Clearing the garbage situation in Nepal

A memo written by Adrien DubuissonTo the attention of Mrs Pramada Shah and related stakeholders

A bit of context in the Nepal of today

An uncontrolled garbage emission

– Rising economy with a market opening to more industrial goods with large use of packaging.

– High level of water pollution in big city rivers, especially Kathmandu…

– An alerting situation in remote areas where acess is made difficult : Khumdu valley, Annapurnas…

• The garbage issue not viewed as a top priority at the moment

– Instable political situation nationwide : lack of governmental reaction

– Insufficient support from associations, NGOs and private actors

• The absence of a structured recycling industry in the country

– Waste of economic potential and bad habits for the populations

The risks associated to this situation (around contaminated areas but not only) • For populations :

– Water supply issues– New diseases with a multiplication of nuisibles (insects, infections, allergies...)– Social discontent

• For visitors :

– Negative reputation back home

• For entire economy :

– Loss of control of the consumption chain (in exponential growth)– Improper environment for achieving in higher living standards for future generations– Plausible loss of touristic attraction in future years (with direct impact on Nepal GDP,

highly depending on tourism)

(will be referred as « CWn » in the document)

About the Clear Waters project

• A private initiative, under the form of an association or NGO, aimed at bringing local support for a better management of garbage emissions and the setup of a structured recyling industry working on the long-run.

• Why the waters?– Because in the end, it all goes back to the waters !

Concretely, what is Cwn ?

Why Nepal as a first theater of operations?

An anomalistic situation● Nepal has a lot of potential in some key industries of the future, such as eco-tourism and

environment. There is nothing today that justifies the fact the Nepal is not a leading country in these areas. It is a priority for this country to fight for a cleaner soil.

A perfect field of experimentation

● Thanks to its specific geography and culture, Nepal should be able to demonstrate quick enhancement in the Garbage issues of today : small populated areas, active ethnic groups, low wage.

A higly symbolic land

● Thanks to the world fame of the Everest and the vivid Sherpa culture and its network of supporters, the Khumbu Valley would be a perfect test-action scene. A perfect place to raise awareness on the recycling cause, not only in Nepal and also internationally.

Clearwaters Everest Challenge : How does it operate?

1. By monetizing the collection and treatment of garbage

2. By attracting, powerful endorsers around the project

3. By implicating all the stakeholders : from the local minorities to the firms involved in the pollution.

4. By implementing concrete solutions based on solid scientific studies focusing on long-term impacts and recylcling opportunities specific to the local garbage market.

NB : these 4 points are further discussed in the exhibits, at the end of this document. For more details, meet you on page 13.

Models of inspiration for CWn

The Epode Program : fights against childhood obesity in France and now abroad.More details at : http://www.epode.fr or http://www.epode-european-network.com/

● Specificities of this program :● An innovative public-private partnership, involving in the same project local

actors of the childhood sphere in more than 150 cities in France and some food industry leaders who support financially the association.

● An autonomous orgnization able to initiate and coordinate long-term actions focused on obesity reduction.

NB, my relation to the project : I've been working on the project for about a year, establishing most of the content strategy applied online today.

A good timing for launching?

● 2011 : « year for tourism » in Nepal.

A perfect occasion to draw attention on specific Nepal environmental issues and solutions for the future. A perfect occasion for launching publicly the Clear Waters Nepal project on the international scene.

Bishnumati River, Kathmandu

Khumdu Valley,Everest Region

Concrete action is needed now !

Waters around Lukla (2800m)

Exhibit section● Exhibits 1 : Cwn Everest Challenge modus operandi

● 1A / Identifying the sources of pollution● 1B / Actions already undertaken in the valley● 1C / The principle of monetizing the garbage● 1D / Differenciating the sources of financing● 1E / How to involve corporations and why should they participate?● 1F / Concrete setup in the Valley● 1G / Spotting the endorsers● 1H / Having the scientific studies produced● 1I / Some additional ideas

● Exhibit 2 : Cwn on the long-run● The four phases of development

1A / Identifying the sources of pollution● A quick observation along the Khumdu Valley allows

to say that the local touristic industry relies on four main actors, sources of damage at different levels.● Porters are the ones who carry the loads of goods

that will be sold or transformed higher in the mountain. Their level of education is usually low, their work is amazingly painful and they are the grand losers of the recent economic boom.– Their pollution implication is direct as they

drop almost all they consume in the nature (essentially due to lack of garbage bins on site and education on the subject).

