It has been estimated that 12% of the world's 6.8 billion people live in mountain areas. That means there is about three-quarters of a billion (seven hundred fifty million) people living in mountain areas. Life on the mountains is challenging but people as well as other animals and plants have adapted to living in the mountains. For example, the South American Uru tribe have larger hearts and lungs to breather the thin air at high altitudes. People who live in mountains environment include the Sherpas of Nepal, the Quechua of South America and the Amhara of Ethiopia in east Africa.
The Sherpa people are concentrated in Chentang in Dinggye county as well as Zham and other areas that border Nepal. Although the term, "Sherpa", has come to mean "porter" to many, it actually translates literally into "easterner," referring to their origins in eastern Tibet.
Image source: martinedstrom.com
As tourism grew for Nepal, most of them heading for Mount Everest. Over 50 000 visitors come to trek through the region, every visitor brings an additional 1-2 people such as porters and guides. The enormous growth in visitors has brought great strains on the natural environment and produced mountains of rubbish – from base camp and the high ‘death zone’ all the way down to the villages and communities that were here long before the climbing industry.
This has affected the natural enviroment greatly with microplastics found in collected snow samples from Mount Everest, with the highest concentration of microplastics found at Everest Base Camp.
Street Market in Nepal
Nepal has one of the least developed economies in the world. It has poor transportation network and the lack of substantial natural resources. The most of Nepal’s people live in villages or small market centers in rural areas. Kathmandu is the capital and Nepal's only major city. Other important urban centers include Lalitpur and Pokhara, Biratnagar and Birganj.
Most industries in Nepal are small operations, such as jute, sugar, textiles, cigarettes and brick and tile manufacture. Tourism, trade, and other service activities now accounts for about three-fifths of the GDP. Many foreign tourists visit the Kathmandu Valley. Another tourist destination is the city of Pokhara, which offers impressive views of the Annapurna massif (mountain mass). The lure of climbing Mount Everest has also given rise to a big industry.
According to the Nepal Tourism Board, Nepal received 230,085 and 150,962 tourists in 2020 and 2021, respectively. In 2022, the number shot up to 614,869. In 2023, tourist arrivals crossed the million mark for the first time in four years. The Hindu, Buddhist and other cultural heritage sites of Nepal, and around the year fair weather are strong attractions for tourists. In addition, possessing 8 of the 10 highest mountains in the world, Nepal is a hotspot destination for mountaineers, rock climbers and people seeking adventures. Going on an expedition to summit Mount Everest or trekking to Mount Everest base camp has became an increasingly popular activities for tourists.
Most Nepali live in rural areas and they depend on the land to provide food and shelter. Trees are usually chopped down for firewood, create huts and living spaces as well as clearing the land for farming. Sometimes, the trees are cut down by logging companies as lumber for sale. Deforestation can cause irreparable damage, including soil erosion, landslides, and downstream flooding. Visit the links below to read more about deforestation and what the Nepal government has done to fight it:
