ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a project from India’s North-Western state of Jammu and Kashmir that helps promote education, innovation and sustainable development. It was born as a result of people’s awareness of education and is aimed at developing a self-sustainable city with an alternative learning institute and artificial glaciers1 at its core. The concept of the development is based on social responsibility, innovation, hope and necessity. The project is known as the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives, Ladakh and is related to the development of Phyang village. The project is currently in its inception phase, requiring refinement of the concept and funding. Water available for direct irrigation will be 20% of the total available, and the rest will be used by the town. The existing planning foresees that the university will act as a catalyst and thus require projects for services and amenities. All industrial planned areas will develop as a result of technologies researched and developed within the university.
