Human activities at Everest Base Camp are significantly accelerating the melting of the Khumbu Glacier. The heat generated by fuel combustion and the discharge of urine onto the ice is responsible for melting an estimated 2,492 tonnes of snow and ice each year, a recent international study reveals.
The research, published in the journal Regional Environmental Change, focused on the environmental impact of thousands of climbers, guides, and support staff who gather at the glacier during the spring climbing season. Everest Base Camp, situated on Nepal’s side of the world’s tallest peak, transforms into a bustling settlement in this period, featuring amenities such as cafes, large-screen televisions, high-speed internet, hot showers, and heated tent floors.
During the 50-day spring season of 2023, researchers analyzed energy consumption at the camp, which comprised approximately 1,600 tents. The camp used 824 canisters of liquefied petroleum gas, 18,935 litres of kerosene, and 5,130 litres of petrol for cooking, heating, and electricity, producing a combined heat output of 849,174 megajoules.
This energy release corresponds to melting between 1,964 and 3,020 tonnes of ice and snow, with the central estimate at 2,492 tonnes. The volume of meltwater generated equates to the capacity of an Olympic-sized swimming pool, about 83 tanker trucks, or nearly 16,700 standard bathtubs.
Notably, human urine contributes a significant portion of this heat. At high altitudes, climbers and guides consume large amounts of water to prevent dehydration, producing an estimated 6,000 litres of urine daily. While solid waste is collected and removed from the mountain, much of the urine is released directly onto the glacier. The study estimates that heat from urine alone could melt approximately 154 tonnes of ice during a single climbing season.
In addition to localized melting, the study identified a broader warming trend near the base camp. Analysis of Landsat satellite images from 1991 to 2023 showed that surface temperatures at the camp have risen by an average of 0.28°C per year—about double the warming rate observed across the surrounding Khumbu Glacier.
The research team, which included Kim Lal Gautam, a senior surveyor at Nepal’s Department of Land Management, acknowledged that their estimates likely underestimate the total human impact. The calculations excluded heat generated by helicopter flights, the climbers themselves, and yaks used for transporting supplies to the camp.
While the researchers emphasized that climate change remains the primary driver of glacier melting on Everest, they warned that concentrating thousands of people on an already rapidly melting glacier is unsustainable in the long run. They recommended considering relocating the base camp to a nearby area with more stable conditions to reduce human-induced environmental stress.
