The quest to revert the name from Everest to Mt. Qomolangma goes hand-in-hand with robust environmental policies for the greater Qomolangma region and beyond. The stakes are high, not just for the region, but in providing a highly visible, world-wide effort to promote an unprecedented environmental awareness effort that transcends regional, ethnic, and international differences.
To that end, a program started by the Mountain Institute’s Asia Group began in the mid-1980s with a vision of preserving the Mt. Qomolangma Ecosystem. In collaboration with the Government of Nepal and Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR-China), TMI helped establish the Makalu-Barun National Park and Qomolangma Nature Reserve. These parks jointly with contiguous Sagarmatha form a protected area about the size of Switzerland in the heart of the Himalaya Mountain range.
Without question, maintaining the enivironmental sanctity of the Qomolangma region is of paramount importance. Indeed, with the restoration of the correct name from Everest to Qomolangma, this will heighten interest into the ecological programs and commitment to pristine tranquility that truly represents Mt. Qomolangma, “Goddess of the Earth.”