KATHMANDU: The Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee (SPCC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the University of British Columbia (UBC) to collaborate on community-focused research and climate resilience in the Khumbu region.

The agreement, led by Dr. Pasang Yangjee Sherpa, Assistant Professor at UBC, seeks to establish ethical research practices and data sovereignty through the newly inaugurated Jomolangma Research and Innovation Hub in Thamo.

Established in 1991, SPCC is a local environmental organization overseeing waste management across trekking routes, settlements, and mountain peaks in the Everest Region. According to SPCC, it manages garbage collection on over 60 peaks, including Mt. Everest, and recycles approximately 300 tons of waste annually.

In collaboration with more than 5,000 local communities and volunteers, SPCC also leads seasonal cleanup campaigns, maintains material recovery facilities, and promotes source segregation of waste to support a circular economy in the region.

Since 1997, the committee has also been contracted by the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation to construct and maintain the Khumbu Icefall Route, a hazardous section between Everest Base Camp and Camp II. A team of eight Icefall Doctors is deployed annually to manage the route during the spring climbing season.

The partnership with UBC is expected to enhance local resilience against climate impacts while creating frameworks for sustainable research and development in one of the world’s most environmentally sensitive regions.