By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, Dec. 2: An international conference to develop guidelines for the sustainable management of waste materials in Nepal’s hilly and mountainous areas has been announced for June next year.
The Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) made the announcement on Tuesday after signing an agreement with The Never Rest Project to determine the modality of the conference. The agreement was signed between Dr. Dhananjay Regmi, chief executive officer of NTB, and Fredric Cauffaman, project director at The Never Rest Project.

“The conference will look at the mountain cleaning campaigns implemented by the Nepali Army on various occasions and also study the sustainable waste management practices adopted by other countries for hilly and mountainous areas,” Regmi informed. “Our aim, through the conference, is to formulate a set of criteria for waste management and clean-up in Nepal’s high-altitude areas,” he added.

Regmi hoped that this would help keep the country’s peaks clean and pristine for future generations and create a common global understanding regarding the importance of mountains.
According to the NTB, the conference will be organised with the participation of scientists, engineers, environmental experts, doctors and other concerned personalities.

Meanwhile, the NTB has held discussions with members of the Nepali Sikh community about promoting Nepal in the Punjab state of India.
The Board informed that it consulted with leaders of the Sikh community, including Pritam Singh, who brought trucks for the first time in Nepal, to promote the country in Punjab. The Board’s tourism promotion initiative also includes studying the Gurudwaras of Nepal.

Nepal receives the largest number of tourists from India and the Board believes that it can still attract more if it promotes Nepal as an attractive destination in Punjab.