– Their added contribution is significant. – Their revenue is as low as 20 Nepali roupies

per kilo per day of carrying (own calculations)

– They are key in the process as they serve as vehicles for all the goods consumed.

1A / Identifying the sources of pollution

● Guest-house owners centralize 90% of the tourists consumption on site. The collection and destruction of their garbage loads is random. Their participation level in prevention campaigns of any kind is close to 0. Most of them collect the garbage in large holes behind their accomodations.. Some is supposedly taken down, some is burnt in summer. Most of it is lost in nature (due to winds and mansoon rains).

1A / Identifying the sources of pollution

.● Guides and porter guides are the ones who accompany tourists along the path.

Usually well paid and more educated than average, their direct implication in garbage emission is low. Nevertheless, their contribution to the prevention messages is low too. Sensibilisation fo the toursits and local guest-house owners might be enhanced through their implication.

● Tourists who come in the Khumdu valley are usually sensitive to environment issues. Nevertheless, they are the ones who consume and create indirectly the major flow of goods to come up in the mountain. Their support to the local campaign is key as it might help enroll a large number of guest-house owners in a better waste management. They might also participate directly through the collection « on way » of the garbage and financial donations.

1B / Actions already undertaken in the Valley

It is to be noticed that some actions are already undertaken in the area. Unfortunately most of them are not coordinated and based on old prevention methods that have proved inefficient over time. Existing solutions are quite poorly designed.

● Two great examples :● Rules billboards : unsufficiently disseminated in the National Park they are

misunderstandable for most visitors and simply hard to read. These message are unable to lead to any change in behavior. They lack of practical value.

● Garbage bins are very insufficient along the paths. One can walk for an entire day without locating any, especially between Namche Bazaar and Lobuche. When existing, these bins are simply poorly designed : either their emptying is very complicated or they simply have holes at the bottom, releasing all the garbage deposited into nature.

An exampleof billboard

« You should segregate burnable and non-burnable garbage. Dispose burnable garbage properly at permitted area »…

Two examples of garbage bins

1C / The principle of monetizing the garbage

● Due to the amount of visible pollution already existing and the growing proportion of emissions every year, there is no doubt that an effective action can not go without paying for the collection and treatment of the garbage created.

Sponsoring what is seen as none value today, and developing a process aimed at financing this action in the long-tun is what is referred as monetizing the garbage in this document.● Goods go up but garbage rarely comes down. The reasons are easy to understand.

Porters who are the vehicle of all goods carried along the Valley are not financially motivated. Not only do they take part in one of the most difficult jobs ever but moreover, their wage is so low that it is hard, under these conditions to ask them for an additional effort.

● By sponsoring the garbage taken down, not only would we see the amount of rejections in nature dramatically diminished but we would also offer a way for porters to gain substantial money. A way on the long-run to enhance their living conditions and therefore, their awareness of the environmental issues.

● Under this perspective it makes no doubt that porters are key constituants of this project.

1D / Differentiating potential sources of financing for the Cwn Everest Challenge● Individual contributors (essentially visitors and tourists)

● Through donation boxes on-site but also at the airport.● Through the website● Through joint communication actions (with other associations or NGOs)

● Fund raisers● Through the tradictional Environment Lobbying Sphere● Through related fondations

● International agencies and other NGOs (UNDP, etc.)● For prevention purposes and the construction of the accomodations needed

.● Private corporations whose products are involved in the pollution process. (either

directly or through their fondations). More details on the next page.

1E / How to involve corporations and why should they participate?● Corporate communication has become a sensitive subejct over the last 10 years. The

emergence of this new media called Internet and the level of awareness about environmental risks by the world population, made more popular and powerful the messages of involved associations (Greenpeace and WWF among others).

