IISD's 51 Focus Areas includes a Special Centre absolutely, to ensure Sustainable Development in UT-Ladakh - Research and Knowledge Support Centre for Sustainable Development in Ladakh an ancient civilization, with rich cultural and natural heritage, which is also a highly environmentally sensitive cold desert ecosystem Ladakh Valley in the lap of Himalayas.

Ladakh is having an unique ecosystem, with its wonderful people, culture and heritage and it's the right time the region will get prior importance, especially after the creation of new Union Territory of India in October, 2019, for it's all round development, which should be sustainable and IISD being a premier national institute is keen to see that the region receives its best in the country for which it has created this Centre, known as the IISD's Research and Knowledge Support Centre for Sustainable Development in Ladakh.

In this Centre, IISD is keen to undertake Research Projects and Studies in few Challenging Sectors of - Water & Natural Resources Management (NRM), Tourism, Agriculture, Solar & Renewable Energy, Industry, Mining, Skilling, Employment & Education, in the Region, with respect to Carrying Capacity of the Valley, adverse Impact and Vulnerability of Climate Change, Sensitive Environment, Forests and Wildlife Protection Issues, Frequent Changing Fragile Land Use Pattern in a Cold Desert Eco-system and Preservation of rich Ladakh's Natural and Cultural Heritage and ancient value system.

IISD Research and Knowledge Support Centre for Sustainable Development in Ladakh is proud to organize this 3 Days Leh Water Supply Management Workshop from 10th to 12th September, 2020 at Hotel Grand Dragon at Leh as well as on Webinar Format, with Carbon Minus India (CMI) and Ladakh Ecological Development Group (LEDeG)- as our Local Partner.

In addition, IISD recently concluded a Comprehensive Water Audit 2020 for Leh Town Water Supply System and recommended a Water Balance, along with LEDeG.

IISD is working with Jal Jivan Mission (JJM) of the Ministry Of Water Resources, Jal Shakti of Government of the Drinking Water Resources Issues of the Leh and UT-Ladakh in near future.

IISD's 3 Days National Workshop
on Leh Water Supply Management

IISD Research and Knowledge Support Centre for Sustainable Development in Ladakh, organized this 3 Days National Workshop on Leh Water Supply Management at Hotel Grand Dragon at Leh live as well as on Virtual Webinar Format, through Microsoft Teams Platform; with Carbon Minus India (CMI) and Ladakh Ecological Development Group (LEDeG) as our local partner.

Indian Institute of Sustainable Development (IISD), New Delhi

The program was organized by IISD through Microsoft Teams virtual platform as well as live from Hotel Grand Dragon, Leh.

IISD's Leh Water Audit Project

Indian Institute of Sustainable Development (IISD) has concluded recently a comprehensive water survey across the 12 zones in Leh Town. The main objective of the proposed study was to conduct a series of Water Audits of Leh Town's PHE water supply system: to evaluate water use (supply, demand, loss), water quality and also to identify opportunities for better management practices.

The specific scope of work or deliverables for the water auditing exercise, for Leh Town was as follows:

1. To estimate/calculate water supply and demand of Leh town with regard to the present PHE water supply system.

2. To check the quality of water from different sources (Groundwater and Spring) accessed by PHED [tube wells used by PHE to extract GW, Service Reservoirs which are used by PHE to store water before distribution, Public Stand Posts and Water Tankers operated by PHED]. To conduct Water Quality Tests for important physical, chemical and some biological parameters across points of discharge.

3. To compile the findings in a Report and submit to LEDeG along with suggestions / recommendations for efficient water management, supply & distribution and conservation for Leh Town.

This is one of the most challenging projects in this difficult time of COVID-19, where surveying and sampling are posed as the most difficult tasks, amongst social distancing and sanitizing requirements.

We have surveyed huge numbers of households to conduct door to door interviews, including few of community leader (Goba)s and several distinguished citizens of the town, in a period of three months, in the highest town of the country Leh. The town neither has its own functional water quality analysis laboratory, nor right infrastructure to conduct flow meter based field surveys for undertaking quantitative assessment of water supply and it's loss and leakage, while water scarcity adds up to the present pressuring need of this hour.

