Nepal’s Everest Waste Crisis Eased with Drones: Innovative Solution Combats Plastic Pollution and Reduces Burden on Sherpas

For the first time in Nepal, drones are being used to clean up waste from the Asian mountain range. The project aims to collect ten tons of waste, which glows on the ice and serves as irrefutable evidence of human contamination in even the most remote locations. Prior to this initiative, Sherpas and members of the army had to navigate through hazardous Khumbu icefall while carrying large amounts of garbage.

Jagat Prasad Bhusal, administrative director of the municipality overseeing the Nepalese side of the mountain, expressed his gratitude for alleviating the burden on Sherpas risking their lives to transport waste. The use of drones is being piloted for the first time, and if successful, these aircraft will be fully utilized to transport garbage from Camp II located at 6,400 meters above sea level in future seasons.

Nepal partnered with The NeverRest Project in 2023 to mobilize mountain specialists and climbers to address waste accumulation on Everest. Despite numerous regulations for mountain climbing announced by Nepal over the years, implementation has been lacking due to a lack of liaison officers on the ground.

Innovative solutions like using drones by organizations such as Ellipsis Earth provide hope for addressing plastic pollution crises. By mapping plastic waste locations using drones equipped with cameras, Ellipsis gathers crucial information that could contribute significantly in combating pollution and reducing waste accumulation. The development of technology like drones for environmental purposes demonstrates their immense potential beyond military applications.

Drones have found diverse applications in various sectors across Peru over recent years, including topography and mapping, surveillance, construction inspections, disaster prevention, and more. Properly utilizing drones for initiatives like waste collection on Everest can help address environmental challenges effectively in hard-to-reach areas.

In conclusion, utilizing drones for waste collection is an innovative solution that can help alleviate burdens on Sherpas risking their lives while providing crucial information that can help combat pollution and reduce waste accumulation on Everest.