Understanding high mountain aquifers to source drinking water in the Sagarmatha National Park: Geoscientists Without Borders®

Author(s):  
Kirsten Nicholson ◽  
Klaus Neumann ◽  
Joshua Gruver ◽  
Steven Hall ◽  
Misa Nishikawa ◽  
...  
2021 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 242-243
Author(s):  
Kirsten Nicholson ◽  
Klaus Neumann ◽  
Subodh Sharma ◽  
Lakpa Thering Sherpa

In 2019, after almost a decade of working on water quality in the Himalayas, we submitted a proposal to Geoscientists Without Borders® (GWB) titled “Understanding high mountain aquifers to source drinking water in Sagarmatha National Park.” The project involves a combination of water-quality and quantity measurements, geologic mapping, and an electrical resistivity tomography survey. The goal of the project is to help two communities (Phortse and Lobuche within Sagarmatha National Park in Nepal) minimize their water vulnerability to climate change and earthquakes. The project team includes researchers and students from the United States and Nepal, as well as nongovernmental organizations, government agencies, and community councils. In the proposal, we identified physical health and altitude as the primary risks that could hinder the success of the project. Like everyone else in early 2019, we had no way to foresee the events of 2020, which would almost completely derail our project. Health has turned out to be the major hinderance. The irony of the global pandemic is how much it has impacted the work of the U.S.-based team and how little it has impacted the necessity of the project.


Author(s):  
Kirsten N. Nicholson ◽  
◽  
Klaus Neumann ◽  
Carolyn B. Dowling ◽  
Subodh Sharma

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Klaus Neumann ◽  
◽  
Kirsten N. Nicholson ◽  
Carolyn B. Dowling ◽  
Leah Wood ◽  
...  

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 411 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirsten Ngaire Nicholson ◽  
Klaus Neumann ◽  
Carolyn Dowling ◽  
Subodh Sharma

During the 2016 pre-monsoon dry season, we undertook a systematic study of water quality, specifically fecal contamination of drinking water, in the Khumbu Valley, Sagarmatha National Park (SNP, Mt. Everest region) and SNP buffer zone, Nepal. Our goal was to quantify physical parameters (temperature, pH, conductivity and total dissolved solids), and the presence of fecal coliforms (E. coli and total coliforms) in drinking water and drinking water sources (predominately groundwater-fed springs). This data set will function as a baseline for access to potable water and further monitoring. Sample sites were selected based on primary use as a drinking water and/or drinking water source for each community. In general, there is little correlation between and physical parameters however, there are very weak correlations between total coliform data and increasing temperature, and decreasing elevation and pH. There does, however, appear to be a correlation between population (including tourist numbers) and both E. coli and total coliforms. Our study clearly indicates that the presence of bacterial indicators of fecal pollution during the dry season. Samples from the more populated, lower altitude areas had higher levels of E. coli and coliform bacteria. Importantly, drinking water that was stored in tanks or transported long distances had a much higher incidence of E. coli and total coliforms suggesting that a change in water handling practices might have an important impact on drinking water quality and population health. 


2018 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 353
Author(s):  
Kirsten Ngaire Nicholson ◽  
Klaus Neumann ◽  
Carolyn Dowling ◽  
Joshua Gruver ◽  
Hannah Sherman ◽  
...  

2016 ◽  
Vol 04 (04) ◽  
pp. 43-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirsten Nicholson ◽  
Emily Hayes ◽  
Klaus Neumann ◽  
Carolyn Dowling ◽  
Subodh Sharma

Zootaxa ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 4317 (1) ◽  
pp. 79
Author(s):  
GREGORIO FERNÁNDEZ-LEBORANS ◽  
MARÍA VALLADOLID ◽  
MERCEDES ARAUZO ◽  
ANDRÉS MILLÁN ◽  
REGINA GABILONDO ◽  
...  

Macroinvertebrate samples collected during spring-summer 2013 in high mountain rivers of the Ordesa and Monte Perdido National Park (Pyrenees) contained several Hydraena species (Coleoptera: Hydraenidae) where we found two genera of suctorian ciliates as epibionts: Tokophrya and Discophrya. The individuals of the genus Tokophrya probably belong to species Tokophrya stenostyla, being the first time that this species is observed attached on arthropods. Suctorians of the genus Discophrya were identified as a new species called Discophrya ordesae sp. n. The presence and abundance of epibionts was discussed in the frame of the biological and ecological characteristics of the species of Hydraena where they were found. 


2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 34
Author(s):  
Agnieszka Brenk ◽  
Olga Ilona Smoleńska

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