Climate change: A tale from the mountains

 

Gangkar-Puensum, worlds 40th tallest peak on the border of Bhutan and China, probably the highest unclimbed mountain in the world which may remain unclimbed forever

Every time the milk is churned, never does that lady of the house forget to paste a little quantity of butter on a plank roofing the barn. This in realness is an offering to the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. Captivatingly, if you ever happen to ask her about the measure of butter obtained in the year or a season, she will right away start counting those pastes put up there and give you the answer. Awesome accounts keeping by the lady.

Lady of the house is not only the one who keeps accounts. The herdsman too is responsible for keeping records, but what kind of files does he keep? It is the check on calves. Number of pegs he processed to be pegged inside the barn equals to the number of newborn calves for the year. This time it is a grand, the count is twenty seven and so the life continues driving the herd.

Lives of ladies, herdsmen and the herds follow seasons up and down the mountains. In the meantime, their produces have already entered the world of commerce. Processed to tasty food items and intertwined to attractively patterned textiles of diversified uses. By now, the currency is not very far from the reach.

Products of herding earn good returns to the family, but are hard earned. Earnings are usually spent on daily necessities of the family and huge chunk goes into educating the young. And then, substantial numbers of lots driving forward the nation are born. Congratulations! Yet, never are the accomplishments without challenges.

The story up there in the mountains is different. Organized in the mountains for long, this is what the herding families have for say. Rise in temperature, glacial retreat, and shifting snowline. Flash flooding has become uncertain and frequencies of landslides have amplified. Changes in weather patterns and natural environment are not only what they converse about.  The health of animals on which their living rest is declining and already changed migration pattern is making herding more difficult.

Changes in climate are knocking herders out of their normal living. Whole aspects of life are getting transformed up there. All in all, the herding communities living in close harmony with nature are suffering for no fault of theirs and are becoming the most vulnerable. From milking to keeping accounts, through earnings to education, and all the way to stiff consequences of changing climate is a tale from my tours to the mountains. Climate change continues and the hardship thrives.