Sustainability Policy
Basanta Adventure Treks & Expeditions (BATE) wants to contribute positive impact in socio economy and environment. Therefore we are committed to promoting sustainability. Concern for the environment and promoting a broader sustainability agenda are integral to our company’s professional activities and management.
We aim to contribute to economic, environmental and social progress with a view to achieving sustainable development, and to help our clients achieve responsible trips. Therefore, we follow and promote good sustainability practice, to reduce the environmental impacts of all our activities and to help our clients and partners to do the same.
Our Sustainability Policy is based upon the following principles:
- To comply with, and exceed where practicable, all applicable national legislation, regulations and codes of practice.
- To integrate sustainability considerations into all our business decisions.
- To commit to our core values on human rights, labor standards, our environment and anticorruption.
- To promote responsible travel to natural areas that need environmental conservation and improves the well being of the local people.
- To ensure that new destinations and excursions maximizes benefits to local communities and the environment, and minimizes any negative aspects.
- To protect and give sound guidelines to our clients on wildlife excursions.
- To ensure that all staff are fully aware of our Sustainability Policy and that we are committed to implementing and improving it.
- To minimize the impact of all our office and travel operation activities.
- To make clients and suppliers aware of our sustainability commitments, and encourage them to adopt sound sustainable management practices.
- To review, annually report, and to continually strive to improve our sustainability performance.
- To ensure accountability and transparency in our sustainability performance.
- As to our commitment to the Sustainability Policy we have appointed a Sustainability Coordinator who actively oversees the implementation of this policy, for any questions and remarks related to our sustainability/CSR policies please contact person below.
Sustainable and Responsible Guideline for field Staff:
- Guides must be trained in the principles and application of Leave No Trace, appropriate to The location: As determined by The Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics:
i. Plan Ahead and Prepare.
ii. Travel and Camp on Durable Surface and Camp on Durable Ground
iii. Dispose of Waste Properly.
iv. Leave What You Find.
v. Minimize Campfire Impacts.
vi. Respect Wildlife OR Respect Farm Animals & Wildlife.
vii. Be Considerate of Other Visitors or be Considerate of Your Hosts & Other Visitors.
viii. Training must be geographically appropriate to the location in which the guide is leading.
ix. Emphasis on this application of principals must include efforts to stop poaching and trading of illegal wildlife products.
- Additional principles exist and must be adhered to, as designated
- Educate yourself and others about the places you visit.
- Purchase only the equipment and clothing you need.
- Take care of the equipment and clothing you have.
- Make conscientious food, equipment, and clothing consumption choices
- Minimize waste production.
- Reduce energy consumption.
- Get involved by conserving and restoring the places you visit.
- Guides must be aware of and, where applicable, incorporate into their guiding the following principles outlined by The International Ecotourism Society
a. Minimize physical, social, behavioral, and psychological impacts.
b. Build environmental and cultural awareness and respect.
c. Provide positive experiences for both visitors and hosts.
d. Provide direct financial benefits for conservation.
e. Deliver memorable interpretative experiences to visitors that help raise sensitivity to host countries’ political, environmental, and social climates.
f. Recognize the rights and spiritual beliefs of the Indigenous People in your community and work in partnership with them to create empowerment.
- Guides must be aware of and, where applicable, incorporate into their guiding the following Principles outlined by Basanta Adventure Treks and Expeditions Pvt. Ltd.
a. Maximizing social and economic benefits to the local community and minimizing negative impacts.
b. Maximizing benefits to cultural heritage and minimizing negative impacts.
c. Maximizing benefits to the environment and minimizing negative impacts.
d. Protection of children from harmful effects of tourism as represented by the organization:
e. Guide has a responsibility to document and report the use of illegal and unethical activity in the areas that he / she is guiding in, including vendors and partners engaging in such acts. This includes child and human trafficking, illegal prostitution, and uncompensated/under-compensated labor.
f. Who the guide reports such behavior to depends on company protocol, and the specific jurisdiction in which he/she is guiding.
