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Alpine stewardship: towards zero-waste mountaineering activities in Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park Research Completed

Title

Alpine stewardship: towards zero-waste mountaineering activities in Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park

Lead Author

Garrard, R.

Organisation(s)

Victoria University

Publication Year

2006

Publisher

Victoria University

Contacts

Rodney Garrard’s Profile at http://environmental-management-21.com/

Other papers by Rodney Garrard on this topic are available on the Knowledge Library:

Towards zero-waste mountain-based activities in Aotearoa / New Zealand

Monitoring the Effects of Aircraft on Recreationists in Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park, 2005

Abstract

This study explores the goal of implementing a zero-waste strategy for mountaineering activities in Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park1 by disseminating an adaptive management model utilising the ‘limits for acceptable change’ (LAC) framework developed in various United States national parks since 2003. This planning framework was chosen to support the Department of Conservation (‘DOC’ or ‘the Department’ hereafter)2 in the development of fundamental ‘best practice’ involved within this process including:

(a) detailed understandings of the problems, origins, and prospective practical solutions for waste minimisation in AMCNP,

(b) the involvement and participation of key stakeholders in all phases of AMCNP’s zero-waste strategy,

The applied methodology for collecting this information was a questionnaire survey and semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders, and a comprehensive text analysis investigating the sequential development of stakeholders perspectives towards zero-waste initiatives, the wider spectrum of waste in the Park, including vocalised reasons and hidden arguments, public participation approaches in AMCNP and different levels of public involvement in a zero-waste strategy for the Park.

This study has highlighted that there are various opportunities to increase the acceptance of sustainable low-impact human waste facilities in AMCNP including design, education, providing appropriate facilities, and public participation in a zero-waste strategy. The results from this research also demonstrate that increased public participation may potentially satisfy key stakeholders.

Keywords:

Aoraki, Mount Cook, National Park, Conservation, Waste, Natural resources

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