● Key issue of the present day, big corporations are now aware that a substantial part of their communication budget has to be devoted to what is called Crisis Communication. The recent cases of Bhopal and Coca-Cola in India are perfect examples of this threat combining social protests and governmental actions.● « Coca-Cola was India's leading soft drink until 1977 when it left India after a

new government ordered .... blaming the company for causing water shortages and pollution »

● Moreover, a new logic is getting born in industrialised countries which states that corporations are reponsible for the garbage they initiate. Most of these companies today are legally tendered to participate in the reduction of their garbage emission through taxes or direct actions like financing the recycling industry. Most of them are also involved in charity actions (most of the time through tax deductible donations) that they use as corporeate communication material to demonstrate their level of ethics.

1E / How to involve corporations and why should they participate?● That is why, the Cwn project should include to take deals with corporations whose

products appear as garbage in the Valley, offering them the ability to turn this criticizable situation into a positive action they could communicate on.

● The threat of communication campaigns lead by the Cwn association that might include direct naming and contests of photographies online if these corporations refuse to participate is not to be excluded. Governmental action (such as the creation of a tax) should be examined as a last resort as it could damage the economic rise of the local business.

● Is it necessary to remind that almost every person on earth knows the Everest. Thus it is a very valuable communication material that would be offered to these brands. An opportunity for their communication and lobbying departments to ally their image with the most impressive creation of Nature (Strong appeal).

MAIN BRANDS TO BE INVOLVED (among others) :

-The Coca-Cola company (Coke, Sprite and Fanta, + mineral waters brands)-Pepsico Inc. (Lays chips and Cheetos, + mineral waters brands)-Procter & Gamble (Pringles chips)-Mars Inc. (Mars, Snickers, Twix, Bounty...)-...

The few products sold in the valley

1F / Concrete setup in the Valley

CREATION OF A GARBAGE MARKET● Based on preliminary observations, the collection and treatment process of garbage

should include the porters as key constituants of the process. Nevertheless, it does not exclude local non-porter population whose contribution would be thanked under the same conditions.● Any local who brings garbage in one of Cwn's facilities, either it is collected

inside the guest-houses, in the bins or elsewhere along the paths will be offered a money retribution corresponding to the amount of garbage taken down.

● The value given to garbage should equal or exceed the minimum price paid to porters for carrying goods up in the valley (20NRps minimum per kilo)

1F / Concrete setup in the Valley

SETUP OF A WAREHOUSE IN NAMCHE.● In order to function properly, and upon all the Valley, a mid-altitude warehouse

should be setup at 3,500m in Namche Bazar, main economic center and nartural hub in the region.

● All the garbage collected at higher altitudes shall be brought at this place in order to receive a coupon that will grant access to retribution once a month.

● The constitution of this warehouse should lead to the creation of one permanent job with the following missions : ● collect and store the garbage, ● account and distribute the coupons● grant access to the money payments (once a month)..

1F / Concrete setup in the Valley

SETUP OF A MINI-RECYCLING CHAIN IN LUKLA● Another warehouse should be created not far from Lukla airport. This second

facilitaty will have the same attributes as the one in Namche where will be collected all the garbage collected at lower altitude (<3500m).

● An additional mission will be to filter the garbage and separate it for recycling purposes : ● Plastic bottles● Plastic packagings● Paper packagings● Bottle plastic caps● Miscellanuous plastic wastes

● After reorganization, the process includes the shipping of the waste back to producers who will benefit from a ready-to-use material at low cost.

● Two jobs could be created to maintain this facility

1F / Concrete setup in the Valley

MONEY PAYMENTS● Shall be effective once a month, in order to be able to account the exact amount of

garbage collected and prevent the organization from leaks or misusages of the money.

● It will allow the creation of a ranking, bringing the best contributors an additional incentive (goods, food or financial incentive).

● It will also prevent tourists whou would bring some garbage down from asking retribution as their action shall only be motivated by non-financial purposes.

● Eventually, it will make the accounting of the association easier by reducing the gap between the date of collection and the date of shipping at the producer's facility.

