Accessibility to an Environmentally Fragile Tourist Region
Case of Himalaya
Contradiction between improvement of
accessibility and conservation in natural values of especially attractive
tourist region makes serious difficulties for comprehensive physical planning.
Environment
under humane stress
Existing communication network
Conclusion: railway against roads
From the viewpoint of “fundamental environmentalists”: limiting access and letting events
go own way – would be the best solution to defend nature. This approach seems
to be justified only, when applied to completely unpopulated areas.
Unfortunately, contemporary, the majority of regions with tourist potential are
more, or less densely inhabited. The advancing growth of the local population
results in the most serious endangering in the natural environment.
Evident expansion of deserts, floods,
land-slides, water and air pollution appear everywhere in technically advanced,
as well as in developing countries. For impoverished communities stopping the
negative appearances in their environment is especially difficult, because of
the lack of financial resources, and may be more in the misunderstanding of the
problem. Benefits from tourism and the comprehensive assistance of wealthier
foreign societies are the sole way to get out of growing environmental problems
and saving the values of nature and cultural heritage, important to the whole
world.
During one week trekking to Khumba Himalaya,
from STOL (short-taking-off-and-landing) airport Lukla, towards the foot of
Mount Everest and back, I was looking with a regional planner`s eye on the most
exciting surroundings, accessible by pedestrian path only. By the way of every
opportunity, I interviewed local tribesmen about the problems of they every-day
life. All of them appear very friendly and open-minded. They all understand the
necessity of progress and express the desire of improvement conditions of their
existence.
Basing on this short experience: I would like
to present some ideas on means suitable in solving evidently growing
environmental endangering of this region.
Knumbu Himalaya, within limits of Sagaramatha
National Park`s covers the highest part of these magnificent mountains. Exactly
there, through the pass, along the river Dudh Cosi, and its tributary Bhote
Cosi, leads the traditional track of trade between Tibetan Highland and Nepal.
Branching from this track, nearly of the small mountain city Namche Bazar,
starts the main access path for climbing expeditions climbing on Mount Everest.
Namche Bazar, situated approximately 3500 m
above sea level, was the traditional point of goods exchange. Nowadays, with
curbing the through-border trade by the Chinese authorities – the main source
of profits for local population comes from tourism. Portage of tourist
equipment, guiding, and (rather very primitive) accommodation for thousands of
more advanced walkers and, less numerous expeditions of mountain climbers,
gives now much more interest to local tribes, than former trade.
Upgrading the health conditions with rare, but
existing professional medical services, and supply of modern medicaments, also
by means of traditional social services, offered by Buddhist monasteries, - has
limited the death – index and caused growth in population.
The life-demands of increasing number of native
inhabitants, and, rather less evident, needs of temporary visitors - results in
growth of consumption of every kind of goods. The building materials, food and
fuel, as source of heat, so for kitchens, as well as heating houses, when not
imported – have to be produced on place.
Tourists are obliged to take liquid fuel for
every day of their stay in the area when entering the National Park`s gate.
Also the biggest part of food they take, by help of hired porters, supplied by
air from the Lukla STOL Airport. For the local population the air
transportation is absolutely too expensive. Most of supply depends only on
transport on human shoulders, or backs of yaks, by 7-8 days journey from the
nearest point accessible by road. In such circumstances the existence of
mountainous settlements enforce local production in bigger part of consumer
goods - at the cost if the environment.
Process of widening fields and pastures at the
cost of woodland on slopes of mountains proceeds from many years. Only the
“sacred” properties of forests belonging to monasteries remain untouched. The
governmental woods are mostly stripped of bigger trees, have been cut for
timber as building material. The rest of wooded areas are covered by bushes
rather, with very few coniferous trees. In spite of official prohibition, these
bushes are disappearing day after day -
as the only source of fuel. The few park`s watchmen are not able to prevent
taking off the wood, piece after piece. The new plants have no possibility of
growth, because of numerous, going free, domestic and wild animals, not killed
because of regional, religious traditions.
In such circumstances naked mountain slopes are
not able to keep rain and snow waters. Water draining directly to streams and
river beds causes, not only rapid floods, but also land-slides. I was told,
that some years ago, rapid slide of a part of glacier, from one of slopes in
Everest group, into mountainous lake, caused so big a wave of water, that all
the, existing from centuries, pedestrian bridges in valleys below, have been
destroyed .
