Nepalmountainnews Report | 20 Jun 2008
With the objective to share information on recycling peak fees raised by the Nepal Mountaineering Association (NMA), safety awareness about high altitude sickness launched by the Himalayan Rescue Association, Tourism Information Management System (TIMS) promoted by Trekking Agencies’ Association of Nepal, and civil aviation policies of the Government of Nepal, a symposium on Sagarmatha tourism coordination has kicked off in Kathmandu today.
In the meeting jointly organized by the Sagarmatha Tourism Coordination Forum (STCF), Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC) and the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) with support from the Hindu Kush Karakorum Himalaya (HKKH) Partnership and IUCN Nepal, it is stated that the HKKH Partnership Project will reveal key research findings of an important tourism survey carried out in the Sagarmatha National Park (SNP) and its Buffer Zone.
Apparently, the HKKH Partnership will also present new tools such as system dynamic models used to test management options before their implementation.
Recognizing the STCF as a significant platform of friends of Sagarmatha, Minister of Forests and Soil Conservation, Matrika Prasad Yadav, expressed that this forum reflects initiatives and enthusiasm to support local people who are under the Republic of Nepal’s prevailing policies.
"STCF opens up a new avenue to provide wider benefits to people whose livelihoods are linked to the future of the fragile mountain ecosystem, which is more and more vulnerable due to global climate change," Yadav said.
Director General of DNPWC, Dr. Annapurna Nanda Das, stated that implementation of the SNP management plan will only be successful with active involvement from the local communities along with all other stakeholders.
Chief Technical Advisor of HKKH Partnership, Mr. Emanuele Cuccillato, remarked that the tourism survey and other research work conducted in the framework of the project are crucial to solve major problems such as overcrowding and solid waste management.
Officiating CEO of NTB, Subash Niraula, expressed in order to carry out sustainable tourism development, the Sagarmatha World Heritage Site requires special attention from all concerned bodies, including government and private sectors, as well as the civil society.
According to the press statement issued by the NTB, 125 participants from Khumbu, Kathmandu, and abroad are participating the annual STCF meeting.
The first and second meeting of the forum was held on July 14, 2006 and December 6-7, 2006 that recognized DNPWC as STCF’s secretariat and discussed issues pertinent to sharing peak fees, coordination among stakeholders, porters’ welfare, alternative energy, community anti-poaching operations, and other key issues pertinent to tourism, environment and conservation, reads the statement.
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