Spiti Valley Is Fighting To Preserve Its Cultural Identity; This Woman Is Striving To Keep It Alive

Spiti Ecosphere | The stark landscape of the Spiti Valley (pronounced piti in the local Bhoti language) feels otherworldly and captivating when you chance upon it for the first time. The name means “the middle land,” an apt descriptor for a desert mountain valley that is cradled between Tibet on one end and the regions of Ladakh, Lahaul, Kullu and Kinnaur on the other.The pollution-free atmosphere, snow-covered glacial passes, mountain wildlife, Tibetan Buddhist culture and stunning night sky attract tourists throughout the year, many of whom spend their time here mountain biking, rafting, trekking and camping. This increase in the number of visitors to the Spiti Valley has gone hand-in-hand with a growing consciousness in sustainable tourism. Led by local residents eager to protect all aspects of the living landscape, you will find sustainably run homestays, ecologically sensitive tours, responsible waste management practices and renewable energy projects galore.One of the organisations that has made a name for itself is the Spiti Ecosphere. It champions responsible travel by offering volunteering experiences at community-run programs (think helping to run a café, building greenhouses, installing solar panels and farming). The organisation works closely with Spiti residents, including women, to conserve local handicrafts (pottery) and promote produce and crops like sea buckthorn. Outlook Traveller interviewed Ishita Khanna, the founder and director of the Spiti Ecosphere, about the organisation’s achievements, her motivations and values, and how climate breakdown is affecting this pristine place. Khanna won the gold award in the sustainability champion category at the 2024 Indian Responsible Tourism Summit (IRTA) for her efforts to build resilience in the Spiti Valley.In Conversation With Ishita Khanna, Founder of Spiti EcosphereCan you tell us a little about your background: where you grew up and your career before the Spiti Ecosphere?I was born and raised in Dehradun at the foothills of the mountains and went on to complete a master's in social work at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences. I then worked for a few years with the state government of Himachal Pradesh in their rural development department before going on to found MUSE (a non-governmental organisation) with a group of friends. The NGO worked with marginalised communities to create access to livelihoods, healthcare, water, nutrition and education to name a few. Spiti Ecosphere grew out from the initiatives of MUSE as a social enterprise to help further these initiatives.Why did you decide to start Spiti Ecosphere?Spiti Ecosphere was founded in 2007 as the enterprise arm of MUSE as well as to help market the travel experiences and products of Spiti to the outside world. The purpose was two-fold: one, to help connect Spiti with the mindful and curious traveller and to share the region's rich natural and cultural heritage with others. The aim was to create a win-win for the local communities, the traveller and the region. The second purpose was to ensure [the] long-term sustainability and replication of various initiatives in Spiti independent of financial support from outside. This was done through the revenue generated from the trips and experiences Spiti Ecosphere offers.Since you began, what have been some of your most significant achievements?Spiti Ecosphere is one of the most awarded and recognised responsible tourism interventions in the country today. Together, Spiti Ecosphere and MUSE have initiated various community initiatives across the length and breadth of India that have received worldwide recognition. It's hard to say which has been the most significant, as each of our interventions has been implemented by looking at the issues on the ground and how we can find ways to address and find solutions to [those] challenges and problems, from creating access to quality healthcare to building climate resilience. How many local people does your organisation support through the work you do?Our initiatives have impacted the whole Spiti Valley in one way or the other through our various initiatives. Our healthcare initiatives have also impacted [the] rural populations of Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Uttarakhand, Punjab and the urban marginalised in Delhi.How is climate breakdown changing the landscape of the Spiti Valley and the customs and traditions of the people?Spiti is a high-altitude cold-desert valley lying in the rain shadow of the Himalayas. This beautiful valley receives scanty rainfall and snow is the main source of moisture. Water is a scarce resource here. Most villages in Spiti receive fresh water from glaciers and springs, which in turn are recharged by the winter snow. However, shifts in climate and freak weather conditions, which are increasingly becoming the norm, have resulted in less snowfall, impacting the availability of water not just in summer but in the winter, too.In recent times, springs have started receding due to changes in the rate and pattern of snowfall that induce and help them recharge. This is primarily due to changes in climate and decreasing amounts of snowfall every year, resulting in the depletion of groundwater aquifers. A number of springs have dried out or have significantly reduced discharge in the many of the highland villages.The main livelihood in Spiti is agriculture. Agricultural activities, which are restricted to one crop a year, share a delicate balance with climate as irrigation water is solely dependent on springs and winter snowmelt. Climate change is impacting the availability of water, leading to a common occurrence of drought and crop failures.An additional challenge faced in the region is the unavailability of water, especially drinking water, in the winter season across several villages in Spiti. Villagers have to walk for kilometres every day just to access drinking water or water for cooking, household activities, livestock and personal hygiene. Often, this entails taking an arduous and treacherous walk down to the river bed, where they proceed to collect 20 litres on their backs to last one day for the entire family. In the winter, villagers have to resort to melting snow—which is possible when it does snow.How does this uncertainty make you feel?This is a very fragile situation for those living in the Himalayas, especially those who are dependent on climate, which can either make or break their entire year and the associated livelihoods. It's a year-on-year challenge for livelihoods that are climate-dependent.How do you manage that uncertainty and loss?It's hard. One needs to innovate, diversify and take the challenges in ones stride.What are some of the challenges your organisation faces when it comes to implementing the programs and initiatives you offer?There are lots of challenges associated with working in a remote area like Spiti. Some of these include poor road networks, limited phone and internet connectivity, frequent power outages at times for days and months, difficulty finding professional staff that sticks, etc.What drives you?The satisfaction one gets on being able to make a difference in a person’s life, however small that may be—a light in someone’s house, education for a child, livelihoods that have created self-reliance to numerous families over the years, the smile on a person’s face on having their teeth restored (at our dental camps/clinic) or when they can read clearly again (from spectacles or eye interventions during our vision camps).Do you have a favourite place in the Spiti Valley?Plenty of spaces currently not on a tourist map and I’d like to keep it that way.Where would you recommend people go in the Spiti Valley if they are visiting for the first time?We have various trips we offer. One is ideal for first-time travellers called the “Kinnaur and Spiti Safari.” It offers deep insights into Spiti culture and life; the stunning valleys of the Sutlej and Sangla in Kinnaur via the spectacularly graphic valleys of the Spiti and Pin; and the Kunzum Pass into the Chandra Valley.What are you working on next?We are expanding our travel experiences across the Himalayas and initiatives across India.The Spirit Of Spiti: Life In The World’s Highest Villages