The Problem
Photo By: Elizabeth Byers
Climate change in the Himalayas is real and is happening now. Glaciers that have existed for thousands of years are melting at a rate never seen before. Weather, rainfall and increasing temperatures are impacting every aspect of life in the region. The changes now occurring in the Himalayas pose an imminent and existential threat to the great rivers of Asia and the populations that depend on them. Climate change impacts biodiversity, food, water and energy security with life-altering consequences affecting nearly two billion people on the planet.
Why Protect the Everest Region?
“Temperatures in both winter and summer in my village are higher than ever, creating irregular crop cycles and greater risk of rock falls as snowfields and glaciers retreat. Everest Base Camp used to be covered in ice and snow through May but now, during most of April, Everest Base Camp is open rock and full of water. The Khumbu Ice Fall (Everest’s most dangerous section) is more unstable because of rising temperatures, endangering the lives of guides like myself and the lives of those we lead up the mountain. Climate change threatens our employment options in agriculture and tourism, which in turn threatens our culture, livelihood and way of life as people of the Khumbu.”
— Sonam Jangbu Sherpa, Co-Founder of KRC and Phortse Village Resident
The Mission
Photo By: Baker Perry
The Khumbu Research Center will be the first and only community based, scientific research and educational facility physically located within a high-altitude area of the Himalayas – a region significantly impacted by climate change. The KRC will have a profoundly positive and enduring impact for the people of the Khumbu.
Our organization will serve as a regional center for field research, quality field instruction and experiential education across the biologic, geologic and cryospheric sciences. The facility will provide a convivial location for international meetings of scientists and policymakers. It is anticipated that the KRC will form collaborative relationships with national and international universities, NGOs and other governmental research institutions.
Building For a Better Future
The Space
Partnering with Nepalese architecture and design NGO, Sustainable Mountain Architecture, we are building the first cryospheric science center in the Himalayas. Comfortably nestled in Phortse Village (at 12,960 feet), the building will combine local materials and innovative design to create a world-class research facility and community center. The center will be completed in two phases: First, by transforming a house donated by the village. Second, by building the larger research facility.
LT Version:
The Perfect Setting for High-Altitude Science
Partnering with Sustainable Mountain Architecture, a Nepalese architecture and design NGO, we are building a research center that will enable unprecedented scientific exploration in the Himalayas. Accessibly nestled in Phortse Village (at 12,960 feet), the center will combine local materials and innovative design to create a world-class research facility and community space.
Following a remote program launch, the physical center will be built in two phases:
Transforming a house donated by the village into a temporary space and utilizing existing space in the Khumbu Climbing Center.
Constructing a larger, state-of-the-art research facility.