Women’s Self-help Group

Ladakh is a cold desert region in northern India, bordering Kashmir in the West and China in the North and East. Situated high up in the Himalayan mountain range, extension of the national electricity grid to Ladakh would be problematic, particularly for the region's many remote villages. However, Ladakh has abundant energy in the form of strong, clear sunlight for an average of 325 days per year, and fast-running glacier streams in the summer months. These forms can be tapped by solar and micro-hydro technologies respectively, creating a decentralised energy paradigm that can be implemented and managed by the communities it serves. A reliable electricity supply can have positive links to both quality of life, and economic development of communities, while use of renewable energy will help to preserve the delicate ecosystems of the Himalaya. Both the projects featured here have been implemented by the Ladakh Ecological Development Group (LEDeG), an NGO based in Leh.