Resilience building : a study of livelihood management practices of the Sherpa people in the Khumbu (Everest) region, Nepal

This dissertation investigates the dynamics of livelihood management practices of Sherpa households in the Khumbu region of Himalayan Nepal. Its focus is the period following the introduction of tourism in the region initiated by the historic event of the first summit of Everest in 1953. The purpose of this investigation is to identify and assess the factors that helped Sherpa households to build their livelihood resilience capacities. Conclusions are based on the analysis of 60 face to face surveys, 18 semi-structured interviews, and two group discussions conducted with the Sherpa participants of two Khumbu villages. This also includes information obtained from nine key informant interviews, two transect walks and relevant secondary sources. The study sites are Namche Bazaar, which is located along the Everest Base Camp trekking trail, and Thulo Gumela Village, which lies in an off-route location from this main trail. Livelihood resilience was evaluated by exploring the resources and strategies utilised and adopted by households to deal with a range of changes and challenges led by local as well as national level interventions in the region. These can be broadly categorised as political, social, cultural, economic, and environmental. Tourism was identified as a key contributor that enhanced the livelihood assets and resilience-building capacities of participant households. However, the economic and social disparity caused by gaps in income between village families on and off the tourist route had negative impacts on the Sherpas’ social relations, reducing their social resilience. Despite some positive implications, tourism is demonstrably also detrimental to the region’s environment and to many Sherpa cultural traditions. This thesis also highlights the existing and projected impacts of climate change as well as the ongoing coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19), particularly in relation to their effects on Everest tourism and on the livelihoods of the (Sherpa) people of Khumbu now and in the future. Based on an analysis of the primary data, this study reveals that the livelihood assets and thus resilience building capacities of the households of Namche Bazaar are currently more resilient than the households of Thulo Gumela. Additional compounding factors include limited sources of income in the region from non-tourism and non-farm-based sectors; limited promotion and prioritisation of local and traditional means of livelihood resources, skills and training; uneven distribution of the Sagarmatha National Park (SNP)’s revenue; lack of physical infrastructure, particularly hotels and lodges; and the absence of a market for selling local produce during tourist off seasons