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The Changpas

The high altitude plains of Changthang, Eastern Ladakh, are home to a nomadic tribe called the Changpas. For generations, they have lived in harmony with the land. Their intricate multi- dimensional pastoral system is centered around livestock. The Changpas rear yaks, horses and sheep, in addition to their famous changra ‘pashmina’ goats. The region produces around 40,000 kgs of pashmina every year. It also supplies butter, meat and wool for the Ladakh region.

The invisible disaster of 2012-13

Over the three months between mid-December and mid-March, there were four major heavy snow falls; a record for the region. In fact, it snowed consecutively between January 18th and February 3rd. The winter pastures were totally covered with blankets of snow. Usually, the wind would blow away enough snow that parts of the pastures could be accessed within 5-6 days. Livestock could survive this amount of time without food. However, this winter, the snow was packed down so heavily that there was no access to the pastures at all. The plummeting temperatures only added to the crisis.

January and February are the key months both for pashmina hair growth and birthing. Both goats and sheep require extra food at this time. Unfortunately, starvation meant that almost 90% of the young were stillborn or died. Around 40,000 livestock (goats and sheep) have perished, as well as several hundred horses, yaks and other wild mammals.