Tibetan Nomadic Life Sustainability Project

The “Nomadic Life Sustainability Project” on the Tibetan Plateau was started before the Covid Pandemic. This pilot project supported two semi and full-time Nomads families to sustain and improve their way of life.

This pilot project started with a couple of nomad families in the Reting and the Drikung areas, who each has around 100 heads of Yaks and Dris (female yaks). With the help of modern tools available in Lhasa such as solar powered generators and machines to make butter and cheese to sell, is having a direct impact on their efficiency and profits.

Due to the success of this project in Drikung, we have successfully replicated it in Zurmang, Nangchen, Kham which is the birthplace of my mother. There are around 17 Nomadic families who each have around 100 heads of yak in Zurmang, therefore, we are able to make a greater impact for sustaining the nomadic way of life which has been severely challenged due to diminishing yak population and the disruption of the nomadic lifestyle.

We successfully met our goals with this project with the purchase and use of the following items:

• 30 Solar Powered generators and components
• 30 small refrigerators to store butter
• 30 butter making machines

The future opportunities for this project are immense. Our conclusion is that we can now replicate this project with other semi and full-time nomadic communities across the Tibetan Plateau and the Himalayan regions of India, Nepal, and Bhutan. Using this model will greatly increase their income and help nomadic communities to sustain their ancient and beautiful way of life.