Please write us for company policies on various subjects and action plan of sustainable tourism.
For more information:
Ms. Prerana Thapa
Sustainability Coordinator
sustainabilityinfo@basantaadventure.com
CHARITY PARTNERS OF BASANTA ADVENTURE
CHILDREN AID CARE (CAC)
CHILDREN AID CARE, CAC is a small charity founded by retired woman teachers in 1996. CAC is involved mostly in the field of Education programs for children. They have successfully helped rebuilding an old school into a brand new school which has become a model school in Kabre district, this is Government school not less than a private school, and this school is called Sri Ram Secondary school which is located approx. 50km south east of Kathmandu in Kabre district.
In Nepal Government school are weak in management and quality of education due to negligence by the Government, CAC, organize special activities for students and training to local teacher to motivate them to teach quality education, in some school CAC has sponsored salary to employ extra teacher to help boost for quality education, Government do not provide enough teachers compare to numbers of student. Sometime, there are more than 70 students in one class.
Program supported by Basanta Adventure
Basanta Adventure have been closely working with CAC in their sponsorship program for education of under privilege student with the help of few well noble people. At present there more than 10 students are being studying in Government school in Kosidekha village, Kabre district (south east of Kathmandu).
CAC have successfully completed several one off project such as repair and retrofitting of Basukhi secondary school after school was damaged by earthquake in 2015, fund was managed by Basanta Adventure with the help of some interested trekking group.
THE CENTER FOR ENVIOROMENT EDUCATION OF NEPAL (CEEN)
The CEEN was founded in Baisakh 2056 (May 1999). It is registered with Lalitpur District Office and has also been affiliated with the Social Welfare Council and NGO Federation Nepal, Lalitpur. Its main mission is to create 'Environmental Action through Awareness' among the citizens - teachers, students, businessmen and the general public. Since its inception, the CEEN has been undertaking action-research environmental activities for schools and communities for fulfilling the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Project supported by Basanta Adventure
Undertaking social/environmental activities in schools
Background:
Nepal presently is at the crossroads of fast political changes and serious environmental problems. One of the most important tools to counterbalance these changes and to promote a balanced development in all parts of Nepal is education, Environment Education (EE) and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in particular.
The paradigm change in education in the global front needs to be timely woven into the teaching-learning activities for a long-term impact resulting in attitudinal and behavioral changes amongst the future citizens. One of the most devastating results of human activities is climate change and its impact in Nepal is very severe with glacial outbursts, melting of snow, flood, change in seasons and increase in tropical diseases, etc.
As bulk of Nepal's population is comprised of school-going children and youth, they need extensive exposure to understand Nepal's rich natural, social values and cultural resources with associated problems and issues, mainly the cumulative impact like Climate Change and increasing social disharmony. This exposure and education program is hoped to encourage them be better observers, analyzers, disseminators, decision makers and protector of our environment, social and cultural values.
The proposed project concept:
In order to sensitize maximum young people and their families and relatives, the Centre for Environment Education Nepal (CEEN), with close collaboration with Eco-Network, Smart Minds and Awareness 360, has launched a project named "Smart Eco Task Force-SDGs in Action" in five private schools of Lalitpur district to start with. Each school has formed Smart Eco Task Force (STEF), a group of students which will coordinate and implement different activities. A yearly Action Plan has been worked out. The SETF will carry out various activities that will address environmental, social and cultural issues and plan and undertake action research activities in their schools and the surrounding communities contributing to the national mandate of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The program will also include session on leadership development. Volunteers from CEEN will oversee the activities along with the lead teacher and lead students at each school. We plan to increase the number of schools as we move on and start receiving more support.
Anticipated impact:
It is anticipated that the students and youth involved in the project will be directly sensitized on the environment and its associated issues. Besides, the teachers community will also be directly benefit from the program. On the other hand, the message and information on will be disseminated to the family members and relatives of every student, thereby reaching maximum people. This is expected to enhance environmental awareness and appropriate action. Besides, sponsoring institution/individual will also be promoted alongside and reach maximum number of people.