Death and Recuperation:
Social capital on post-disaster tourism recovery in Langtang valley, Nepal
By Dipak Bishwokarma
I have visited many tourist destinations privately or as the part of my professional engagement in the Nepal Himalayas. However, the one where I trekked to Langtang in December 2017 was both exhilarating and extraordinary for a few reasons. First, it was my first time visiting despite Langtang being one of the more popular tourist destinations within close proximity to Kathmandu (the capital city of Nepal), rich in cultural heritage, and pristine mountain landscapes. Second, I was part of a research team assessing how climate change has impacted tourism destinations economically and Langtang was one of the case study sites. Third, Langtang village was also one of the communities hit hard by the devastating 2015 earthquake as it was completely washed away by an earthquake-triggered avalanche and landslide. So, I was personally trying to understand how Langtang village has revived its tourism industry in the post-disaster period, while also understanding the role of social capital in this process.
Langtang, tourism, and earthquake impacts
Langtang is a popular tourist destination for both domestic and international tourists due to its proximity to Kathmandu (about 200 km North), pristine and alluring natural beauty, and opportunity to experience the culture of an authentic mountain ethnic-group in Nepal. Visitors relish in the magnificent views of rugged hills and numerous 6,000 to 7,000m snow-capped peaks including Langtang Lirung mountain of 7,227m. The Indigenous Tamang community is the dominant population residing in Langtang, the majority of whom engage in tourism businesses. So, the opportunity to experience an authentic Tamang culture and heritage is another unique feature of Langtang! It has long remained as Nepal’s third main trekking region, welcoming more than 12,000 tourists annually.
Photo 1: Google Earth Map showing the earthquake triggered landslide in Langtang village
Langtang experienced the devastation of a 7.8-magnitude earthquake on the 25th of April 2015. Throughout Nepal, the earthquake resulted in about 9,000 deaths and over seven billion USD damages and losses of assets and infrastructure. Numerous tourism monuments and heritage sites, and tourism infrastructure including hotels, roads, trekking routes, and bridges were damaged due to the earthquake. However, the destruction in Langtang village was even more shattering as the whole settlement was washed away by an earthquake-triggered avalanche from Lantang Lirung mountain. It was estimated that the force of the debris landing on Langtang village was equivalent to half of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945. It caused an immense pressure wave, blowing down trees and houses and burying the approximately 300 houses in the village with about 60 meters rubble (Photo 1). The landslide left almost 400 people dead or missing including residents, foreign tourists, and tourist staffs. The destruction of tourist infrastructure, including local hotels, guest houses, trekking trails and local heritage sites caused the complete shutdown of tourism activities in the village.
Post-earthquake recovery and social capital
When I was in Langtang village in 2017, the remnants of the landslide, including boulders and sand were still visible, extending about 500 meters wide at the largest point. The rebuilt village was shifted 300 metres east of the landslide remnants (Photo 2 and 3). The majority of houses were rebuilt, although the reconstruction program was still rolling out during my visit. All houses were cement coated stone walled structures with corrugated galvanized steel roofs. The tourist activities were re-starting and gradually re-growing with reconstruction of trekking routes, guest houses, teahouses, hotels, and camping sites. I sensed that the people were trying to revive and bounce back to their normal lives, and gradually heal the double-trauma from earthquake and avalanche. I was curious about how the local community had succeeded in the reconstruction efforts and revived their businesses despite numerous limitations including the geographical remoteness. One of the teahouse owners explained that community-based social and cultural traditions of formal and informal social bonding and community networks have played a crucial role in post-disaster recovery in Langtang village.
Right after the earthquake triggered landslide, each member in the village was determining the whereabouts of their family members, guests staying in their guest houses, and neighboring families. Each member in the village self-mobilized to rescue victims, provide first aid, prepare emergency shelters, share emergency food, and ensure that they were in the safest location nearby (bonding social capital). People from nearby villages and local volunteer groups also supported them in search and rescue efforts, preparing temporary shelters, sharing foods, and consoling each other (bridging social capital). However, communicating to the government authorities (linking social capital) and seeking emergency support was challenging due to remoteness and interruption of the available communication networks. One of the tea shop owners in Langtang said that “the government authority including additional security personnel had arrived to Langtang village only after two days of the landslide.”
Photo 2: Remnant of the landslide
Photo 3: New village area
Existing social bonding and community networks has also played a crucial role in the reconstruction of Langtang village. The government provided funding to support the reconstruction of housing (linking social capital). Many households also received financial support from international individuals who had visited Langtang village in the past. Required construction materials such as cement, iron rods, and galvanized steel sheets were bought either from Kathmandu or Syafrubenshi – the nearest market center situated about 120 km South from Langtang village, carried either on the backs of donkeys or through chartering a helicopter with households sharing the transportation costs. Neighbors and nearby villagers such as from Kyanging also offered their labor support for housing reconstruction (bonding and bridging social capital). Several national and international non-government organizations supported the maintenance and reconstruction of tourism infrastructures including trails and bridges.
Photo 4: Local residents sharing their experience of earthquake triggered landslide in Langtang village
Revival of the tourism sector
With the continuous effort in post-earthquake reconstruction, Langtang village has revived its lost glory and tourism business. I passed by many trekkers during my visit in Langtang village - some of them were international tourists, but the majority were domestic. One of the local teahouse owners said that “the number of both domestic and international visitors are gradually increasing. Locals who used to work as the tourist guide are also getting booked by the travel agencies.” The revival of tourism in Langtang was also reflected by the government data; in 2018, more than 10,000 tourist arrivals were recorded, increasing to a record-high 22,000 in 2019.
Photo 5: Kyanging gumba, about 3 hours after crossing Langtang village, most of the family or relatives of residents in Langtang village run tourism business in Kyanging also
Photo 6: Author Dipak Bishwokarma with Langtang mountain range in the background
To support post-earthquake recovery, people have also used their social networks to deliver the message of their recovery and invite more visitors to Langtang. “We are now back to our services and are eagerly waiting to welcome more visitors in our village. Please, convey this message to your friends and networks in Nepal and international,” our host in Langtang whispered with a smile of hope while saying goodbye to us!