Using advanced drone technology to airlift wastes from the Everest region of Nepal

Rapid commercialization of Mt. Everest, the highest peak in the world, has led to a range of pollution issues. High-altitude expeditions are gaining growing popularity, resulting in a significant rise in mountaineers attempting to scale the summit each year. The government of Nepal issued climbing permits to 421 fee-paying climbers in the 2024 climbing season, who were accompanied by at least one or two Nepali guides, adding up to 600 climbers during the season and accumulating 100 tonnes of waste.

With climbers typically spending up to two months on the mountain, Everest amasses ample waste. At its base camp, the issue of microplastics (linked to abandoned outdoor clothing) is particularly significant – with water and snow samples already showing contamination of the local ecosystem. Human excreta is another challenge, with an estimated 5,400 kg of waste collected from base camps each year. 

During the Spring 2024 climbing season, 77.19 tonnes of waste was collected from the Everest base camp, of which burnable garbage amounted to 27.9 tonnes, human waste 27.5, kitchen waste 14.1 tonnes, and recyclable garbage 7.5 tonnes. Several efforts from the government have been made to curb this issue, including the enforcement of an 8kg garbage collection for every climber ascending the base camp to bring back. Upon its successful completion, a refund of their US$4000 garbage deposit is made. In 2024, the government also implemented the mandatory use of human excreta bags while summiting the peak. Nepal Army is frequently mobilized to go on cleanup expeditions and several NGOs and private companies are also leading campaigns to this end. 

Despite many efforts, the responsibility of clearing trash and carrying leftover supplies has fallen on the Sherpas, the locals living in the region. The Khumbu Pasanga Lhamu Rural Municipality, which hosts Mt. Everest, is now looking to pilot the use of drones in Everest to efficiently manage garbage in the mountains of the Khumbu region. Earlier in April, Da Jiang Innovations (DJI), in collaboration with a Nepali company, Airlift Technology, and the Khumbu municipality, conducted its first trial on Everest, demonstrating the potential to airlift loads up to 15kg at an altitude of 6000 meters.

These high-altitude drones, which could achieve a round-trip between the Everest Base Camp and Camp 1 in 12 minutes, have the potential to significantly reduce the risks of deaths of the local guides, for whom this journey would take at least six hours each way. It can operate in thin air without losing electric power at temperatures from –20 to 45 degrees Celsius. 

The Khumbu municipality hopes to train local sherpas to operate these drones and eventually hand over this responsibility to them. The use of advanced technology in notoriously difficult areas of the Himalayas could significantly reduce the risks of deaths and contribute to the clean-up efforts of Mt. Everest.