The Hidden Cost of Climate Change: How Warming Himalayas Threaten Indigenous Yak Herders and Ecosystem Stability

In the remote heights of India’s Ladakh region, tucked deep within the mighty Himalayas, a centuries-old way of life is rapidly disappearing. Yak herders like Tsering Dolma, carrying her infant son on her back, now confront not just the harsh terrain but a warming world that threatens their very survival. How Did We Let This Vital Tradition Slip Away? For generations, Ladakh’s pastoralists depended on predictable snowmelt to nourish sparse mountain pastures. But over the past forty years, average temperatures have soared by more than 5 degrees Fahrenheit. Winters grow warmer; rains fall unpredictably; snowcaps are retreating. These changes do...