Pollution
Nepal's struggle with the consequences of tourism
ABC Australia reports on the threat posed by tourism to the wilderness and natural beauty of the Himalayas. Edmund Hillary, among others, give their opinion on the matter.
Around 300,000 people a year come to Nepal to trek in the famous Himalayas and up Mount Everest. While tourism has provided a huge boost for the Nepalese economy, the demand for hot showers and hot food is putting a huge strain on the forests, leading to deforestation and soil erosion, and extensive littering is ruing the spectacular scenery: "Vast areas of forest have been destroyed and some of this is due to the increase in population, and some of it has occurred due to the greatly increased number of tourists in the area. It a major problem here, there's simply no question about it.", says renowned mountaineer Edmund Hillary. ABC Australia speaks to locals, tour guides and experts on the issue.
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Produced by ABC Australia