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Changtang plateau

The Changtang region stretches from southeastern Ladakh for another 1,600 km to eastern Tibet. Most of the territory is a protected reserve, the second largest in the world. In 1989, half a million nomads lived in this area.

Nomadism

Very short summers, harsh sun, strong winds, unpredictable weather changes and very cold winters are characteristic of this area with a low level of vegetation. People in this area are exclusively dependent on animal production, grazing their herds on the vast plains and traveling with them. “Changpa” means northerner, “drokpa” means Tibetan nomad.

Support for nomads

Already in 2010, in cooperation with the government in exile, we started supporting nomadic communities with a focus on poor families and nomadic children.

We consult the health needs, educational needs and subsistence needs of the poorest families and distribute the most necessary support to nomadic communities in inaccessible areas. In particular, the Koza ProTibet project has been active here for more than ten years.

As a result of climate change, the winters are much harsher, it is not possible to create enough reserves for the winter, the vegetative growth is weaker, and a large number of goats, yaks and sheep began to die every year in the winter.

Support from our donors in the winter months is implemented and distributed by the embassy in Ladakh (Central Representative Office), who are the main legislative body in the entire area. They communicate with the so-called “Group leaders” from the whole region of the Indian Changtang, who act on behalf of nomadic families in individual territories and high-altitude villages. Thanks to dozens of “group leaders” who communicate the needs of their communities to the CRO, they manage to react swiftly to current situations relatively quickly.