Ladakh lies on the rain shadow side of the Himalayan. Where dry monsoon winds reaches Leh after being robbed of its moisture in plains and the Himalayan mountain. The district combines the condition of both arctic and desert climate. Therefore Ladakh is often called “ COLD DESERT”. In the world today, there is much attention given to global warming and the effects of climate change, especially to the natural wonders of the world, which include the rainforests and polar ice caps.  In India, the Himalayas or the ‘water towers of Asia’ are in threat due to melting of glaciers.  Extensive flooding and a rise in the sea level have left many homeless in the coastal areas of Orissa and a major threat to the habitat and the unique ecosystem of the Sundarbans. Additionally, the complex issue of climate change has caused a shift in the apple-growing and wheat-growing belts in the central states of India.

In Ladakh, the prevailing global climatic change is having its impact as well.  Seasonally, earlier melting of the glaciers led to a lack of water throughout the growing season.  In general, more extreme weather is being recorded, including harsher winters and drier summers as is occurring in other cold deserts throughout the world.  A change in the migration patterns of birds has many concerned about various adverse impacts of climate change in Ladakh.  For its inhabitants, unique challenges have been brought on by climate changes, such as heavy rains (a phenomena not previously known in this region), which the infrastructure and even building materials are incapable of withstanding.  

There are additional adverse impacts in this region as well.  Modernization, tourism, and the army have created a new generation of people who no longer lead a traditional and self-sustaining lifestyle.  Today, most of the food and energy consumption by the people of this Region is trucked in during the summer months.  In this politically stressed region flanked by Pakistan and China, the addition of army personnel and a burgeoning tourist population has exacerbated an already fragile eco-system and created a scarcity of resources. Ladakhi children do not wish to carry on their parent’s livelihood as agriculturists as it does not pay well and the agriculture season is growing shorter and harsher.

However, not everyone feels hopeless. Chewang Norphel, an observant and innovative villager in Ladakh, has built a system of artificial glaciers to offset the short winters, receding snow, and the poor availability of water for agriculture (observed over the course of the past ten years) and succeeded in tackling climate change in his own home-grown way. The Field Research Laboratory (FRL) under the Indian Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) has been tackling vegetation issues and developing appropriate agro-technologies for the region. They have successfully installed low-cost solar harvesting greenhouses and non-conventional solar driers for apricots to minimize post harvest losses. They have also introduced and successfully cultivated varieties of vegetable crops for Ladakh’s conditions as well as developing commercial herbal teas, medicinal plants, and a variety of commercial animal products. BORDA, with its partner, LEDeG, has contributed to rural electrification in the area by expansion of its micro-hydro turbine power projects.  In addition, Hydro Rams are being installed in various locations to provide access to water and Gharats (traditional
Flour-milling grinders) are being upgraded for economic benefit.