Weekly Official e-Newsletter of Nepal Tourism Board

ICIMOD repeats study on Himalayan Glacier Research Team revisits the 1985 Dig Tsho GLOF site in Khumbu

As part of the ongoing Eco Everest expedition (www.ecoeverest.net.np), an ICIMOD research team led by Basanta Shrestha revisited the Dig Tsho GLOF site in the Langmoche and Bhote Koshi valleys to study the conditions of the Dig Tsho glacial lake and downstream river banks 23 years after the lake burst out on 4 August 1985. The first results have just been communicated from the remote valley when the team reached a contact point on 15 April.

Glacial lake outburst floods (GLOF) continue to be a real threat in the Himalayan region as a result of continued glacier retreat accompanied by development of lakes, aggravated by climate change. ICIMOD, together with national institutions, is continuing its work on identifying and monitoring lakes with a potential to cause GLOFs. Lakes will be mapped and monitored in a stepwise approach using satellite imagery and remote sensing, field investigations of lake sites to determine the GLOF risk, and downstream vulnerability assessments of communities and infrastructure that could be damaged.

Satellite indicate that the Dig Tsho has reached a stable state. The expedition could see on the ground that even if the steep Langmoche glacier retreats further, the lake won�t grow as only bed rock will be exposed. The present outlet of the lake is at the same level as the Langmoche river bed, and there is no longer any likelihood of a mass failure at the breach area blocking the outlet. Thus it is very unlikely that, The memories of the 1985 GLOF are still alive. Two eyewitnesses of the 1985 GLOF, Lhakpa Chhamji Sherpa of Thameteng and Ang Maya Sherpa of Thamo, told the team how they saved their lives by running uphill when the sudden flood of black water washed away the micro hydropower house, fields, and dwellings. The debris and undercutting of river banks turned many fields into wasteland and still threatens the settlements. Several landslides triggered by the Dig Tsho outburst in the Langboche and Bhote Koshi valleys are still active as the erosion due to the flood has left the slopes extremely steep. Continuing

Even though the chance of a second GLOF from Dig Tsho is slim, the threat of GLOFs in the valley remains a serious threat as there are several glacial lakes close by which are growing rapidly and could burst at some stage. Such events pose a severe threat to the livelihoods of local people and the valley economy. These lakes need to be monitored on a regular basis with in-situ measurements so that preventive measures can be taken to safeguard the mountain communities and the fragile environment. As part of the Eco-Everest Expedition, the ICIMOD scientific team will be conducting a detailed field investigation and establish a pilot early warning system for Imja lake in collaboration with the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, Govt. of Nepal, and Keio University of Japan.

An Eco-Everest Trust Fund has been set up to raise funds to finance further research, and monitoring and early warning systems for glacial lake outburst floods, and to help the local community to adapt to climate change and to increase their resilience. The Eco Everest Expedition calls for contributions from all.

Inclusive women Sagarmatha Expedition team leaves for Lukla

A ten-member First Inclusive Women Sagarmatha Expedition 2008 (FISWE), left for Lukla on April 17, 2008 to climb Mt. Everest. The team of ten including expedition coordinator Susmita Maskey, climbing leader Pemba Dorjee Sherpa and general leader Da Gombu Sherpa and climbing members Usha Bist, Nawang Phuti Sherpa, Maya Gurung, Chunu Shrestha, Asha Kumari Singh, Pema Diki Sherpa, Pujan Acharya, Shailee Basnet and Nimdoma Sherpa is set to summit Everest by end of May via its south pole.
This is the largest all women expedition to summit Everest. According to the organisers the expedition has been organised to promote women (Courtesy: The Rising Nepal) .

Nepal participates GITF in China

The Nepal Tourism Board along with Saathi Travel and Tours, Nepal Dream, My Nepal, Asian Holidays, C+K Travel and China Southern Airlines participated in the three-day Guangzhou International Travel Fair (GITF) held in Guangzhou from April 4 to 6, 2008. Over 5,000 people visited the stand over the three-day period, a record for NTB and Nepal in China.

GITF is one of the most important tourism fairs in Asia-Pacific with the participation of more than 600 exhibitors from 40 countries and regions, including leading travel agencies, hotels, resorts, airlines, cruise ships, travel education and training companies, tourism-related corporations, tourism media, network companies and E-commerce enterprises.

It is an ideal business-to-business and business-to-consumer travel platform offering the perfect opportunity to introduce the latest Nepal tourism products to the Chinese market. Indeed, Guangdong Province is the richest province in China and it is also the no 1 in the country for outbound tourism. The participation of NTB to GITF 2008 is expected to further widen the perspectives for a larger number of Chinese tourists to visit Nepal in the years ahead especially now that China Southern has direct flight connections between Guangzhou and Kathmandu (three flights weekly).

Prominent media turned up at the show and their questions were thoroughly addressed to provide specific and accurate information concerning Nepal. CD-ROMS in Chinese language, souvenirs and promotional materials in Chinese and English were also distributed. NTB was represented by Mrs. Ranu Shah and B&B International, NTB Marketing and PR Representative in China.

