Project: Culture and Climate in a Changing Himalaya
Funded by NSF, USA
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I focus on how Himalayan communities face rapid environmental change that is already reshaping their land, livelihoods, identity and connection to the land. Climate instability, forest loss, crop failures, new predators, and unpredictable seasons shape daily decisions in every household I work with. I spend extended time with herders, women farmers, foragers, and local guides to document how they read the land, protect their resources, and sustain cultural knowledge under growing pressure.
I approach their knowledge as an adaptive system shaped by constant learning, grounded in observation, experimentation, and lived experience. It often explains local ecological change more precisely than outside assessments. By combining long-term ethnography with ecological field data, my project shows how culture and environment influence each other and why meaningful conservation in the Himalayas must begin with the people who know these mountains best. |
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Project: Understanding coexistence in shared Himalayan landscapes
Funded by Kyoto University, Japan, RSG
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High in the Himalayas, forests and farmlands merge into a shared space where humans and wildlife cross paths every day. My research focuses on the Himalayan Langur, a species learning to survive in this changing landscape of people, crops, and domestic dogs. Through years of fieldwork in remote mountain villages, I study how these primates adapt their behavior, form social bonds, and respond to the pressures of human presence. Each observation adds to a bigger story about resilience, coexistence, and how science can guide harmony between people and the wild. |
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Project: Livestock and Langur Interactions in the High-Altitude Meadows
Funded by the Rufford Foundation
Read full report here |
In the alpine meadows of Uttarakhand, langurs and livestock share the same fragile pastures. Our study revealed that shared grazing affects plant regeneration and that both species carry similar intestinal parasites, likely linked to these shared spaces. Rather than viewing this as conflict, the findings reveal the deep interconnection between wildlife, domestic animals, and local livelihoods, and the importance of managing these shared landscapes in ways that sustain all who depend on them.
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Project: The Medicinal Diet of Himalayan Langurs
Funded by the National Geographic Society
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This study offered the first insights into the diet of Central Himalayan Langurs in the alpine meadows of Uttarakhand. We found that many herbs in their diet are the same species used by local communities for medicinal purposes. This overlap suggests that langurs may be selectively feeding on plants with healing value. The research highlights the deep ecological and cultural connections within Himalayan landscapes and opens the door for future studies on medicinal plant use in wild primates.
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Project: Ecology and Conservation of the Central Himalayan Langur
Funded by the Rufford Foundation
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This project provided one of the first ecological assessments of Himalayan Langurs in Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary. We found that langur groups living at different elevations showed clear differences in how they spent their time feeding, resting, and socializing, reflecting local habitat variation. The study also identified Carpinus viminea as a critical winter food source for langurs. Protecting this tree species and planting fodder crops near villages could help reduce crop damage and create a more balanced coexistence in the region.
Report Link
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