Research Notes: Nepal’s rural tourism electricity consumption

Tourism-induced rural energy consumption in the Annapurna region of Nepal – Nepal, S.

Research on nearly 500 tourist lodges. Results indicate that primary energy sources include wood and kerosene, but the use of renewable energy and locally developed energy-saving technologies is increasing. Energy consumption patterns are influenced by altitude, accommodation capacity, energy cost, diversity of energy sources, access to energy-saving technologies, and institutional rules and regulations.

Several scholars have examined the relationship between climate change and tourism. It is estimated that 85% of the world’s energy is based on the consumption of fossil fuels , and as one of the largest industries in the world economy, the growth and benefits of tourism have been fuelled mainly by its use of fossil fuels. The associated environmental costs of heavy reliance on fossil fuels may thus ultimately threaten the industry, particularly in mountain destinations, small islands, and developing countries like Nepal.

* Note: I found this case study very hard to follow because it was fragmented in many ways and not coherent in some parts, but still here I am*

Tourism and Energy

• Recent studies have indicated that transport, particularly air traffic, is responsible for the majority of the energy consumption and resultant emissions from tourism-related activities.
• Biomass, especially wood, is the principal source of energy in rural areas of developing countries, and its harvest has been identified as one of the most significant causes of forest decline.
• Uncontrolled growth of tourism puts additional pressure on precious local resources such as fuel wood, a primary source of fuel energy consumed in the lodging and food businesses located in rural and remote tourism destinations. This has been the case in Nepal’s popular trekking destinations like Everest and Annapurna regions.
• Burning fossil fuels like kerosene and liquefied petroleum gas emits carbon dioxide (CO2), the key greenhouse gases linked to global climate change. Emissions of CO2due to fossil fuel burning are dominant factors influencing current trends in atmospheric CO2 concentration.

Case Study: Annapurna region

Located in the western region of Nepal and north of Pokhara, the second largest urban area in Nepal’s midhills region, the Annapurna region, officially known as the Annapurna Conservation Area (the green bit on the map)

A region with several high mountains including Dhaulagiri (8167 m), Annapurna (8091 m) and the picturesque Mt. Machapuchre (or Fish Tail mountain to overseas visitors), its more than 300 km of trail network through high passes, deep gorges, fast flowing rivers, colourful villages and high mountain scenery attracts a large number of overseas trekkers. Tourism and environmental management in the region are regulated by the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP), which is an undertaking of the King Mahendra Trust for Nature Conservation (KMTNC), a national level non-governmental organization.

Trekking tourism, concentrated along three main routes—Annapurna Base Camp (ABC), Jomsom and Manang—has become a major economic activity in the region providing local employment to over 50,000 guides, porters and other tourist-related services. In Nepal, beside tourism, agriculture is the main economic activity.

Estimate of energy consumption is broken down into two types of traditional sources—wood and kerosene -and two types of renewable sources including hydroelectricity and solar panels. (As discussed in my previous blog entries). Lodge owners were also asked about other alternative energy sources such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), adoption of new technologies such as electric cooker and space heater, back boiler water heating system. The main point to take from the study that was conducted was that the temperature in these areas varies so consumption can fluctuate and not truly present the true data of usage.  One of the main drawback of the data collection method was  that lodge owners were not asked to estimate energy inputs from these sources; they simply responded whether or not they utilized these sources.

Energy consumption patterns

• Wood is by far the most important source of energy, as 82% of all lodges use it mainly for cooking and space heating. The average daily consumption per lodge varies considerably across the three routes: 21.1 kg on ABC, 31.7 kg on Jomsom and 36.5 kg on Manang.
• Hydroelectricity and solar cells are two major sources of renewable energy available to lodge owners. Roughly 69% of all lodges have access to hydroelectricity, but its most common use is for lighting only. Very few use it for cooking, those who do use either “Bijuli Dekchian” ACAP modified low-wattage electric cooker, or an electric stove.
• A 200 l capacity tank costs about NRs 23,000 and a 100 l set can be purchased for as little as NRs. 5000. Lodge owners often entice visitors to stay at their lodges using ‘‘hot shower’’ as an attraction factor. Because of the cold weather—summers are cool too—and the type of visitor activity (trekking and climbing), hot shower is a popular item on visitors’ agenda.
• Energy-efficient technologies have also been promoted in the region, largely as a response to increasing energy demands and the need to reduce overall share of wood in fulfilling the demands. 2 items are of note:

1. Improved stoves have been designed both to reduce smoke and increase fuel wood efficiency through heat concentration. In the past, most lodges had traditional wood-heated open hearths; energy loss from the traditional hearth was reported to be very significant. ACAP has helped lodges and households to redesign the hearths and save energy.
2. A back boiler system consists of a pipe and a galvanized iron drum with a capacity of 200 l. The pipe is connected to the drum and is buried within the cooking hearth. The cold water from the bottom of the tank flows through the pipe and gets heated by the fire in the hearth. This is a very efficient method of heating water and is in high demand in the region. It is very significant,  there are 163 back boilers
   installed in 41% of lodges

Factors affecting consumption

   Six major factors account for the differences in energy use patterns.

1.    Altitudinal location of a lodge
2.    Accommodation capacity
3.    Access to alternative energy sources
4.    Cost of different types of energy
5.    Diversity of sources
6.    Institutional policies

In a mountainous topography where there is a wide variation in altitude, location of a lodge is an important factor in determining energy consumption levels. It takes longer to boil water at higher altitudes, and lodges at higher altitudes are naturally colder than lodges at lower altitudes. Therefore, it takes higher units of energy to cook food, and heat water and space.

Cost is a primary consideration for many small lodge owners when deciding which energy source to use. At present, wood is still by far the cheapest source—costing on average about five times less per unit of energy than kerosene or gas. It can be collected freely and is still obtained easily in many places. The duration of time to collect fuel wood is more important than its cost, which is very inexpensive compared to other energy sources. Where it costs money, fuel wood price rises significantly with increasing distance from the nearest road head or increasing altitude.

In conclusion, it is clear the consumption of energy is much higher in these resort than in agriculture homes, and it has its rights to be due to heavy demand by the increase of tourism. However many resorts that start out are a means of survival especially small business where agriculture has failed due to harsh mountainous conditions.

Sustainable tourism is a major focus in the debate on environmentally integrated tourism development, but existing research show that sustainability is a complex concept, and one that requires more critical and comprehensive analysis. If ACA wants to improve its image as a sustainable tourism destination, it must devise long-term strategies to address the energy issue and through it engage in global discourses on environmental conservation and climate change. Similarly, sustainable tourism policies must include strategies to internalize the environmental costs of burning fossil fuels and clearing forests.

Article referenced and summarised from: Science Direct
Images from: Google Images