Chinese journalists FAM Tour to Nepal

Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), in close association with China Southern Airlines and private sector travel industry of Nepal, has organized a familiarization tour for the prominent Chinese journalists from 24 March to 2 April 2008. During their stay in Nepal they have visited tourist attractions and sites in the Kathamndu valley, Bardia National Park, Bandipur Village and Pokhara. The primary objective of hosting such tour is to provide first hand information to the Chinese media and to disseminate useful tourism information to the Chinese tourists through them.

The following journalists representing corresponding the respective publications have been invited for the familiarization tour:

1. Mr. Li Qian Bin Business Traveler
2. Mr. Wang Lu Zoom
3. Ms. Wang Fang Auto Travel
4. Ms. Yang Jing Gotrip
5. Ms. Ma Yue Elite Travel
6. Ms. He Qing Travel Leisure
7. Ms. Tan Yuan Gotrip
8. Mrs. M. Boyd B&B International

Expedition draws attention to climate change threats and unveils world�s highest photo exhibition

Eco Everest Expedition 2008 launches from Everest Base Camp

Climate change is affecting people around the globe, and this is especially evident at the top of the world, around Mount Everest and other great peaks of the Himalayas. Glaciers are shrinking leaving behind glacial lakes with massive amounts of water threatening people and land downstream. The loss of ice and snow heralds water problems for the 1.45 billion people living in the great water basins of the Himalayan rivers. This is the message given by the 11 member climbing team of the Eco Everest Expedition 2008 when they met at Everest Base Camp on 18th April to mark the start of their climb with a traditional Buddhist religious ceremony, called puja. Dr Schild, Director General of ICIMOD, handed over the ICIMOD Silver Jubilee flag to Dawa Steven Sherpa, the leader of the climbing team, to take to the top of the world. A premier of a photo exhibition, 50 Years of Change � Glaciers, Landscapes, People and Resilience in the Mount Everest Region, Nepal is taking place at Base Camp at the same time. The exhibition includes a unique collection of repeat panoramas of mountains, valleys and glaciers taken in the 1950s, and retaken in the past few years. These photographs demonstrate the changes in the climatic, cultural and physical landscape of the Khumbu over the past half century. The exhibition will be unveiled at Everest Base Camp and will then tour several European countries.

The Eco Everest expedition is the brainchild of Dawa Steven Sherpa of Asian Trekking, shocked by his own experience of ice collapse in the Khumbu ice fall, and the realisation of the impacts of climate change. Dawa Steven and Asian Trekking have joined with the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development � ICIMOD � and the United Nations Environment Programme � UNEP � in a plan to use the climb to draw the world�s attention to the problems resulting from climate change and the need to help the people of the region, and the world. ICIMOD has been working for 25 years for the mountains and people of the Hindu Kush-Himalayas, 2008 marks its �Silver Jubilee�. The Expedition is one of a number of events being held to celebrate this milestone. The expedition will also field test an ecofriendly approach to climbing, including a ten-point plan that could be used as a basis for international certification for environmentally friendly climbing expeditions. The expedition plans to bring down garbage left by other groups, and will encourage others to do the same. The climbing team is being supported by the renowned Japanese conservationist Ken Noguchi, who is expected to visit the Everest Base Camp. The expedition is endorsed by world renowned mountaineers including Reinhold Messner, Conrad Anker, and Peter Habelar, and is also supported by the Nepal Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation, Tourism Board, and Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation and numerous local, regional, and international organisations.

Parallel to the climbing expedition, scientific research is being carried out to monitor glaciers and glacial lakes in the region and gather information to help communities and develop early warning systems. A six-member research team led by Basanta Shrestha of ICIMOD is already in Khumbu to start the work. A pilot early warning system will be implemented for Imja lake, one of the fastest growing lakes in the region, in collaboration with the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation and Keio University of Japan. The scientists have already carried out investigations to assess the status of Dig Tsho glacial lake, which had a devastating impact when it burst in 1985.

A Trust Fund has been set up to support development of early warning systems, scientific investigations to help assess risks, monitoring of the melting glaciers, and removal and disposal of waste in eco friendly ways. Every climber on the expedition has contributed to the fund and contributions are now being solicited from interested individuals and organisations.

ICIMOD�s new strategy focuses on understanding the impacts of climate change, and finding ways to strengthen people�s resilience and support adaptation. Says Dr. Andreas Schild, Director General of ICIMOD: �The changes taking place currently are alarming, and the time to act is now.� While climate change is mostly caused by the highly industrialised parts of the world, the effects are already taking their toll in the sensitive mountain areas. Climate change needs global measures of mitigation, regionally focused measures of adaptation, and targeted measures to strengthen the resilience of the mountain people. �We want to build up a system of early warning of risks from glacial lake outbursts. We want to discuss and prepare measures to strengthen the resilience and adaptation of people to climate change. This means livelihoods, conservation of biodiversity, and maintenance of the landscape as a global heritage. Conservation and management of water has the highest priority,� concludes Dr Schild.