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Organic and biodegradable material forms the highest proportion
of waste generated in rural/remote communities globally (Taboada-
González et al., 2010; ADB, 2013; Allison, 2008). Organic waste is
waste that degrades naturally within a few weeks or months. This
includes leftover food, fruit, vegetables, beverages, plant residues,
seeds, paper and ash fromfirewood. Non-biodegradable waste, on
the other hand, persists in the environment for decades or even
hundreds of years and includes materials such as plastics, glass
bottles, metal tins, processed leather and e-waste. Tourists often
bring products and materials with them – for instance, modern
plastics and electronics – which are relatively scarce in remote
mountain regions.
While the organic/biodegradable waste is relatively harmless
from an environmental perspective, the non-biodegradable
waste poses substantial risks, especially when disposed of
improperly or burned, causing air and water pollution, and
posing risks to domestic animals and wildlife. Plastics which are
labelled as biodegradable can also persist for long period in the
environment (UNEP and GRID-Arendal, 2016).
Tourism, remote communities and waste
Tourism is important for many developing economies (World
Tourism Organization, 2016). The steady growth in the industry
has meant that the numbers of visitors to mountainous regions
has also risen, drawn by the natural surroundings, the lure of
adventure and the cultural opportunities that mountains offer.
Mountain tourism provides one of the few opportunities to
develop poor mountainous regions. According to UNEP (2007),
travel to mountain regions is thought to account for between
15 and 20 per cent of global tourism – although this is a very
rough estimate. Some mountain areas receive far more tourists
than others: the European Alps, the North American Rockies
and Japan typically receive tens of millions of tourists each year
(Debarbieux et al., 2014). Mountain tourismhas also seen a steady
Lukla, a small town which is popular starting point for treks into the Everest region of Nepal.
Photo
©
iStock/efesenko