This month, Indian activist Sonam Wangchuk undertook a 21-day “climate fast” in his home region of Ladakh in the Himalayas with two aims: to draw global attention to the rapid collapse of the Earth’s “third pole,” and to pressure the Indian government to give the people of Ladakh legal protection for the region’s resources.
For centuries, the people of Ladakh have survived and thrived in the Himalayan “rain shadow,” where water comes exclusively from melting snow and ice, but in recent decades they have witnessed the rapid disappearance of glaciers, increasingly erratic snowfall, and disasters caused by unprecedented torrential rains and glacial lake floods.
An educator and engineer, Wangchuk has pioneered the construction of passive solar heated buildings in the region and “Ice PagodaHe came up with the idea of ”freeze irrigation,” which involves refreezing melted snow and using it for irrigation. But he realized that these efforts would not solve the bigger problems, and that’s why he became one of India’s most well-known voice To combat climate change.
For three weeks, Wangchuk Yale Environment 360 Wangchuk was interviewed on the 19th day of his fast, consuming only water and salt and sleeping outdoors in sub-freezing temperatures at an altitude of 11,500 feet. Thousands joined him in a day-long fast and a massive protest in Ladakh’s capital, calling on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government to declare Ladakh a “tribal area” under a provision of the Indian Constitution that guarantees local autonomy over land use and resource management. Giving this power to the Ladakhis is the only way to protect their fragile cold desert ecosystem and their way of life, Wangchuk says.
“In Ladakh, we are in a very important position as emissaries from the border,” he says. “We have a responsibility to tell the world what is happening to us today, and what will happen to you tomorrow.”
Sonam Wangchuk is surrounded by his supporters on the 17th day of his hunger strike on March 22, 2024.
Photo by Sonam Dorje/AP
Yale Environment 360: I’m on day 19 of my 21 day fast. How are you feeling?
Sonam Wangchuk: I’ve been feeling very sick for the past two days, but today I feel much better.
360: No How would the legal safeguards you are calling for, such as the creation of their own legislative autonomous district councils, help protect Himalayan glaciers and the ecosystems and communities that depend on them?
WangchukThe Indian Constitution has a special provision called Article 6 which protects areas where tribal communities are in the majority, their people and their culture, and allows them to decide how these areas will develop without interference from others.
What we are demanding, and what the government has promised, is self-governance for the indigenous Ladakhis. Article 6 provides for the creation of an Autonomous District Council with legislative powers. The Council can make rules and regulations governing land, forests, water, agriculture, health, sanitation, mining, etc. But after the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party won the elections, the party backtracked on these promises.
“All my life I’ve seen glaciers disappear. Glaciers that were once right next to the road have retreated hundreds of metres.”
360: No Without these protections, what future industrial developments by outside stakeholders do Ladakhis fear? Are there any specific proposed projects that concern you most?
Wangchuk: Without these protections, Ladakhis themselves could be completely excluded from decision-making about the use of their land. Outsiders could bring in huge mining, energy and industrial projects and we would have no say in it. There would be no local input or restrictions on how these mega-projects are decided and built.
If Ladakh is left in this vulnerable state, mining companies will surely come. We hear reports of them already scouting in the mountains and valleys. Big hotel chains also want to come here. There is simply not enough water in the high desert to meet all this new demand. Every drop counts here. The tourism industry has already caused major disruption with pollution and water use. People fear that without this protection, we will not be able to maintain our culture and way of life, which has been finely tuned over millennia to survive in these mountains, balancing the resources and the environment.
And to accommodate this new development, roads will get wider and there will be more diesel trucks and vehicles. These activities increase local emissions of black carbon (soot), which is known to cause glaciers to disappear more quickly. When the soot falls on the snow and ice, it absorbs solar energy and heats them, causing them to melt faster.
Leh, the largest city in Ladakh.
Photo by Sonam Dorje/AP
360: No Ladakh lies in the rain shadow of the Himalayas and receives almost all of its water from snow and ice. If trends of warming and glacier loss continue, how concerned are the people of Ladakh about their ability to continue farming and living in the region in the future?
Wangchuk: I have seen the glaciers of Ladakh disappear. Glaciers that were once right next to the road have now retreated by hundreds of meters. These changes are causing flash floods in some places and droughts in others. Some areas are already facing water scarcity. When new industries come in and bring their own water demands and pollution, not only will the local people suffer, but the whole of North India. That is why we think it is so important to protect these glaciers. If they disappear, the local people of Ladakh will become refugees because they are our lifeline.
But this doesn’t just affect us in Ladakh. Ladakh and its glacial systems [part of what is] It is known as the “Third Pole” of the Earth. It is the largest freshwater reservoir outside the polar regions and directly or indirectly feeds a quarter of the Earth’s population. This is not just a Ladakh issue; it is everyone’s issue.
“My constant urge to everyone is to live simply in the big city, so that we in the mountains can live simply too.”
Electronic 360: Were you encouraged by the response to your fast from other parts of India?
Wangchuk: Yes, I have been highlighting these issues through my morning and evening news, educating the Indian people on these issues and reminding them of the promises made by the government. [on social media] Throughout the fast, people have been touched by our work. Many people, especially from North India, the foothills of the Himalayas and other parts of India, have been touched and expressed their solidarity with us. There has definitely been a big change. Some have even organized one-day fasts in their own cities. Fasts were held in 25 cities across India last Sunday. This shows how much people are touched and supportive. People are coming from Darjeeling, Uttarakhand, all of the foothills of the Himalayas and many other places.
360: No Regardless of whether the government accedes to your demands or not, what do you think your fast and the associated protests have already achieved?
Wangchuk: I think what we’ve achieved is that we’ve educated people about the reasons for the fast. But rather than just making the fast something that we got for our own purposes, we’ve tried to educate people about the melting glaciers and how companies are exploiting the mountains in unsustainable ways. It’s a matter of education. And that’s certainly happened. [political] The demands are not met.
A lot of networks and connections are being built and the government is taking it seriously, although for now they are trying to stay away from it, but sooner or later I think the government will have to pay attention because it is influencing their votes.
Protesters in New Delhi demanding statehood for Ladakh in February 2023.
Sonu Mehta/Hindustan Times via Getty Images
360: No Given that the US and other wealthy countries have historically been largely responsible for the fossil fuel emissions that are melting the Himalayan glaciers, is your fast intended to appeal to people beyond India’s borders?
Wangchuk: Yes, my climate fast is also to educate the world’s biggest cities and historically responsible countries, where most of this problem started. But I’m not one of those people who blames the rich countries for their historical emissions and then concedes when developing countries emit more: “Now it’s our turn, why shouldn’t we emit as much as you’ve already emitted.” I don’t believe that. The sooner we learn and act about what is toxic and harmful to the planet, the better.
There is no need to repeat the mistakes made by the great powers of the past. We must use our own capabilities to make things right. We must not repeat them. Otherwise there will be no difference between us who claim to understand environmental issues and those who did what they thought was right at the time, without knowing it. But certainly, the great emitters also bear a great responsibility, and I intend to work with the United States, Europe and other countries to appeal directly to their people.
360: No Is there a message you would like to convey to people in the US and other developed countries about their role in contributing to the conservation of the Himalayas?
Wangchuk: To make their lifestyle simpler. To switch from a carbon-intensive lifestyle to a more eco-friendly one, which will later harm the earth and themselves. But one day we Ladakhis will become the victims of their actions through no fault of our own. So I always say, live simply in your big cities, so that we in the mountains can live simply. I want to influence people beyond the borders of India, because emissions know no boundaries, pollution knows no boundaries, and education is the best defense.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
