9/7/2019 Climate change stripping Ladakh of its very identity - The Economic Times

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Climate change stripping Ladakh of its very

identity
Wooden roofing of buildings is increasingly making way for concrete ones to cope with
heavy rainfall.
IANS | Jul 16, 2019, 12.40 PM IST Save

0
Comments

Agencies
Blame global warming, and Ladakh is one of
those places where its more evident than
elsewhere. Extending from the Siachen
glacier to the Himalayas, the picturesque
Related Most Read Most Shared
region evokes mental imagery of Buddhist
architecture and snow-laden surroundings. Jammu & Kashmir global submit to be held at
Now, both have begun to disappear. Ladakh

Foreign minister S Jaishankar allays Chinese fear

Climate change is costing the region its on Ladakh

identity in more ways than one. Wooden Russian investors keen on Ladakh solar power
roofing of buildings is increasingly making project: Invest India
Farmers have been significantly affected by climate
change. way for concrete ones to cope with heavy Govt to implement NE growth model in J&K and
rainfall. Downpours, which used to be alien Ladakh: Jitendra Singh
to the area, have been destroying Buddhist paintings and carvings in monasteries. Add to Maharashtra govt plans to build tourist resorts in
that the standard casualty of climate change: dwindling water resources and agriculture. J&K, Ladakh

Traditionally, houses in Ladakh have had a wooden roof, built to withstand heavy snowfall.
However, the receding glacial snow, unusually heavy rainfall, floods and changing weather
patterns have significantly changed the lifestyle of the residents of the arid desert of ENVIRONMENT

Ladakh, the north Indian city bordering Pakistan and China. The Kerala recipe for
disaster

To accommodate severe weather conditions, the conventional structures are now being
Rapid urbanisation and unregulated sand
renovated and modified into concrete spaces. The old wooden structures are unable to mining are to be blamed for Kerala ...
withstand the heavy rainfall Ladakh has been witnessing over the last few years.
SPACE

Why touchdown on the

Earlier, roofs in Ladakh were made of wood, stone and clay to withstand extreme snowfall.
moon matters
Such roofs are inadequate to protect in case of heavy rain. Residents are now forced to
use the more expensive tin or concrete to cover their homes. It’s a giant leap towards an untapped
resource for energy, water, and miner...
Owing to the rapid climate change, the region's culture is also under siege. Paintings and
INVESTING
carvings in Buddhist monasteries that dot the cold region have been ruined because of
Stock traders are
seepage of incessant rains during the last few years. embracing system
trading
Rule-based trading helps traders hold on to
Ad Ketogen
profitable trades longer and ex...

If this girl can lose 40 KGs,

why can't you?

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/climate-change-stripping-ladakh-of-its-very-identity/articleshow/70241185.cms 1/20
9/7/2019 Climate change stripping Ladakh of its very identity - The Economic Times
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A study on heritage conservation in Ladakh by the American Institute for Conservation of

Historic and Artistic Works explained how this significant increase in rainfall over the last
decade has affected different kinds of heritage structures. "The region is now experiencing
short but heavy downpours that the traditional mud structures are not equipped to
withstand," the report noted.
Politics Trending Terms
The paper also discussed how old structures are facing extreme water seepage, which has Rajnath Singh Rahul Gandhi Nitish Kumar
caused both internal and external damage. The study also added that in the long run, Mamata Banerjee BJP Mayawati Akhilesh Yadav
melting glaciers from the Himalayan and Karakoram mountain ranges threaten these Yogi Adityanath Congress
heritage structures.

Fear of floods:

Several theories have been put forward regarding the sudden climate change in Ladakh;
locals, however, believe the government's green drive in the 90s-where thousands of trees
were planted across the region-could be behind the unusually high rainfall. Since the late
90s, the Army and other government agencies spent lakhs on the desert development
programme for afforestation in Ladakh, planting trees like willow and other fruit-bearing
plants to increase the green cover in the arid desert. However, there are no scientific
studies to prove this claim.

Less snowfall and heavy rainfall is a major cause of concern for locals who say they have
never witnessed such erratic climatic conditions. In 2010, flash floods shook the city of Leh
where more than 200 people died and thousands lost their valuables and homes.

Rinchen Dorje, 62, a government teacher from Leh, changed his traditional wooden
structure to concrete a couple of years after retirement to escape from the damage that
rains cause almost every year. His house was partially destroyed in 2010 flash floods.
"Fear of rain and floods is still fresh in our minds," he said.

Iqbal Bijal, President of Society for Knowledge Improvisation Through Promoting

Opportunities, an NGO working for the uplift of the poor in Ladakh, said there were times
when the region would witness no rainfall throughout the year. "This is a phenomenon we
started witnessing after 2002," he added.

Farmers have been significantly affected by climate change. Fruit farmers in Ladakh
usually grow apricot while the others principally grow barley, wheat and paddy. They claim
their crop and fruits now taste different as the increase in temperature reduces the time
they take to ripen.

Tsering Nobru, a farmer from Choglamsar village in Leh, informed that apricots would ripen
by mid-August in Ladakh earlier but now ripening happens much earlier in the month.
"While early ripening of fruit is better for farmers, the problem arises when trees bear fewer
fruits," he said.

Bijal said the traditional forms of food storage have been affected by the rain as well.
Ladakhis originally stored cheese and other food items in wooden basements for
preservation during the five months of harsh winter. However, with rainwater seeping in,
they've had to shift to more expensive forms of storage. Tin or concrete roofs are also now
a necessity for farmers, as compared to the traditional wood or clay ones that are unable
to withstand heavy rain. After harvest, apricots are put out to shrivel, and these roofs help
keep fruit dry during the rainy season.

While heavy rainfall brings its own set of problems, lesser snowfall in the region has also
affected residents in Ladakh. Farmers face severe water scarcity, and residents including
hotel and guesthouse owners have been forced to consider alternative methods. They now
drill their own borewells to procure groundwater for the large number of tourists who visit
the region every year from around the world.
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/climate-change-stripping-ladakh-of-its-very-identity/articleshow/70241185.cms 2/20