areas (FAO, 2015). There is little data on the management of waste in small and remotemountain communities.The few studies available suggest that formal institutional systems for SWM in remote mountainous regions in developing countries are largely non-existent. A study of waste disposal sites in use in 2012 in Nepalese municipalities found that less than half of the waste in these areas was collected (Shakya and Taladhar, 2014). One study which focused on waste management across hill stations, trails and expedition sites in the Indian Himalayas, found that the relevant authorities, (such as local municipalities) had no adequate sites, infrastructure or funds to dispose of the waste generated by visitors. The study also found that most trekking and expedition areas were outside municipal boundaries and waste management was entirely

growth in recent years in individual countries. For example, from 2000 to 2010 tourism was the fastest growing sector of the Peruvian economy (Larson and Poudyal, 2012). In the Caucasus, tourism represents a major part of the Georgian economy and a significant increase is forecast in its mountainous areas (World Travel and Tourism Council, 2015). Mountain tourism includes activities such as trekking and hiking, climbing or skiing; and in some countries, visiting pilgrimage, heritage and historical sites. Day trips to mountainous areas are also common. In many cases, these activities are closely linked to small and remote mountain communities. Consequently, the volume and composition of waste being generated in these communities is often determined by the activities and practices of businesses in the tourist industry, as well as the behaviour of tourists themselves (Manfredi et al., 2010; Allison, 2008; Kuniyal, 2005a; Byers, 2014). During the peak tourist season the amount of waste is sometimes twice as much as the amount generated during the rest of the year (Manfredi et al., 2010). For example, in the Sagarmatha National Park and Buffer Zone in the Nepalese Himalayas, waste generation ranges from 4.6 tons per day during the peak season to 2 tons per day at other times of the year. In many small mountain communities waste is inextricably tied to tourism; any serious waste management solution must therefore involve the tourism industry (Manfredi et al., 2010).

Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker