Drying wetlands
Ladakh's high altitude wetlands are under severe stress from the livestock population as well as tourist influx
Sonam Wangchuk is right. All is not well with Ladakh’s glaciers
In October 2021, 31 glacial lakes and water bodies showed an increase in area by 20%, found CSE & DTE’s State of India’s …
Fixing old houses on Himalaya
German architect Andre Alexander has been restoring old buildings in the Tibetan capital Lhasa for 15 years now. Over the past few years he has …
Change carbon-intensive lifestyles to save Ladakh, Sonam Wangchuk appeals to people
Might consider hunger strike if Ladakh is not protected under the Constitution’ Sixth Schedule, the innovator tells Down To Earth
Daily Court Digest: Major environment orders (April 11, 2023)
Down To Earth brings you the top environmental cases heard in the Supreme Court, the high courts and the National Green Tribunal
International Snow Leopard Day: Of snow leopards and domestic dogs
‘Man’s best friend’ has become a big threat for the charismatic cat in Ladakh, as this account shows
Energy security: China has its capital but India can focus on partnerships
Rather than putting an end to what China is doing, India should try to come closer to reaching some degree of parity, says Michael Kugelman
Free-ranging dogs: Official population control programme is failing in Ladakh (and rest of India); here is why
There is no baseline estimate of the dog population, inadequate sterilisation coverage and real world challenges which have not been taken into …
India needs to secure Pallas’s cats in its Trans-Himalayas
The unknown status and handful of records in India about this small felid are an opportunity to reveal facts about it through systematic …
Waterworks India: Chewang Norphell
Global warming is taking its toll on the trans-Himalayan region of Ladakh. Mountains that were completely decked with snow are now barren. …
'Farmers in Ladakh are among biggest victims of climate change'
After inventing the first artificial glacier in 1987, Chewang Norphel came to be known as “Ice Man of India”. He talks about how …
"Subsidy culture has killed local agriculture"
Thupstan Chhewang, Chief Executive Councillor and chairperson of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) speaks to Down To Earth.
Ladakh on the move
Ladakh is the one region in India where sustainable development is the only way ahead. Dry toilets, water efficient crops, cooperative farming, a …
Series of cloudbursts cause flash floods in western Himalayas, across India and Pakistan
Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh in India and Islamabad and Rawalpindi in Pakistan have been affected due to flash floods July 28, 2021
How J&K reduced snow leopard attacks on livestock
Herders in villages on the outskirts of Ladakh's Hemis National Park were involved in initiatives that helped reduce attacks on livestock and …
‘Freak incident’: ONGC, ISOR downplay geothermal fluid discharge into Ladakh’s Puga nullah
Both agencies also said the water discharged from the borehole after a blowout August 16 was benign
New analysis says Ladakh’s Puga has highest geothermal potential
Study looks at potential quantity of energy that could be extracted from a particular geothermal reservoir
Kolkata artist’s project aims to inculcate environmental awareness in rural areas
It aims to make people question popular notions of development at the cost of the environment
Himalayan plunder: How to design cities in the region
Build lighter structures, ensure proper drainage and use local knowledge to future-proof the region
Exploratory clean energy project in Ladakh begins by polluting
Geothermal fluid discharged during ‘exploratory drilling’ released into Puga nullah
Potential of Spiti Valley's wild fruit waiting to be tapped across India
In the past two decades, seabuckthorn collection has increased 20 times in the valley. Can a pan-Indian market unleash the full potential of this …
Burdened beast: India’s donkeys are disappearing; here is why
A fall in demand as a beast of burden, and illegal meat and skin trade have caused a critical decline in donkey numbers
Forest Survey Report 2021: India’s mountainous states, already facing climate change, lose forest cover
Jammu and Kashmir has lost very dense forests, while the North East is top in terms of total forest area loss
Kargil: Wall of landslide debris over river at risk of collapse
A tributary of the Zanskar river remains blocked due to landslide debris, threatening life in the valley. National Disaster Management Authority …
Himalayan plunder: Tourist rush threatens fragile Ladakh
More than an average of 300-600 cars visit Pangong lake every day, passing through some of the most fragile ecosystems in the region
