
Field of Study:
Anthropology and Environmental Science
Home Institution in the U.S.:
Emory University, Atlanta, GA
Host Institution in Nepal:
International Centere for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), Lalitpur
Start Month/Year in Nepal:
September 2024
Duration of Grant:
Ten months
Lucia Buscemi
Lucia Buscemi graduated from Emory University with a BS in environmental science and a BA in anthropology. Her work experience includes being part of AmeriCorps VISTA with the International Rescue Committee and interning for Emory’s Office of Sustainability Initiatives. Lucia’s interests lie at the intersection of social and natural science, and her work aims to center vulnerable communities through bottom-up, people-first collaborative research.
Lucia’s Fulbright program is a continuation of her honors thesis project during which she lived in the Everest region of Nepal researching the effects of climate change and the trash generated by tourism on Himalayan communities’ autonomy, their relationship with the environment, and culture. For her project, Lucia is investigating the spatial relationship between tourism infrastructure and climate adaptation efforts in the Nepal Himalayas, focusing on resource distribution disparities. By comparing tourist-heavy areas, such as the Khumbu Valley, with less-visited regions like Solu and the Rolwaling Valley, the project is examining how proximity to trekking routes influences climate change perceptions, resource allocation, and adaptation strategies. Using ethnographic interviews, household surveys, and geospatial analysis, the study highlights the lived experiences of Himalayan communities vis-à-vis climate change and tourism. This research aims to amplify the voices of underrepresented communities and offers insights for equitable climate adaptation policies and sustainable tourism practices.