A Himalayan Journey of Revival

A New Beginning

For years, the old structure that houses eighth-generation Stupas of Monks continued to witness a surge of transitions at an undefined pace in the Kinnaur region of the Himalayas. The changing snowfall patterns, declining marginal vegetation in the cold desert, or shift in the agricultural practices, are a few changes, which largely remained incomprehensible till recent decades. This has been because humans themselves have been the agents of change. However, the old structure, a manifestation of the evolving process through the history and engagement of organisms in their environment, continued to bear the brunt of transformations while it transmuted into a near state of dilapidation.

How did the engagement and sense of belonging fade away? This question, which was fundamental to the landscape of the region, slowly steered by a handful of locals motivated the tribe to come together and restore the prime structure with traditional means and materials, with the efforts and guidance of the Priest Monk. The community realised the power they hold. So begins the story of the Kinnaura tribe in the village of Hango, which has begun to make a responsible comeback in the Himalayan Valley.

Changing Values in the Valley

The Indian Himalayan Region comprises two of the 36 biodiversity hotspots in the world. This means that the region hosts a variety of ecosystems that support huge biodiversity comprising many species that are facing threats. Though proper environmental valuation of the region is yet to be done, it is not difficult to say that the ecosystem goods and services offered by this region are invaluable. With long winters, arid regions, and marginal vegetation, the district of Kinnaur is primarily in the Himalayan region that varies in elevation approximately from 2320 to 6816 metres. The tough landscape and the lives sewn in it reciprocate the existing seamless relationships.

It is believed that until the previous century, Hango was the food bowl of the Himalayan states or provinces. ‘Kathar’, a wooden box, was traditionally used to store food crops by the locals for a maximum of ten years. As the community shifted to cash crops due to changing road connectivity and dynamics of trade, the subject of climate suitability steadily entered the picture. The subject was substantially realised to relate with the Climate Change when the marginal vegetation patterns in the village, including local grass used as fodder, forest cover and medicinal species, began to diminish. With the dilution of community spirit and induction of individualism, the landscape began to disintegrate into parts.

While Climate Change has been caused by an unsustainable and insensitive urbanity, its consequences do not remain limited to any region

Climate Change: Urban vs Remote

While Climate Change has been caused by an unsustainable and insensitive urbanity, its consequences do not remain limited to any region. With rising temperatures and increased extremities in local weather patterns around the world, people in urban areas appear to have somehow dodged the changes, be it through air-conditioned rooms or poisonous repellents against insects borne out of flooding roads during rains, which would otherwise spread epidemics.

However, the face of Climate Change is more direct in the regions that are still functioning as critical ecosystems. In the remote village of Hango, the direct implications of Climate Change include an increased aridity along with the risk of melting glaciers, which can potentially ruin settlements. Hence, Climate Change narrows down to hit the very fundamental needs of the people such as food and shelter in places where it is not possible to switch to artificial, unhealthy alternatives that are available in urban areas.

All the finances have been taken care of by one of the community members unconditionally

Winds of Change

With a series of dialogue over the past two years within the community, the people steadily began to prepare and execute certain plans together.

Since everyone in the village is tied up with their own daily routines, it has been extremely difficult to get everyone on board once again to hold important conversations. But after two years, the community has entered another phase of realising their dreams.

Looking at the erasure of vegetation in the region, the tribe has planted various saplings of willows and poplars, which were contributed by the local forest department. While saplings are growing slowly but successfully, some were damaged by the domestic animals while foraging. The tribe further plans to install traditional fences around the plantation area till the time young saplings need to be protected. “We must plant trees. When they grow, there will be greenery around, which is good for the village and it will give us firewood for the winters too,” exclaims a local lady who volunteered for the tree plantation activity.

Further, seed broadcasting was planned for the month of December 2021 so that the seeds sprout during the Spring or Summer of 2022. The tribe aims for a biodiversity revival by focussing on native plants. Opting for terrace farming by the community also indicates their judicious relationship with the land. A local woman in Hango lost her home to a melting glacier. The village has been facing this challenge for the last 20-25 years. The changing climate has increasingly led to unpardonable consequences. The tribe came together to dig up a swale above the elevation of 2000 metres for the treatment of glaciers in the regions with high slopes. They aim to continue with such locally driven and informed solutions to tackle Climate Change.

New Challenges and Potential Solutions

Another problem that has gradually come about in the region is migration. With limited scope of livelihood for the community, people have begun to migrate to cities. While towns and cities continue to struggle with a range of extremities owing to Climate Change, the need to live and earn does not fail to attract villagers to the promise of the big cities.

People want to register as a cooperative society on behalf of the village, which will aim to promote the revival of food crops in Hango. To foster livelihoods in Hango, local handicrafts are being promoted. While a young boy, Jigmet, creates pieces of stone art, another artist in Hango is skilled at the making of a local string instrument. It is motivating to see such talent in Hango, and the community wants to integrate these skilful people through a project of biodiversity revival and livelihood generation.

The youth of Hango are actively taking up the responsibility of functioning as guides for hikers, backpackers or travellers and also provide them with camping gear such as tents and sleeping bags. The community seeks to strengthen their traditional knowledge systems by promoting their growth and conservation so that ethno-botanical awareness is passed on to the younger generation. Nurseries are to be set up along with creation of food forests. The idea is to enable the community to rediscover their values in conservation. Certain dry herb mixtures will be made by the community, which will be beneficial for health and will have a market-value as well. As the local ecosystems are revived, the local livelihoods through arts and crafts will reinforce a sense of collectivism and pride amongst the tribe.

The tribe aims for a biodiversity revival by focussing on native plants

The Biodiversity Revival Project at Hango

The project proposes to integrate ecological restoration and strengthen local livelihood opportunities through the creation of ‘shared community resources’ at two sites in the Hangrang tehsil (administrative division) of Kinnaur district, Himachal Pradesh. The chosen sites have long been devoid of the historical native tree species cover due to past unsustainable extraction for timber and grazing pressures. The soil erosion and glacier-barricade flow may be controlled if native tree-forest regeneration takes place that holds the soil and snow in place. To ensure long-term management and sustainability of the restored sites, ecological corridor formation benefitting nearby protected areas, along with creating an appreciation for other life forms amongst local people is envisioned. The project proposes to engage the local community in conservation and revival initiatives, train local youth and incentivise conservation efforts.

All the finances have been taken care of by one of the community members unconditionally to promote as much participation amongst the villagers as well as to spread awareness. The project is looking for like-minded people, volunteers, young researchers to come and spend time with the community, help stimulate conservation, community mobilisation and livelihood creation. With no external funding agencies, the community is facing challenges while working hard for conservation of their home.

Hango is critical at this point of Climate Change. While this change may or may not be reversed, the community is gearing up to leave no stone unturned in protecting the integrity of their Himalayan culture and landscape.

Himalayan Stewardship

While the communities are the main stewards of these critical Himalayan ecosystems, each person is directly or inadvertently making an impact too, whether positive or negative. Hence, as a responsible steward, we can also participate in the conservation of Himalayan landscapes without primarily living there. This can be done by extending our support through our daily actions such as being a responsible consumer of local Himalayan products, a responsible tourist, performing research activities to guide the present trends in such villages and enforce motivation amongst the locals not to pull back the waning traditional systems. Therefore, by volunteering in all capacities for these ecosystems, each person can and must play a 
role however small.

Epilogue

As a Himalayan tribe, the stakes of losing long-followed practices or beliefs are really high, owing to Climate Change. As people are increasingly exposed to the foreign world, the materialistic needs have begun to dominate their fundamental needs. This calls for an enquiry at a personal as well as community level as to where we are headed. True sustainability is achieved with reduced dependencies on the external devices. Life in Hango is being envisioned to have those realisations in place where the community remains together and continues to hold inter-personal transactions within their surroundings.

All image Credits: Kinnaura tribe