Spatial Variation of Nutrient Concentrations (NH⁺<sub style="margin-left:-5px;">4</sub>and Cl^-) in the Dudhkoshi River Basin, Sagarmatha National Park, Nepal

The Sagarmatha National Park (SNP) in Nepal is home to unique natural beauty and cultural significance. While the SNP has a relatively small local population, it has drawn thousands of visitors since Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay reached the peak of Mt Everest in 1953. Importantly, the tourists and their concurrently generated refuse have caused massive anthropogenic pressure with serious environmental consequences for the unique SNP and SNP Buffer Zone ecosystems. This study aimed to understand the spatial variation of nutrient concentrations in stream water and drinking water (primarily shallow springs) using analyses of nitrogen as NH+4 and chlorine (Cl-) concentrations. Sampling occurred in April 2017 during the pre-monsoon dry season in the upper Dudhkoshi River Basin, SNP. Dissolved inorganic nitrogen (NH+4) concentrations in both drinking water and stream water were low with average concentrations in drinking water of 0.016 mg/L (±0.010) and 0.033 mg/L (±0.031) in stream water. Similarly, Cl- concentrations were also low with average concentrations of 0.185 mg/L (±0.045) and 0.124 mg/L (±0.051) in stream and drinking water, respectively. Importantly, nitrogen in stream waters exhibits a decreasing trend with altitude whereas Cl- values decrease with altitude in both drinking water and streams. The observed spatial variations of nitrogen and chlorine concentrations are attributed primarily to the significant variations in land use/land cover from the highest portions of the drainage basin to the lowest elevations, which are outside of the SNP boundary and therefore allow more agricultural development. Our results demonstrated that although the quality of stream water in the upper reach of Dudhkoshi River Basin meets WHO standards for drinking water, there is significant surface water contamination in the form of agricultural run-off. These results will provide base-line data for further studies and will help to improve understanding of the relationship between land use/land cover and water quality in the region.

Hydro-Chemistry of Gokyo Valley, Sagarmatha (Everest) National Park, Nepal

This research work records the baseline inventory of selected ions in running waters of Gokyo Valley, Nepal and tries to establish relationship of these ions’ concentration with elevation gradient. Among these selected hydro-chemical parameters, the average concentration of Ca2+, Mg2+, and total silica were determined to be 3.25 (±2.02), 0.64 (±0.47), 207.2 (±423.01) and 0.36 (±0.17) mg/L respectively. Concentration of these parameters was low compared to earlier studies except that could be justified too since the sampling was performed only once in drier period with low atmospheric input of acid protons required for weathering process. Moreover, Pearson Product-moment Correlation Coefficients (r) for elevation gradient and concentration of Ca2+, Mg2+, and total silica were determined to be +0.350, +0.145, +0.101 and &#450.275 respectively. Such weak relationship between these parameters and elevation gradient suggests that the concentration of these ions is related to weathering phenomena, glacier and watershed characteristics and snow cover dynamics in Gokyo Valley.

Geomorphic Processes, Rock Quality and Solid Waste Management—Examples from the Mt. Everest Region of Nepal

Sagarmatha National Park and Buffer Zone (SNPBZ) in the Everest region in Nepal is among the most popular destinations for trekking tourism in Nepal. The dramatic growth of the tourism industry has increased pressures on the environment and the National Park is heavily affected by the rapidly growing waste issue. Besides, major mass movements play an important role in the Himalaya and have been observed in SNPBZ. Also, seasonal monsoon floods, debris flows, rock falls, landslides and the creation of glacial lake outburst floods are frequently occurring in the region. This paper explores the reciprocal interactions between the geo-environment and solid waste management in Everest’s SNPBZ. Therefore, geological characteristics and geomorphological processes, especially the two large rockslides in Lukla and Khumjung, as well as their consequences for rock quality, climatic and hydrologic conditions, are analyzed and simultaneously connected to the rapidly growing tourism-induced waste issue. Rockslide material shows high porosity and permeability. Thus, we argue that rockslide facies are particularly vulnerable to contamination by waste water and washed out agricultural fertilizers, which pose threats to the population especially in Namche Bazaar but probably also in Lukla. Also, the landfill sites are often affected by geomorphological processes and may consequently contaminate surface and ground water. Results highlight that regional infrastructure planning of landfill sites often collides with the natural features of the geo-environment and often causes harm to human health and the environment. The implications of the results can be applied to similar areas (such as Marsyandi Valley, Kali Gandaki Valley) with special geological characteristics and rapidly growing waste issues.