Human waste and fuel use at Everest base camp may melt thousands of tonnes of ice

An international research team studied the Khumbu glacier on the Nepalese side of Mount Everest, focusing on the base camp that hosts thousands of climbers, guides and support staff each spring. Operating roughly 1,600 tents during the 2023 season required 824 bottles of LPG, 5,130 litres of gasoline and large amounts of kerosene for cooking, heating and electricity. Climbers and guides collectively generate about 6,000 litres of urine per day, much of which is discharged directly onto the glacier.

The scientists estimate that the total heat from fuel use and urine could melt between 1,964 and 3,020 tonnes of ice, enough to fill an Olympic-size swimming pool. Analysis of Landsat images from 1991 to 2023 indicates the base camp’s surface temperature has risen by an average of 0.28 °C per year, roughly twice the warming rate of the adjacent glacier. The authors note that while climate change remains the primary driver of glacier loss, the additional heat from human activity raises concerns about the sustainability of concentrating thousands of people on a rapidly retreating glacier, and they suggest relocating the camp to a more stable area.