Sustainable Leh Ladakh

09/12/2022

The manufacture of industrial building materials like cement, plastic pipes and paints, iron and tin is extremely energy intensive and polluting, whereas the traditional building materials of Ladakh – mud, wood and stone – are low-energy, non-polluting, and in harmony with the landscape because they are of the
landscape.

The importance of the traditional architecture and building materials is conserving the environment both within Ladakh as well as outside, where industrial materials are manufactured. Most buildings in Leh today retain the traditional architectural style, but utilize a combination of traditional and industrial materials.

08/12/2022

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Leh-Ladakh is a paradise for tourists from all around the world. Its breathtaking beauty is something that you will never forget. But this beauty is at risk due to the effects of unsustainable tourism. In recent years, there has been an increase in tourism that has resulted in a lot of environmental...

08/12/2022

Guesthouses and hotels in Leh have a variety of water heating systems. A common practice today is for Ladakhis to use wood stoves to heat water, but the pollution and amount of wood needed make this system unsustainable. The most effective, cheap and clean system found as a substitute is the passive solar heater. Blessed with abundant and strong sunshine,

Ladakh is ideally suited to the application of such simple passive technologies. As the sun’s rays strike a glass panel or tube, the water inside heats up and expands, moving upward into an insulated storage tank. These systems can be so effective that one can often take a piping hot shower in the morning from water that was solar heated the day before. Although like photovoltaic panels the initial investment can be quite high, we hope with this guide to promote the increasing availability of lower-cost, locally-made models. The guesthouse/hotel have a passive solar water heater installed which provides hot water for guests.

07/12/2022

The benefits of eating local and seasonal foods are numerous. Some benefits include: improved health due to an avoidance of chemically contaminated and highly processed food; a dramatic reduction in energy and fossil fuel consumption and thus reduced pollution and greenhouse gas emissions otherwise created when subsidized food is shipped far from the farm to the consumer; and a strengthening of the local economy, ecology and community .

Here is a list of various and delicious Ladakhi dishes to ask for:
 Khambir: Ladakhi round bread made from local whole wheat
 Paba: An edible dough of a mixture of roasted flours of barley, wheat, buckwheat, Ladakhi black beans and peas.
 Tang-Tur: Buttermilk with wild local vegetables
Namthuk: Soup made with ngampe (roasted barley flour), salt, black pepper and local butter.
 Mok Mok: Steamed dumplings stuffed with local vegetables.
 Chu Tagi: Hearty stew made with vegetables and bow-tie shaped wheat noodles.
 Thenthuk: Hearty stew made with vegetables and wheat noodles.
 Skyu: Hearty stew made with vegetables and cut-shaped wheat noodles.
 Thi-mok: Steamed local wheat dumplings served with sautéed vegetables

05/12/2022

Directly associated to the importance of the traditional architectural style to preserve the environment as well as the culture, is the lifestyle that Ladakhis have within their houses. An excellent
way to participate in and enjoy the Ladakhi culture is to be able to share their customs when eating in the kitchen or in a Ladakhi-style living room.

Some guesthouses/hotels have a traditional living room available for guests or share their own kitchen or dining room with guests.

04/12/2022

Plastic waste – such as water bottles, soft drink bottles, tetra packs, and food packaging – is piling up on the streets and paths, in the streams, and almost everywhere else all over India, including Ladakh. The effects of this waste are many: clogging drainage; damaging our health when burned; filling the stomachs of animals that eat it; and tarnishing the beauty of this unique region.

What can we do as tourists?
Refuse and reduce as much as you can beverage bottles, snacks, food and any other supplies packaged in plastic. Try to buy local whole-foods in bulk whenever possible instead, using cloth or other reuseable bags.