LETTER FROM NEW DELHI
Sonam Wangchuk inspired a hit Bollywood comedy, 3 Idiots, released in 2009. He lives in Ladakh, a region on the edge of the Himalayas that was until recently one of the last unspoiled territories in India. This icy desert with its magnificent lunar landscapes, dotted with oases in the valley bottoms and Buddhist monasteries perched in the mountains, is cut off from the world for a large part of the year due to extreme temperatures, snow and ice that make the roads impassable. It is still home to rich biodiversity and many nomads living a traditional lifestyle with herds of yaks and sheep. But for how long?
Wangchuk, a 56-year-old engineer, decided to sound the alarm by starting a five-day hunger strike on Thursday, January 26, India's national holiday, at the Khardung La pass, elevation 5,359 meters, where the mercury can drop to minus 40ºC. This summit gives access to the spectacular Nubra Valley and Pangong Lake, one of the region's tourist destinations.
"Glaciers surrounded by highways and human activities are melting at a faster rate." Sonam Wangchuk
In a 13-minute video posted on social media, Wangchuk appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to protect this ecologically fragile territory, threatened by global warming and economic development. Many Himalayan glaciers are on track to disappear by the end of the century if the world remains on the same trajectory of greenhouse gas emissions. These glaciers are essential for ecosystems and the water supply for local populations. Villages are already suffering from shortages.
The engineer is personally invested in environmental protection and founded the school HIAL, Himalayan Institute of Alternatives Ladakh, to work on solutions. For example, they create artificial glaciers, ice stupas, which provide water reserves during the dry season.
"If measures are not taken, the industries, tourism, and commerce will continue to flourish in Ladakh and will eventually finish it. Recent studies from Kashmir University and other research organizations have concluded that glaciers in Leh-Ladakh will [be reduced to two-thirds] if they are not properly taken care of. A study by Kashmir University has found that the glaciers surrounded by highways and human activities are melting at a comparatively faster rate," he explained.
Wangchuk calls for reducing human activities, limiting development and industrial exploitation and adopting a sustainable lifestyle, as the Ladakhis did until the 2000s. Just the opposite is currently happening. The film 3 Idiots, which made Wangchuk famous, has ironically led to an influx of tourists who come to photograph themselves at the film's iconic locations and on the world's highest roads. According to official data, more than 400,000 people traveled to Ladakh in 2022, nearly twice the population, estimated at 274,000. In 1994, only 16,449 tourists visited the region. This influx is putting unsustainable pressure on resources and generating a considerable amount of waste.
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