Leh District

Study finds Ganga-Bhagirathi delta slowly disappearing into the sea

A study by noted geographer Prof Kalyan Rudra and funded jointly by the state and central governments has found that the world’s largest delta-the Ganga-Bhagirathi delta- is slowly disappearing into the sea.

Organizers: LAHDC LEH,
                    J & K Tourism,
                    SLC IT,
                    Inheritance India

Description:
The Ladakh International Film Festival (LIFF) has received an overwhelming response with entries coming in from across five continents - – North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Australia.

Organizers: 

• Sphere India
• National Disaster Management Authority(NDMA) 
• IAG Ladakh

Venue: International Conference Centre, YMCA, Jai Singh Road, New Delhi

Objectives:

To bring together the key stakeholders to facilitate a comprehensive planning exercise on reconstruction and rebuilding of Ladakh with the objective to:

• Draft policy framework for recovery and reconstruction work in Ladakh
• Consensus on joint strategies, processes and standards for shelter, land reclamation, restoration of canals and rebuilding infrastructure
• Deliberate on means of sustainable livelihood in the region
• Plan disaster risk reduction activities and processes for the region

Organizer: Ladakh Ecological Development Group (LEDeG)

Midnight, August 6, 2010: "Link, wake up!  Water is coming in from the roof!"  My mother and I were in Leh, Ladakh, staying at "Eco-Homestay," the house of Mr. Sonam Gyatso and family, in Lower Sankar.  The house was made in a hybrid of traditional and modern construction techniques: the main hall in the house was concrete, while rooms surrounding it were made of sun-dried mud bricks, and roofed with Poplar beams, a mesh of willow branches, and a thick pad of fine clay-like mud.  The house incorporated passive solar building techniques, such as a direct-gain room, and a Trombe wall, and had solar-powered lighting.  It had been raining since evening, and by midnight the clay roof was saturated and began to leak.  

We were in Leh for the express purpose of meeting with Helena Norberg-Hodge, the founder of the International Society for Ecology and Culture, co-founder of the International Forum on Globalization, founder of the Ladakh Ecological Development Group, and founder of the Women's Alliance, Ladakh.  We had learned of her online, seeing an article of hers in CounterCurrents.org, and watching her video "Ancient Futures."  She is the only person who has critically witnessed the "development" of Ladakh, from complete self-sufficiency in an exceedingly fragile eco-system, to the disaster under which it writhes today.  She has seen how "development" pulls people into a money economy, increases the distance between production and consumption,  brings reliance on fossil fuels (especially apparent in Leh where fuel and commodities are trucked in over a hazardous two-day journey from lower altitudes), results in urbanization and rural-urban migration, and brings psychological impoverishment to the people it is inflicted upon.  For 35 years, she has been working to bring safe, stable, and ecologically sound development to the region through her organizations.  Her work today, no longer limited to Ladakh, is focussed on spreading economic literacy among people throughout the planet, educating about the deeper impacts of globalization and today's consumer mono-culture.  Garnered from her years of observation and research, she has an important message for humanity today, which is what prompted us to go and meet her.

"So far, we have recovered 170 bodies, 140 of whom have been identified," said an officer in Leh's police control room, adding that up to 300 people were still unaccounted for.

Aid workers also estimate that 10 to 12 villages remain inaccessible due collapsed bridges and blocked roads where landslides deposited boulders and mud up to 15 feet high (4 metres).

Organizer: Ladakh Ecological Development Group

Venue: LEDeG Campus at Leh

Description:

Ladakh Ecological Development Group,a Non Governmental Organisation based in Leh,which has set up 57 Micro Hydro Power Units in the whole Ladakh is organising a 7-days National Training Workshop on "Community based Micro Hydro Power Units" from August 30th to 5th September, 2010 at Leh. The number of participants will be maximum 25.The application forms should be sent to LEDEG office,leh through post or email by 16th July 2010.The training involves lectures,site visits,presentations ,practical and workshops by Field experts from LEDEG and Expets/Resources persons from reputed agencies.The certificate of participation will be provided on completion of the training.

Content and Image Courtesy: BORDA- South Asia

The Ladakh Ecological Development Group (LEDeG) with its partners Bremen Overseas Research & Development Association (BORDA) and the Consortium for DEWATS Dissemination Society (CDD), India in collaboration with the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern (FHNW) Switzerland, is organising a two weeks training programme titled ‘International On-Site Training Programme on Community-Based Micro Hydro Power Units’

The training is scheduled from 21^st September to 2^nd October, 2009 in Leh and Kargil districts of Ladakh.

The last date for acceptance of the application form is 1 ^st August 2009.The training will be facilitated through the installation of a 30KW MHPU, the training includes lectures, presentations, case studies, practical workshops, study tours etc.

The course Fee is Rs 25,000 which includes local travel expenses with in Ladakh, accommodation, lunch, dinner, refreshments and course materials. Scholarships are available for selected 3 participants.Participants travel expenses to/from the venue not included.

Participants can be from government departments/ agencies, NGOs and private firms provided they fulfill the following eligibility criteria:

It is in Jammu Kashmir and is bordered by the Himalayas and the Karakoram mountain chains. Ladakh and its water sources are almost entirely dependent on the glaciers and snow-melts and changes in water systems can be directly attributed to changes in the glaciers and thus climate change.

Ladakh Ecological Development Group(LEDeG) in collaboration with Bremen Overseas Research and Development Agency(BORDA) has been promoting environmentally friendly Decentralized Renewable Energy Systems (DERES) for the last 20 years in the Western Himalaya.