Armed with ‘Himalayan idea’, Sonam Wangchuk hopes to bring paradigm shift in education globally

Rallying for a more contextual and experiential education in the mountains, Wanghcuk on Tuesday called for a need to devise education as per context and hoped that HIAL will break the rigid boxes of conventional thinking

Written by Abhimanyu Chakravorty | New Delhi | Updated: January 9, 2018 6:53 pm

Sonam Wangchuk Himalayan Institute of Alternatives Ladakh

Sonam Wangchuk announced on Tuesday that the HIAL has closed its first round of Rs 7 crore crowd-funding on Milaap with private and corporate donors. (Photo: Abhimanyu Chakravorty)

Life in the trans-Himalayan region of Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir is harsh, despite its dreamy landscape. Situated at 10,000 feet above sea level, the region receives just about 50 mm of rainfall on an average each year. For people here, glaciers are a lifeline as the valley is highly dependant on their meltwater for livelihood. But over the past couple of years, glaciers have been shrinking quicker than ever before, resulting in frequent floods and droughts. As less water reaches Ladakh’s villages, the food security and livelihood of rural communities is at stake. This led Sonam Wangchuk, an engineer from Ladakh, (also the person who inspired Aamir Khan’s character in Bollywood film 3 Idiots) to build ice stupas to mitigate water scarcity. The first ice stupa prototype came up in October 2013, which lasted till May. He built a second one near a forest with thousands of trees that kept them watered through the driest months until it melted on July 6.