Brief Description
Sagarmatha is an exceptional area with dramatic mountains,
glaciers and deep valleys, dominated by Mount Everest, the highest peak
in the world (8,848 m). Several rare species, such as the snow leopard
and the lesser panda, are found in the park. The presence of the
Sherpas, with their unique culture, adds further interest to this site.
Brief synthesis
Including the highest point on the
Earth’s Surface, Mount Sagarmatha (Everest; 8,848 m) and an elevation
range of 6,000 m Sagarmatha National Park (SNP) covers an area of
124,400 hectares in the Solu-Khumbu district of Nepal. An exceptional
area with dramatic mountains, glaciers, deep valleys and seven peaks
other than Mount Sagarmatha over 7,000 m the park is home to several
rare species such as the snow leopard and the red panda. A well-known
destination for mountain tourism SNP was gazetted in 1976 and with over
2,500 Sherpa people living within the park has combined nature and
culture since its inception.
Encompassing the infinitely majestic
snow capped peaks of the Great Himalayan Range, the chain of mountains
including the world’s highest Mt. Sagarmatha (Everest) and extensive
Sherpa settlements that embody the openness of SNP to the rest of the
world. The carefully preserved natural heritage and the dramatic beauty
of the high, geologically young mountains and glaciers were recognized
by UNESCO with the inscription of the park as a world heritage site in
1979. The property hosts over 20 villages with over 6000 Sherpas who
have inhabited the region for the last four centuries. Continuing their
traditional practice of cultural and religion including the restriction
of animal hunting and slaughtering, and reverence of all living beings.
These practices combined with indigenous natural resource management
practices, have been major contributing factors to the successful
conservation of the SNP.
The constantly increasing numbers of
tourists visiting the property, 3,600 visitors in 1979 to over 25000 in
2010, has immensely boosted the local economy and standard of living
with better health, education, and infrastructure facilities. One
initiative of SNP has been to implement a buffer zone (BZ) program to
enhance protection and management of the property and was motivated by a
desire to enhance conservation in combination with improved
socio-economic status of the local communities through a revenue plough
back system. The SNP area is also the major source of glaciers,
providing freshwater-based benefits for the people downstream. In
addition to conservation of the values of the property a priority of the
park is to monitor the impacts of global warming and climate change on
flora, fauna and Sherpa communities.
Criteria (vii): Sagarmatha
National Parks’ superlative and exceptional natural beauty is embedded
in the dramatic mountains, glaciers, deep valleys and majestic peaks
including the Worlds’ highest, Mount Sagarmatha (Everest) (8,848 m.).
The area is home to several rare species such as the snow leopard and
the red panda. The area represents a major stage of the Earth’s
evolutionary history and is one of the most geologically interesting
regions in the world with high, geologically young mountains and
glaciers creating awe inspiring landscapes and scenery dominated by the
high peaks and corresponding deeply-incised valleys. This park contains
the world’s highest ecologically characteristic flora and fauna,
intricately blended with the rich Sherpa culture. The intricate linkages
of the Sherpa culture with the ecosystem are a major highlight of the
park and they form the basis for the sustainable protection and
management of the park for the benefit of the local communities.
Integrity
Encompassing the upper catchment of the
Dudh Kosi River system the boundaries of the property ensure the
integrity of its values. The property’s Northern boundary is defined by
the main divide of the Great Himalayan Range, which follows the
International boundary between Nepal and the Tibetan Autonomous Region
of the People’s Republic of China. The other boundaries are demarked by
physical divisions encompassing discrete physical entities in the Khumbu
region with the southern boundary extending almost as far as Monjo on
the Dudh Kosi River.
The property’s integrity is enhanced by
the designation of a buffer zone that is not part of the inscribed
property. The buffer zone to the south of the property was designated in
2002 and serves as a protective layer to the park. The involvement of
local communities in the buffer zone management practices is an
additional asset for the park sustainability.
The protective designation of the park
has been further increased with the establishment of the Makalu Barun
National Park (1998) in the eastern region of the property and Gauri
Shankar Conservation Area (2010) in the west. These additional sites,
combined with the attachment of SNP’s northern region with Qomolongma
Nature Reserve in the Tibetan Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic
of China have added further protection to the values of the property .
