New Zealander Rodney Garrard is working on an interesting research project at the University of Berne.  It explores global change impacts on mountain society and land use, using Sagarmatha NP as a case study. socialtours is supporting this PhD Research project in Sagarmatha (Everest) National Park.

Among environmental changes in mountain regions, the rapid melting of mountain glaciers deserves particular attention, because it is closely connected to the availability of water and the destabilisation of slopes that were formerly underlain by permafrost, but now are mobilised and therefore pose a latent threat to mountain communities and tourist activities. Increasing environmental hazards, and the growing extent of natural disasters are additional side-effects of global change which particularly affect mountain areas.  These problems assume even more significant proportions to mountain communities in developing countries like Nepal, which exhibit lower levels of social, economic, and infrastructure amenities.