The cold deserts of the Himalayas are a unique ecosystem lying in the Greater Himalayan ranges in the rainshadow of the greening monsoons further south. Altitudes of inhabited areas range from 7,000 feet to 16,000 feet. Precipitation is only in the form of snow. Temperatures (in inhabited areas) plummet to -40ºC in winters and scale up to 30ºC in summers. Wind velocities are high- between 50 & 70 km/hour. Vegetation is limited to shrubs and grasses.The Himalayan cold deserts include large pockets in the Western Indian Himalayas - the regions of Ladakh and northern Himachal Pradesh.

Pragya works in the larger cold desert pocket in the western Indian Himalayas. This region spans the four administrative districts of Leh, Kargil, Lahaul & Spiti, and Kinnaur, and covers an area of about 80,000 sq. km. The density of population ranges from 2 per sq. km. in Lahaul & Spiti to 11 per sq. km. in Kinnaur. The indigenous population comprises several different tribes. The economy of the region is at a subsistence level and based on agriculture and cattle rearing. Landholdings are small and much of the land is not arable. Soil quality is poor and water resources inadequate rendering crop productivity very low.

Endangered Herbal Wealth~ In these great, arid heights, some rare and extremely valuable medicinal and aromatic plants grow. Ephedra gerardiana, Podophyllum hexandrum, Artemisia brevifolia, Saussurea costus. Many of these plants have suffered depletion rates of upto 80% of their populations in the last six to ten years however. Some species like the Aconites and Podophyllum are on the brink of extinction. What is also critical is that some of the plants are endemic to the region and extinction from the region would imply a serious loss of global biodiversity. Overharvesting for use and trade, destructive forms of harvesting, overgrazing, are some of the causes leading to depletion and fragmentation of the species populations. Very little of the supply of plant material, which constantly falls short of the escalating demand, is from regenerative sources, and much of the harvesting is through destructive collection methods. Collectors’ earnings are limited, much of the returns from the sale of the herbs going to middlemen and traders. This also makes them uncaring of the regeneration and long-term survival aspect of the plants.

Fragile Natural Resource Status ~ Cold deserts face serious disadvantages to their development associated with an interplay of factors such as limited natural resources, remoteness and fragile ecosystems. Extreme atmospheric dryness, inadequacy of freshwater resources, and inadequate irrigation potential, lead to problems of low soil productivity, inadequate sanitation, etc. Secluded in their high habitats, the indigenous population had managed to eke out their needs and adapt to the harshness of their chosen habitat with traditional NRM techniques. The unpleasant face of development and the increasing biotic pressure in recent years along with the lack of appropriate technologies has led to the overuse and degradation of the natural resources of the region. The scarce forest cover is steadily getting degraded, and the limited water resources are getting depleted and polluted; waste accumulation, and poor sanitation & hygiene, are new problems of the regions, and are leading to health problems among the local people. Firewood is scarce and power inadequate and unreliable for both domestic and occupational use. Very little research interest and technology development has been focussed on these regions , however, and the few technologies that have been transferred have frequently not been aligned to the special needs and conditions of the region

Culture Under Siege - The unique cultures of the so long secluded cold desert lands are threatened today by the onslaught of homogenising modernisation, unplanned development, and irresponsible tourism. Much of their rich heritage of arts and crafts is being eroded; what is also being lost are the ethnic practices for the management of the environment, traditional knowledge of medicine, that have evolved over centuries in these indigenous communities. This region has some of the finest Buddhist monasteries in the world, their wall paintings and sculptures considered to be the most remarkable Buddhist art treasures. The condition of these monasteries is deteriorating rapidly however. The intangible cultural assets are also under threat. Very few members of the community today know the traditional songs, the customary sports, local musical instruments. There are very few weavers of the wear of pride, the beautifully embroidered ‘lingche’, and very few players of the ancient guitar, the ‘kokpo’. The poverty of the locals has also forced many to start selling ancient treasures to tourists and traders.

Development of these tribes and mountain regions needs to be appropriate to their ecologies and cultures, and sensitive to their heritage and its preservation. Very little research and conservation interest has however focussed on this region as a result of its inaccessibility and difficult terrain. The development that has taken place therefore is frequently not aligned to its special needs and conditions. For instance, the interventions for desert development have been identical to those for hot deserts. Appropriate solutions need to be found to the natural resource management and economic and infrastructure development needs of cold deserts. The carrying capacity and environmental conditions of the region have to be taken into account in view of its extreme fragility. Economic development has to involve locally viable and heritage based options in consideration of the resource limitations and threatened cultures.