1G / Spotting the endorsersAmong the non financial partners of the project, Cwn should try to involve :● The Hillary family

● possible bridge for fund raising, and lobbying (in Europe)● great figures among the Sherpas, they are able to accelerate the local support to

the project● their venue once a year is a great occasion to organize a rally around the Cwn

Everest Challenge action and distribute prizes to the best contributors.● Religious authorities (especially buddhists whose moral influence is powerful in the

region)● to accelerate the local support and back internationally the organization

● The existing local organizations, the UNPD and NGOs operating in the valley● For the creation of prevention booklets and posters among other things.

● The travel agencies and main Tour-operators● For communication purposes, fund raising and international visibility

(accelerate the admission of sponsors for the project).

1H / Having the scientific studies produced

Through the setup of a third kind of partnership (after the sponsors and the endorsers).● These scientific partnerships might include either foreign universities,

environmental associations with scientific capacities, leading coporations in the environment industries or all of them at once.

THE CASE OF THE CORPORATIONS SCIENTIFIC CONTRIBUTION :● Suez or Veolia for example are two organizations which might endorse the

scientific part of this project by sending one or two team-mates in Nepal for a 12 months research period with the objective of producing a consolidated report at the end of their mission.

● Feasible under what is called the VIE protocol in France, the sending of two professionals, or college graduates would be a small investment for these firms.

● In exchange of their human contribution, they could appear as partners of the project and communicate on it.

1I / Some additional ideas

PLASTIC BOTTLE CAPS IN FAVOR OF THE SHERPAS● Plastic bottle caps are one of the most visible pollution on the Everest trek. It is

also one of the smallest, thus difficult to collect.● An interesting case reveals how plastic bottle caps can be collected and used for

good purposes in France. The idea comes from an association that collects these caps and resells them to the beverage industry,, making a revenue able to finance their activity.

● This idea might be used in the Everest Challenge in order to bring support to the defense and conservation of the Sherpa Culture. A good way to involve local communities and animate the yearly rally when the amount of money collected will be revealed and the check given from the hands of Sir Hillary Jr.

More about this idea : http://www.bouchonsdamour.com/

1I / Some additional ideas

AN INTERNATIONAL DESIGN CONEST● Garbage bins are a major issue for Cwn. In fact in order to be effective, the

collection of garbage should go through the dissemination of these bins all along the trek.

● But in order to be fully effective, these bins should be designed smartly. Their conception should involve :– A low cost of production– The usage of local materials produced in Nepal– An effective filling and unfilling mechanism that will help porters to use

them and carry their loads.● This might give birth to an international online contest. This innovative

approach, with the help of other environmental and long established associations might help the project to get known. It might also attract universities among the partners of the project.

So that the Everest Valley remains a land of inspiration for future generations :

Clear Waters Nepal, The Everest Challenge

Exhibit 2 : Cwn development in 4 phases

BESIDES THE EVEREST CHALLENGE

Exhibit 2 : Cwn development in 4 phases

PHASE 1 : The setup phase2010 - 2011

● Creation of a Bureau that will coordinate actions● Drawing the Test-Program countours and validate them● Contact potential partners and endorsers● Unify other associations around the project● Launch a first scientific and technical study● Conception and setup of Website

Exhibit 2 : Cwn development in 4 phases

PHASE 2 : The ProgramPhase (Everest Challenge)2012 - 2015

● Launching of the test-program in the Khumdu Region● Measuring the bureau decision process efficiency● Measuring (through feedbacks) the Test-program results● Production of PR & communication materials● Raise of international awarenes on the matter through press and partners (NGO

alliances)

Exhibit 2 : Cwn development in 4 phases

PHASE 3 : The ExpansionPhase (Kathmandu Challenge)2015 - 2016

● Launching of the extended programs in new regions of Nepal, incl. Kathmandu● Communication upon the Test-program materials● Building of an international support community online and offline

Exhibit 2 : Cwn development in 4 phases

PHASE 4 : The maturation phase2016 - 2020

● Measuring and taking corrective actions● Addition of new missions to the extended program● Maintenance of a PR and ePR level near potential

Thank you for your attention to this memo,

Adrien Dubuissonhttp://www.adriendubuisson.comMob : +33(0) 6 74 62 64 95Email : adrien.dubuisson@gmail.com