The primarily Tibetan Buddhist Sherpas
who live within the park carry out primarily agricultural or trade based
activities and to ensure limited impact on the values and integrity of
the property their properties have been excluded from the park by legal
definition. An active protection and management program, focusing on the
mountain landscape, called Sacred Himalayan Landscape (SHL), covers the
regions from Kanchanjonga Conservation Area in the east to Langtang
National Park in the west has been implemented by the government. The
SHL incorporates both conservation and management practices with a focus
on involvement of local communities.
The conservation oriented Sherpa culture
is the backbone for the conservation of biodiversity in the Khumbu
region. Despite the comparatively small area of the park, the
surrounding landscape is adequate to ensure sustainable management of
the SNP. The declaration of the high altitude Gokyo Lake as a RAMSAR
site in 2007 is additional recognition of the value addition of the area
and re-colonization of snow leopards within the property is an
indication of habitat suitability for both prey and predator species.
Protection and management requirements
Sagarmatha National Park was established
on July 19, 1976 under the National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act
and is managed by the National Park and Wildlife Conservation Office,
Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, Ministry of
Forests., Government of Nepal. Effective legal protection remains in
place under the National Park and Wildlife Protection Act 1973 and the
Himalayan National Park Regulations 1978. Most of the park (69%)
comprises barren land above 5,000m with 28% being grazing land and
nearly 3% forested, this combined with the resident Sherpa population,
who are reliant on subsistence agro-pastoralism provides a number of
management challenges.
In addition to the staff from the
Sagarmatha National Parks Office, a company of soldiers from the
Nepalese Army has been deployed for protection and law enforcement
purposes. The Government of Nepal provides a regular budget for the
management and protection of the property and buffer zone. Furthermore,
the Government has been providing 50% of the park’s revenue to the
local communities through the buffer zone Integrated Conservation and
Development Programme (ICDP) and its related activities based on the
approved Management Plan.
The Management Plan (2007 – 2012) for
the property and the buffer zone has been approved by the Government of
Nepal and is managed and implemented by a team of professional staff
under the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation. The
Government continues to implement the Management Plan, however,
additional efforts are needed to minimize the impact of a number of
issues prevalent at the property , namely to address tourism management
issues affecting the values of the property and the promotion of
sustainable use of natural resources within the park and minimizing
environmental pollution.
Constant involvement and support of
local communities in the field of conservation and management,
subsequent to the implementation of buffer zone program, has been a
fortifying milestone for the management of SNP. A Park Advisory
Committee, consisting of local leaders, village elders, head lamas and
park authority representatives has been instrumental in achieving more
cooperation and support for the park. In addition, there are many
national and international conservation partners that regularly assist
in park and buffer zone management activities and conduct research.
Buffer Zone Management Committees, User Committees and User Groups work
as additional tools for the sustainable management of the park and
buffer zone resources.
Dramatic increases in the number of
annual visitors has stimulated the local economy but has also brought an
increase in the degradation of the region’s fragile ecology and
cultural traditions. Construction of illegal trails, resort development,
energy demand and supply, assessment of impacts from tourism and
tourism carrying capacity are issues that remain important in the
management of the property despite recent success working with local
communities and stakeholders to halt a number of development projects,
including the extension of the Sanboche airport. Proper garbage disposal
is one of the principal obstacles faced by the park in spite of the
efforts of Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee, a community based NGO
based in Namche Bazar with active involvement in pollution control. The
NGO with support from other line agencies and pooled with the
coordination of park authorities and relevant stakeholders continue to
attempt to address this issue. Likewise, with growing tourism
activities, the demand for new hotels and lodges is inevitable and the
property remains vulnerable to encroachment and requires enforcement of
park management policies to protect endangered habitats and species
within the property boundaries. In order to respond to the increasing
pressure from tourism and related activities it has become necessary to
upgrade the existing park organizational structure.
Degradation of the fragile mountain
forest ecosystem due to a constant and increasing demand for firewood
also remains an important issue at the property, despite the mitigating
impacts of the few operational micro-hydro projects as an alternative to
firewood.
