ABSTRACT

Drawing from the unique context and climate of the Himalaya, this book highlights several innovative design interventions, shaped by a myriad of social, cultural, environmental, and political factors that have been employed in villages to combat climate change.

Climate-Adaptive Design in High Mountain Villages focuses on Ladakh, an outpost on the front lines of climate change, and the region’s creative responses to the pressing issues of food security, water management, energy efficiency, design aid, and material resources in the Anthropocene. These strategies – from artificial glaciers to tree armor – showcase the breadth of creative solutions already underway. In doing so, the research addresses the broader concept of climate-adaptive design and how it informs the disciplines of architecture, landscape architecture, and urban planning.

An ideal read for academics, researchers, and students in these fields, this book presents a focused investigation into climate-adaptive strategies that could provide transferable solutions for the rest of the world.

chapter 1|6 pages

Introduction

chapter 2|18 pages

Background on Ladakh

chapter 3|11 pages

A changing climate

chapter 4|11 pages

Development in Ladakh

chapter 5|14 pages

Challenging design engagement

chapter 6|18 pages

Artificial glaciers

chapter 7|14 pages

Ice stupas

chapter 8|11 pages

Snow barrier bands

chapter 9|20 pages

Solar design

chapter 10|14 pages

Greenhouses

chapter 11|15 pages

Reservoirs and canals

Zings, yura, and kuhls

chapter 12|11 pages

Tree planting and tree armor

chapter 13|11 pages

Food security

chapter 14|15 pages

Recruiting allies

chapter 15|9 pages

The role of design

chapter 16|8 pages

The future of climate-adaptive design