Climate change in Ladakh
Among the most remote corners of the earth, where life flows slowly between the small mountain villages and the high peaks of the Himalayas, Ladakh, in northern India, is certainly one of those magical and authentic places that inhabit the subcontinent. A region located a few kilometers from the border with Tibet (and hence the nickname “Little Tibet”), where the survival of local populations is severely tested due to constant climate change evolution.
In the sub-region of Zanskar, characterized by a series of monasteries scattered throughout the territory and by the river of the same name that gives the region its name, temperatures are always below freezing; from the end of January the temperatures plummet, even reaching -30 ° C and the waters of the river tend to create a real ice road.
This connection route in Ladakh allowed Tibetan monks to go up the river and walk through the the frozen surface, to reach the various villages scattered in the mountains. The increment of temperatures due to global warming has been creating several issues in the local communities and the ancient road that stretched for almost 100km during the winter, has now been reduced to a few dozen, so much so that the Indian government has allowed the construction of a road parallel to the river, to facilitate the everyday needs of small local populations, such as to reach a school or visit a doctor.
