Waste Management Outlook for Mountain Regions

CASE STUDY

Implementation of Waste Systems on the Inca Trail, Peru

Peru has seen a dramatic rise in tourism over the last few decades (Larson and Poudyal, 2012) and the popular tourist destination, Machu Picchu, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 (UNESCO, 2016). On their way to Machu Picchu tourists can hike the scenic Inca Trail, a stone path that was built by the Incas to connect important sites throughout the Urubamba Valley. The total number of hikers on the Inca Trail went up from 6,236 in 1984 to 130,454 in 2006 (Maxwell, 2012) with over 1,600 hikers a day using the path in the high season (July-August, 1996- 2001). This drastic increase in tourism has contributed to the degradation of this historic and culturally significant path. Many trekkers camped at unregulated campsites, using the ruins as latrines and disposing of waste along the Trail. Because of the substantial damage and UNESCO’s recommendations, Inca Trail Regulations were introduced in 2002, to protect and preserve the Trail. These regulations restrict the number of visitors and prevent hiking the Inca Trail without a permit. The fee for the Trail was increased from USD 17 to USD 50 and hikers are required to trek with a registered guide (Roach, 2002; Barcelona Field Studies Centre, 2016). Today, hikes without an authorized Inca Trail Guide are no longer permitted and

stringent restrictions means there is now a three-to six-month waiting list for tourists hoping to hike the Trail. Only licensed tour operators are permitted to sell Inca Trail packages and all waste must be removed from the Trail (Larson and Poudyal, 2012; Barcelona Field Studies Centre, 2016). The Inca Trail Network of the Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu regulations require agencies and guides to have appropriate containers for solid waste disposal. They also require travel agencies, tourist guides and assistance crews to separate solid waste generated during their stay on the Inca Trail into organic and non-organic waste and carry it out of the sanctuary (Inca Trail, 2016). Ecological conservation projects are held every year and the Inca Trail remains closed for one month for maintenance; no permits are issued to visitors during this time (Barcelona Field Studies Centre, 2016). In one cleaning day in February, residents of the region collected 5 tons of waste from a 10km section of the path. These measures are a positive step towards protecting the environment and managing the waste, but further studies need to be conducted to establish the quantitative benefits of these policies on the Machu Picchu region.

The Inca Trail. Photo © iStock/rest

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