Only by help of Australian government the
accessibility of region has been reconstructed. The new cable bridges, on
higher than former elevation, have been built, by use of steel-cables and
perforated aluminium panels for bridges walks. All these building materials
have been supplied on place by use of helicopters. Of course, such costly
enterprise would be completely beyond the means of the Nepali economy.
For the same reason it is impossible to supply
electrical energy to the mountain villages. Though it seems to be very easy to
get electricity from the fall of streams – the transport costs prevent
construction of hydro-power plants. The cement for concrete structures might be
transported in sacks on yak-backs, as it is for building houses – but the
generators and other steel-made installations are simply to heavy. Till now
only one small hydro-electric power-station works nearby to Namche-Bazar,
supplying the city with electricity sufficient to lightening only. The heating
uses wood, or liquid fuel brought by porters. A few portable petrol generators
are the special pride of some of the more advanced and wealthier
tourist-shelter owners.
The water supply by pipes is in use in some
places, thanks to natural wells situated above residential sites. The water is
unfortunately not safe for consumption to non adjusted foreigners without
boiling it, because above these wells are other settlements, and all their
sewage pollutes the ground water. Sewage treatment does not exist, because of
the lack of finances, as well as in the lack of recognition of its necessity.
All these condition bring me to opinion, that
the main obstacle to prevent further destruction of the natural environment,
and at the same time in the development of life-level of local population, lies
in insufficient accessibility. Only evident improvement in transportation
system may solve the problems.
The upper part of Duth Kosi river valley is
accessible from the nearest point of Nepali road networks, by pedestrian path
only. The main pedestrian path enters the valley at about 2300 m above sea
level, below the village Lukla. It leads, with a medium, rather mild gradient
towards passes in the main chain of Himalaya. At the first main branching,
below Namcha Bazar its level reaches approximately 3000 m.
The Lukla STOL airport, accessible only for
small propeller engined aeroplanes, because of very short runway, is situated
at the level 2700 m, what needs descending from the airport to the pedestrian
track nearby 400 m.
The main track itself, only in short sections
leads along the bed of the valley. Mostly it climbs some hundreds meters on
one, or opposite slope, to omit the local obstacles, created by configuration
of rocks, and descends down to cross numerous side canyons. In stony sections
of the path, the surface of walk is usually very rough, with only slight
improvements. When the path leads along the steep earthy slope, numerous
land-slides are visible. In some places the track, reconstructed after slide,
cut itself so deep in the slope, that it seems to be close to vertical, and ready
to collapse down at any moment.
Thanks to modern cable bridges, most of the
track is rather safe, but the land sliding in some sections on slopes, and the
floods in the bed of valley and side canyons, where the low wooden bridges are
still in use, cut off the access to the whole area for some days. It seems to
be worth of mentioning, that while the track`s surface in range of villages is
carefully paved with flat stones, immediately after limits of the built up area
it becomes quite rough and abandoned.
Basing on my experience with planning the Tatra
Mountains Region in Poland, I would like to express the opinion, that the
improvement of access to Khumbu Himalaya National Park`s area, by construction
of modern roads for motorised traffic, would be the worst solution from
economic, as well as environmental point of view.
While the Zakopane city, the centre of Tatra
tourist region, is under the stress of motorised traffic, the similar in size
and functions Zermatt at the foot of the Materhorn in Alps - flourishes without
any road access. While environmental conditions in the valley of Zakopane
become worse, than in many industrial cities, because of air pollution and
noises, and many pieces of meadows have been converted into parkings – the air
in Zermatt is still fresh, and pedestrian only walks – quite.
All these positive difference in favour of
Zermatt results from abandoning vehicular road access, and use of electrified
narrow gauge railroad, as the only external transportation mode.
The narrow gauge railways have opened the
access to Andean Highland much earlier, than motorised transport appeared at
all, and they still are functioning in mountain`s conditions excellently.
Everybody visiting Inca Monuments Machu Picchu, travelling from Cuzco to
Urubamba River Valley, by the narrow gauge railroad, may enjoy the pleasure and
comfort of such journey. Only the immediate access from railway station down in
the valley to the ruins on top of the mountain is served by minibuses. It would
be quite easy to replace this services by simple cable train, constructed on
the surface of the steep slope of mountain.
