Sagarmatha National Park : Management considerations

Abstract

Sagarmatha National Park, the most famous conservation area in Nepal, is situated within an area which has long been inhabited by the Sherpa people. By including these people's settlements within the confines of a national park, a unique set of management considerations has been created. The conservation programme established within the park must contend with the resource dependency of the traditional Sherpa lifestyle, tourism, the changes tourism is bringing to the Sherpa people, and the impacts these issues have upon the Sagarmatha environment. This dissertation gives a broad overview of management needs for Sagarmatha National Park. It deals with the history of the park's establishment, the relationship of the Sherpa people with the land, their changing circumstances, the influences of tourism, the state of the natural park environment and the needs of an effective conservation programme. Of particular note are the considerations required to ensure the survival of a unique system of inhabitation by a native people while maintaining the state of environmental integrity necessary within a national park. Through their close association with the park, Lhakpa Sherpa and Bruce Jefferies have been able to examine and describe these considerations, and formulate some suggestions which will help maintain the park's character. Lhakpa Sherpa comes from the Khumbu region and is currently working at Sagarmatha. Bruce Jefferies spent several years living in the park with his family as advisor to Nepal's National Park and Wildlife Conservation Office.