himalaya
Tohu’s work across the Himalaya strengthens community-led action for social and ecological wellbeing, foregrounding Indigenous and local knowledge in shaping climate futures. Our initiatives in the region build bridges between lived experience, scientific inquiry, and policy advocacy to reimagine what climate resilience can mean in mountain worlds.
In the Indian Himalaya our partnerships with local climate adaptation projects focus on aligning community priorities with regional and global climate finance mechanisms. Working with institutions like OECD and IFSD, and hundreds of rural households, we have developed holistic project evaluations. Key activities include:
Auditing and mapping existing climate action initiatives to identify gaps and overlaps in resource allocation.
Developing frameworks for more strategic, equitable, and meaningful use of climate finance.
Platforming regional youth voices through workshops and storytelling spaces where they articulate their visions for the future.
Facilitating advocacy at state and national levels to ensure youth perspectives inform ongoing adaptation planning.
In the Nepal Himalaya, we collaborate with Indigenous civil society organizations to co-design projects at the intersection of climate, health, and social-ecological wellbeing. This work involves working with Mountain Spirit:
Drawing on historical place-based relationships of nomadic and mountain communities with sacred animals, medicinal plants, and vital landscapes.
Integrating these relationships into holistic project designs that challenge conventional donor approaches.
Supporting project frameworks that are now gaining traction among regional donors for their innovation and ethical grounding in Indigenous worldviews.
On a global scale through the Knowledge Justice Collective, in partnership with University of British Columbia, the UN Foundation and CIPRED, Tohu:
Advocates for Indigenous participation in global science-policy processes such as the UNFCCC and IPCC.
Contributed to the establishment of the IPCC’s Engaging with Diverse Knowledges Workshop—a landmark initiative creating pathways for Indigenous scholars and practitioners, including Tohu members, to shape global climate knowledge systems.
- Has been invited to be a part of the Indigenous Peoples Pavillion at COP 27, 29 and 30.
