ABSTRACT
Among the nine National Parks of Nepal, Sagarmatha National Park (SNP), established in 1976, and declared an UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979, is one of the most attractive parks of the world-with the existence spectacular mountain ranges, among them, the Mt. Everest, Lhotse, Cho Oyu, Tamserku, Nuptse, Amadamlam and Pumori, glacial valleys, and rich biodiversity of the Himalayan ecological Zone in the Khumbhu region has become an obvious choice for tourists, trekkers and mountaineers from around the world. The tourists that visit this area have contributed signifi cantly towards improving the livelihood opportunities, but at the same time have put pressure on the environmental as well as sociocultural aspects of the people of the host area. The Sagarmatha region has spectacular features including mountain peaks, glaciers and lakes, snow fed rivers and natural streams, scenic tourist destinations, valuable fl ora and fauna, agricultural and pastoral economy, unique cultural tradition, and trends etc. All these features are under pressure due to growing human activities and their intervention which ultimately brings change in the climatic pattern of the region. Therefore, concrete efforts to balance the natural ecosystem and avoiding environmental and cultural damage are necessary, for maintaining a long-lasting image of this region.
