Sagarmatha National Park（Mount Everest）, World Heritage Site in Nepal

Sagarmatha” is the Nepalese name for the world’s highest mountain, Everest (8,848 m). The park is registered for the area around Everest and is full of rare animals such as snow leopards and red pandas. And many fossils of ancient creatures have been found near the summit due to the uplift of the sea floor.

Here, a World Heritage enthusiast explains why Sagarmatha National Park is a World Heritage Site in an easy-to-understand manner. Read this and you will definitely learn more about Sagarmatha National Park!

What is Sagarmatha National Park? What does it mean?

Sagarmatha National Park, which includes Mount Everest (8,848m), the highest mountain on earth, is located in Sagarmatha district in eastern Nepal. “Sagarmatha” refers to Everest in Nepali, which means “top of the world.” The 7,000 to 8,000meter mountains, including Lhotse, Makalu, and Cho Oyu, are registered, and many rare animals, such as snow leopards, red pandas, and musk deer, live in the area. The national park is a famous trekking destination and a mountaineer’s dream.

Everest was formed 45 million years ago when the Indian subcontinent and Indo-Eurasia collided.In fact, fossils of ammonites and other fossils have been found on the summit of the mountain, providing evidence that this land was also uplifted by sedimentary layers on the sea floor. These strata are called “yellow bands,” and it is surprising that they have been gradually rising year by year.

The registration area includes the settlement of the Sherpa tribe. They often serve as porters for climbers and are famous as mountain guides. There are more than 20 villages here inhabited by more than 6,000 Sherpa people, who live by hunting animals and other game while preserving their traditional culture.

The number of tourists has also increased considerably, from 3,600 in 1979 to over 25,000 in 2010.The registration of this area as a World Heritage site is also intended to protect the flora and fauna and the culture of the Sherpa people from the effects of global warming and climate change.

For what reasons is Sagarmatha National Park on the World Heritage List?

Sagarmatha National Park was recognized for the following

Registration Criteria (vii)
Sagarmatha National Park is lined with mountains, glaciers, valleys, and all manner of beautiful scenery, including the world’s highest peak, Everest, and is home to endangered plants and animals. The area was once formed by continents colliding with each other, and its geological formations offer a glimpse into the history of the earth.

World Heritage Mania Conclusions and Comments

Sagarmatha may not be familiar to you since it is a Nepalese word, but the area including Everest, the highest mountain in the world, is registered not only for its scenery but also for the fact that it was formed by the collision of continents, and the geological formation is valued for preserving “memory of the earth”.

However, it is also strange that the only evaluation criterion is (vii), perhaps because it was registered as long ago as 1979.Personally, I think that it would be better to add other evaluation criteria, since there are plants, animals, and fossils on the verge of extinction….But for now, it is registered only with (vii), so we have no choice.

*The contents here are considerations derived through research by World Heritage enthusiasts. As for the data, interpretation differs depending on the media.