Nepal Plans to Cap Himalayan Climbers to Tackle Mountaineering Pollution
Amid rising concerns over decades of waste buildup on Nepal’s high mountains, including Mount Everest, the government has announced a five-year action plan to improve cleanliness and regulate climbing activity across the Himalaya.
Unveiling the initiative, the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation said authorities may limit the number of climbers and regulate the timing of expeditions, pointing to congestion on popular peaks and the narrow window of favourable weather conditions. The measures are detailed in the Action Plan to Keep Mountains Clean (2025–2029).
Under the plan, new policies will be introduced to control both the volume of climbers and expedition schedules. The move follows a Nepal Supreme Court directive issued last year, which ordered that climbing permits be issued only after clearly specifying the number of climbers allowed.
Nepal already conducts annual mountain clean-up campaigns. According to data from the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee (SPCC), more than 83 metric tonnes of waste were removed from Mount Everest, Lhotse and Nuptse during the Spring 2025 climbing season alone.