Long Description
The Sagarmatha National Park includes the highest point of the
Earth's surface, Mount Everest (Sagarmatha). The park is also of major
religious and cultural significance in Nepal as it abounds in holy
places such as the Thyangboche and also is the homeland of the Sherpas
whose way of life is unique, compared with other high-altitude dwellers.
The park encompasses the upper catchments of the Dudh Kosi River
system, which is fan-shaped and forms a distinct geographical unit
enclosed on all sides by high mountain ranges. The northern boundary is
defined by the main divide of the Great Himalayan Range, which follows
the international border with the Tibetan Autonomous Region of China. In
the south, the boundary extends almost as far as Monjo.
This is a dramatic area of high, geologically young mountains and
glaciers. The deeply-incised valleys cut through sedimentary rocks and
underlying granites to drain southwards into the Dudh Kosi and its
tributaries, which form part of the Ganges River system. The upper
catchments of these rivers are fed by glaciers at the head of four main
valleys, Chhukhung, Khumbu, Gokyo and Nangpa La. Lakes occur in the
upper reaches, notably in the Gokyo Valley, where a number are impounded
by the lateral moraine of the Ngozumpa Glacier (at 20 km the longest
glacier in the park). There are seven peaks over 7,000 m. The mountains
have a granite core flanked by metamorphosed sediments and owe their
dominating height to two consecutive phases of upthrust. The main uplift
occurred during human history, some 500,000-800,000 years ago. Evidence
indicates that the uplift is still continuing at a slower rate, but
natural erosion processes counteract this to an unknown degree.
In the region there are six altitudinal vegetation classed, from oak
forests at the lowest elevations to lichens and mosses at the highest
elevations. The Himalayan zone provides the barrier between the
Palaearctic realm and the Indomalayan realm.
Most of the park (69%) comprises barren land above 5,000 m, 28% is
grazing land and about 3% is forested. Six of the 11 vegetation zones in
the Nepal Himalaya are represented in the park: lower subalpine; upper
subalpine; lower alpine; upper alpine; and subnival zone. Oak used to be
the dominant species in the upper montane zone but former stands of
this species.
In common with the rest of the Nepal Himalaya, the park has a
comparatively low number of mammalian species, apparently due to the
geologically recent origin of the Himalaya and other evolutionary
factors. The low density of mammal populations is almost certainly the
result of human activities. Larger mammals include common langur,
jackal, a small number of wolf, Himalayan black bear, red panda,
yellow-throated marten, Himalayan weasel, masked palm civet, snow
leopard, Himalayan musk deer, Indian muntjac, serow, Himalayan tahr and
goral. Sambar has also been recorded. Smaller mammals include
short-tailed mol, Tibetan water shrew, Himalayan water shrew; marmot,
woolly hare, rat and house mouse.
Inskipp lists 152 species of bird, 36 of which are breeding species
for which Nepal may hold internationally significant populations. The
park is important for a number of species breeding at high altitudes.
The park's small lakes, especially those at Gokyo, are used as staging
points for migrants. A total of six amphibians and seven reptiles occur
or probably occur in the park.
There are approximately 2,500 Sherpa people living within the park.
The people are primarily Tibetan Buddhists. Their activities are
primarily agricultural or trade based. Their properties have been
excluded from the park by legal definition. There is and will continue
to be an influence on the people by the park and vice versa. The Sherpas
are of great cultural interest, having originated from Salmo Gang in
the eastern Tibetan province of Kham, some 2,000 km from their present
homeland. They probably left their original home in the late 1400s or
early 1500s, to escape political and military pressures, and later
crossed the Nangpa La into Nepal in the early 1530s. They separated into
two groups, some settling in Khumbu and others proceeding to Solu. The
two clans (Minyagpa and Thimmi) remaining in Khumbu are divided into 12
subclans. Both the population and the growth of the monasteries took a
dramatic upturn soon after that time. The Sherpas belong to the
Nyingmapa sect of Tibetan Buddhism, which was founded by the revered
Guru Rimpoche who was legendarily born of a lotus in the middle of a
lake. There are several monasteries in the park, the most important
being Tengpoche.
