Across the world, mountains are considered to be the key indicators of climate change and the Himalayan ranges are testimony to this. Ladakh region in India, part of the northernmost state Jammu and Kashmir has suffered firsthand, this backlash in the form of frequent flash floods. A high altitude desert, it covers an area of 40,000 square miles and supports a population of only about 120,000 the majority of whom make their living through subsistence agriculture1. Located at an altitude ranging between 2900m and 5900m, it is one of the most elevated and coldest regions in the world. The remoteness and pure wilderness of this region, along with the presence of ancient Buddhist settlements makes it a huge tourist destination within India.
While the tourism explosion has brought with it, certain set of issues, one group of youngsters are trying to leverage it for the region’s betterment. Global Himalayan Expedition (GHE) http://www.ghe.co.in/index.html started 5 years ago by a group of passionate young Indians is based on a model that they call, ‘Impact’ Tourism. The organisation reaches out to enthusiastic trekkers by arranging treks across Ladakh’s exotic landscapes along with an array of adventure sports and cultural activities to reach remote communities that they help electrify with the help of solar grids. As part of the trek the team treks to remote villages, which they help electrify by setting up solar micro-grids. This electrification is made possible by the efforts of the founders who carry expertise in the area of solar grid installation which they pass on to the participants and a small local team of technicians who guides the participants on the more logistical and technical aspect of setting this up. The fee for the expedition, which is slightly higher than usual, helps the team arrange the solar panels and the logistics for the expedition. The altitude at which Ladakh is located and the amount of sunlight it receives, perfectly positions it for successful solar energy efforts.
The team’s work doesn’t merely end at installation, but is extended to involving the villagers in taking ownership and maintaining the grids. A bank account is opened for the village and each house is asked to contribute INR 150/200 (USD 2.5/4) each month towards maintenance. The villagers don’t mind paying this amount as it secures them against future repair or replacement work. This sustainable model of delivering consistent energy to villages that have so far been surviving on government rations of kerosene has markedly improved the standard of living in these communities. Energy access has acted as a tool for further development and growth in these remote areas and has led to an increase in income and livelihood creation2. GHE therefore provides Its participants with a two part experience; one of authentic adventure tourism (treks, mountain biking, camping, rafting) and another of bringing about change in the lives of the people they meet along the way.
While this is a unique model, given the region it aims to change, it is as vulnerable to the effects of climate change as Ladakh. Ladakh which is semi-arid (also known as the cold desert) is likely to experience water stress conditions, decreased soil moisture and desert expansion. In 2010, Ladakh saw one of its worst flash floods that claimed hundreds of lives and left thousands, displaced. Scientists later attributed the floods to prolonged winters, which are a result of climate change. The flash floods to a large extent changed the region, making some areas more difficult to traverse by road and further distancing some communities from the center. The vulnerability of this region then makes it a risk for organisations that operate here. For GHE specifically, some of these risks are:
- Trek routes becoming dangerous to traverse
- Tourists getting more wary to venture out of the center, Leh, into the more remote areas, purely on foot
- The communities being cut off frequently and solar panels being damaged beyond repair
All of these will negatively affect the GHE model, which is built on taking its participants to these remote communities. To mitigate these issue, one of the things that GHE can do is perhaps look at teaming with local bodies to put in place a repair committee on solar panels during such calamities. Also the team could look at bringing in some climate experts to also educate the communities they work with on recourse actions during such times. Last but not the least, GHE has a very scalable model, that it is currently not leveraging. Given the demand for its expeditions so far, it can surely look to replicate its work across other parts of the country.
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Sources:
1 – http://www.ghe.co.in/energyaccess.html
2– http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/a-himalayan-expidition-that-helps-illuminate-remote-villages-1264008
Quite interesting project! The climate change experts should not only educate the local communities, but also further educate the tourists coming to the area. In fact, educating the tourists may be even more effective because they likely come from countries that consume more energy and drive up green house gas emissions.
Scaling this project to other countries could be quite interesting; however, they are targeting such a small segment of the general population, that I wonder whether there is a way to incorporate varying levels of trails and treks to cater to other segments of the population for example families, younger student groups, or senior / older travelers that may be interested in these types of projects but find the Himalayan trails and these types of treks too arduous.
Indeed informative and interesting article! Sustainability in tourism industry is becoming a trend, and many tourists support the theme and participate in practice. Not only Himalayan trails, but many nature-based tourist destinations started to provide such programs. However, in order to make this business even more scalable, I hope more and more programs and ideas be presented in city sites as well.