All these examples argue for conclusion, that
also in Himalaya, and especially in access to Sagarmatha (Khumbu) National
Park`s area, where roads not exist till now – the choice in suitable
transportation mode would be in favour of modern narrow gauge railway.
The narrow gauge track, comparing to standard
gauge, has many economic and environmental values, when constructed in mountainous
areas. The narrow gauge trains have much smaller dimensions of stock, so the
whole tracks are much cheaper in construction. The occupancy of space and
diameters of tunnels and viaducts are limited. All the modern railways, with
evidently higher speed of traffic, ought to restrict its curvature. So more
tunnelling and section of viaducts has to be constructed, instead of adjusting,
the track to the configuration of the terrain. In the railway-less Nepal, it is
also important, that the most of railway network in neighbouring India operates
with narrow gauge, what will eventually ease the future connection.
Building the new, separated railway line in
Nepal needs to take into consideration the local social conditions of the
country. The high level of unemployment results here in comparatively very
cheap labour force. Use of labour consuming methods of works, is not only
economical, but also socially most justified. Such circumstances make possible
to apply in construction simple tools and light mechanic equipment. With such
method it is possible to start works on the whole length of the track, also in
places not accessible to vehicular transport. Cutting the track`s bed in ground
and also hard rock, and boring time consuming tunnels, might be realised this way.
Building the viaducts, needing much more supply
of heavy materials: cement, steel and especially big prefabricated elements,
and heavy equipment, enforces progressing section, after section according to
extension of ready track.
The methods of building in use contemporary in
India and China show effectiveness of such organisation of works.
According to this examples the most of track,
proposed for Nepal would cause no special technical troubles, except sections
along earthy mountain slopes. My observations of road building in Zaravshan
mountains in Tadjikistan, make me especially aware of cutting the road track
into the slope. It is in some places quite impossible to avoid landslides.
Therefore, it is much more safe, to cross such sections on viaducts, supported
on separate pillars, reaching the solid rock, to be found on different depth
under the earth surface. Land slides or avalanches on such slopes, when they
occur - slides down between supports, without braking the track. Happily, as
mentioned above, such dangerous sites are in range of our valley not too
numerous.
In the period of construction, and first years
from making it operational, it will be necessary usage of diesel engine trains.
But, with effective mode of transport of heavy loads, the region will be
supplied not only with cheap fuel, what should prevent destruction of
wood-land, but also with building materials and heavy equipment to build
numerous, approximately small hydroelectric power stations. I would like to
stress, that exactly the smaller barrages and installations are much less
harmful to local environment. Dispersed sources of energy, should limit by them
the network of high-tention lines, spoiling oftenly the landscape. Source of
cheap water power would enable the electrification not settlements only, but
also the railway itself.
The new line should be constructed completely
as collision free. The fencing, within sections leading on the ground level,
should prevent not only accidents on crossing points, but more likely obstacles
to traffic, caused by free-going “sacred” cattle. By the way, such lay-out
allows to apply energy supply from the third side-rail, what is not only much
safer functionally, but also more aesthetic, comparing hanging wires.
The railway should create the back-bone of
transportation to the whole area of Eastern Nepal – from Kathmandu to Dudh Kosi
Valley. It seems to be, most probably, the easiest, to lead the track, starting
from Kathmandu – along the Rosi and Sun Kosi rivers valleys eastwards, and later
along the Dudh Kosi upwards to Namche Bazar. The whole length of the single
track line (including limited curvature) – may be estimated as about 250 km.
The supply-distribution system may be served, so by existing, modernised path
network, as well as, some local roads, not necessarily connected each other.
Within Khumbu Himalaya, it seems to be very useful to construct two on-terrain
cable-trains, linking the main railway line to elevated sites of Namche Bazar
and the Lukla airport.
In specific conditions of rather densely
populated areas, where the general lack in transportation network, needs
radical improvement – it is necessary to take under consideration all the
negative consequences of unlimited motorization. Basing on experience from the
whole world, we are able to prevent such line of development in advance. In
only a few regions the existing situation allows to gain the control over
expected endangering and prevent them.
Exactly here – in Nepal comprehensive decisions are quite realistic. We
are quite able to create accessibility, humans and environment friendly with
narrow gauge railway, needing by them much less financial means, comparing with
construction of roads in mountainous conditions.