Protecting mountains in face of globalisation, migration
The cultural diversity of mountains and the need to protect the identity of highland people find voice in this year’s International Mountain Day celebration.
As culture is invariably linked to livelihood, safeguarding it against the onslaught of globalisation is must, says Rajan Kotru, regional programme manager, transboundary landscapes, ICIMOD. Speaking to Down To Earth, Kotru voiced concern over the degradation of cultural values in the Hindu Kush Himalayan region coupled with the impact of climate change.
“Himalayas are culturally rich. If we go by history and anthropology, the Himalayas have been our cradle for culture. Huge changes are happening here,” the ICIMOD expert said.
Resilience, livelihood at stake
The world’s mountains are home to a diverse range of populations such as Quechuas in the Andes, Amhara in Ethiopia and the Tibetans and Yi in China to name a few. Isolation created by rugged topography has helped in maintaining their distinct cultures, which have remained relatively intact. Unfortunately, the stability of mountain populations is at present threatened by migration.
People living in mountains are known for their nature-caring attitude. For centuries, they have experienced harmonious co-existence with the environment. However, exodus of highland people to the plains in search of livelihood opportunities has become a major problem. With this, the traditional knowledge of mountain people is getting destroyed.
To contain mass migration, there is an urgent need to open economic avenues for mountain people. With water shortage and degradation of grazing land due to furious dam-building activity, life has become harder for those who choose to stay behind.
Mountain people are some of the world’s poorest people. Most highland farmers cannot compete with the high production volume of lowlands and are frequently paid only a fraction of the value of their produce due to long supply chains that increase transportation and other costs. Generating new income streams for these producers can make a real difference and help prevent migration.
Tourism threat
Mass tourism, which Kotru terms as “unplanned and unchecked” is also undermining mountain cultures. “We need responsible tourism implementing a code of conduct with environmental and cultural friendliness,” Kotru adds.
For tourism to benefit mountain people there is a need to control the flow of tourists visiting the Himalayas. Sensitisation of visitors, urging them to behave in a responsible manner, is also the need of the hour.
“It is important to ensure that mountain tourism does not add pressure on mountain environments and the valuable assets they provide such as water and biodiversity. Investing in sustainable tourism can reduce the costs of energy, water and waste disposal, and at the same time enhance the value of biodiversity, ecosystems and cultural heritage,” Rosalaura Romeo, Food and Agriculture Organization expert, says.
According to Romeo, economic benefits that arise from tourism must remain in local communities. Community-based mountain tourism can ensure a more equitable distribution of income, help maintain local cultures and knowledge, reduce migration and provide incentives for the protection of mountain ecosystems.
Securing solidarity through diversity: binding landscapes and cultures together
Cultures bind civilisations through practice, perception, delicacy and dignity. Culture marks differences among groups, but within groups culture is an inherent confederation, a unique string that connects and unites individuals.
Every year, on December 11, we celebrate mountain culture through the World Mountain Day. This annual commemoration recognises that mountain culture is a unique blend of livelihoods and physical conditions, and that cultures within the mountains reflect the diversity of people living anywhere. In other words, our strength lies in our differences, not our similarities. The cultural diversity that we see in the mountains reflects the array of life forms we see in this region. We don’t want to be all the same, but we do want to understand each other. This is what we strive for, a unity in diversity.
Numerous cultures—traditional and modern, unique and similar, dynamic and complex—view mountains as gardens and paradise. All different mountain cultures are bound by the physical conditions in which they form. The Himalaya are often referred to as the “water towers” of Asia; rich in terms of natural resources and magnificent in displays of various landscapes, ecosystems, and species. Every form of flora and fauna bears some responsibility for shaping the Hindu Kush Himalaya’s diverse mountain cultures.
Mount Kailash and the neighboring Lake Mansarovar in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China provide a stirring example of culture unity and diversity co-existing harmoniously. These two natural icons represent a sacred network of myths, beliefs and religious practices, and create a path of pilgrimage, meditation and sacrifice for people from all around the world.
Every year, thousands of people from Nepal and India (Hindus, Buddhists, Bonpos and Jains) take part in the Kailash Yatra, a journey to Kailash in honor of their deities. For Tibetans, Kailash (known to them as the “Kang Rinpoche”) exemplifies their national and religious identity. At Lake Mansarovar, Hindus think of Lord Brahma, who created this massive freshwater lake, sitting at 4,556 metres above the sea level. They also think of Lord Shiva and “Shakti,” the masculine and feminine principles for activating one’s power and energy. Tibetans call this lake “Tso-Maphan” and consider it to be the holiest body of water in the world, pure and cleansing. Together, all these mountain cultures come together in a unified sacred area and breathe life into their individual belief systems, drawing strength from each other and the spiritual aura that transcends borders and landscapes.
I consider cultural habits and environment as two inseparable elements: they complement each other and cannot be separated. As such, cultural habits and the environment are equally important when we talk about conservation. The Millenium Ecosystem Assessment in 2005 recognised the “cultural services” of landscapes, suggesting that non-material benefits should be considered carefully in any conservation programme. Similarly, the UNESCO–MAB biosphere reserve concept also highlights the value and importance of sacred sites in its discussions of sustainable use and development of natural resources.
It is because of this cultural stability through diversity that we, as part of Kailash Sacred Landscape Conservation and Development Initiative (KSLDCI ) at ICIMOD, have been able to contribute towards the well-being of people residing in three different countries: Nepal, India and China.
Despite the political boundaries, the cultural associations and linkages across borders have acted as a uniting thread for promoting livelihoods and conserving biological resources in all the countries. Be it in the form of developing value-chains in the Himalayan Nettle (allo) in far-western Nepal or Indian Butter Tree (chyura) in Uttarakhand, India, KSLDCI seeks to honour livelihoods of mountain people by following a mantra of trans-boundary feeling, a mantra of sustainability.
We cannot learn and we cannot develop without culture. It is our roadmap for navigating life. So, when we speak of mountains and mountain people, let us remember that it is the physical and spiritual landscapes we should recognise before all our work.
I strongly believe that our cultural practices should polish our behavior and encourage us to lead a disciplined and healthy lifestyle. A practice that evokes strength and wisdom in each one of us to contribute to humanity: the only language we should speak and understand.
Lipy Adhikari (lipy.adhikari@icimod.org) is research associate, Kailash Sacred Landscape Conservation and Development Initiative at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development
The world’s mountains are home to a diverse range of populations such as Quechuas in the Andes, Amhara in Ethiopia and the Tibetans and Yi in China to name a few
Photo: Vikas Choudhary 
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