Dr Srikanta K. Panigrahi, Principal Project Investigaor (PPI) and Director General, IISD and Dr Rashmi Sanghi, Additional Principal Project Investigaor (APPI) and Head, Water Resource Centre (WRC), IISD lead this Project, supported by a IISD-Leh Local Water Audit Team, consists of Dr Enoch Splabar, Project Investigaor (PI), Ms Namgyal Angmo, Research Associate and Mr Padma Stanzin, Research Associate.

IISD Ladakh Knowledge Center's Internal Auditor
Capacity Building / Training Program for ISO : 17025 for
UT-Ladakh PHED Officials

IISD's Internal Auditor Capacity Building / Training Program for ISO : 17025 for UT-Ladakh (for Both Leh and Kargil District) PHED Officials, Chemists, Water Quality Analysts and Technicians, was organized from 12-15 April 2021 - for making their Water Quality Laboratories NABL Compliant and achieve NABL Accreditation to ensure Portable Water Supply to the People of Ladakh under Jal Jivan Mission (JJM) of Ministry of Jal Shakti, Water Resources, Government Of India.

• This a Historic Milestone again to initiate a steps towards Supplying Piped and Portable, Safe Drinking Water to all Families / Household and People Of UT-Ladakh.


• 21 PHED Officials were Trained in an 4 Days Intensive Training Program, who went through steps involving with Rigorous Course Delivery, Presentations, Discussions, Q&A Session, Examination, Evaluation and Certification.


• 4 Resource Persons, Experts, IISD Executive Faculties of International Repute, delivered this 4 Day's Training Program, including an National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) Lead Assessors, an Quality Council Of India (QCI) (under DIPP, Ministry Of Commerce and Industry) Approved Trainer, and among them.


• ISO:17025 is a Global Standard for Water Quality Analysis Laboratory Accreditation, hence it is most trusted and universal accepted and adopted standard - As a result, Trained and Certified Internal Auditors are eligible to audit and practice to implement this Standard in any part of the world.


• For India, BIS is responsible for the upgradation of the Standards for Indian Laboratories and NABL is the National Agency for Accreditation of the Standard's Practice or Adaptation of SOPs, Necessary Documentation, which involves Timely Calibration Of Lab Equipments, Chemicals & Reagents, Basic Minimum Qualified Manpower Provisioning, including Monitoring and the Implementation of ISO : 17025.

Sustainable and Eco Tourism at Ladakh

IISD Ladakh Sustainable Development Knowledge Centre, conducts research on domestic and regional tourism in the Hindukush Himalayas. Our work entails identifying and harnessing opportunities in close collaboration with multiple stakeholders for developing and promoting Nature Tourism, while ensuring that local people and communities must benefit from the tourism-related activities, which enhance their livelihood opportunities, pushing ecotourism, in favour of environmental sustainability and Natural and Cultural Heritage Conservation.

Campaign for Sustainable Eco Tourism in Ladakh
Be a Friend of Ladakh Campaign

It is a Campaign planned and designed by the IISD Research and Knowledge Support Centre for Sustainable Development in Ladakh to take initiatives to ensure that all the tourists and the stakeholders related to tourism, like Taxi Drivers, Tour Operators, Hoteliers, Small and Medium Business Entities etc - would commit to ensure to follow the strict guidelines and behavioral practices by pledging to be a friend of Ladakh. A real friend does not cause any harm to a close friend, whom he or she loves and feels proud of their friendship.

For Example: after a tourist arrives at Leh Airport, he/she can register as a Friend of Ladakh / Eco-tourist, where he/she would be explained which guideline, behavioral aspects, they need to adopt, during their travel and stay at Ladakh and he/she would pledge few committments, Again while returning, they have to submit a declaration, to which extent, they could keep their pledge in percentage.

This Campaign is waiting for the endrosement of Department of Tourism, UT-Ladakh Administration, UNESCO and UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Madrid Spain.

This Campaign is driven by Youths of Ladakh. Be a proud Volunteer,
Join the Campaign today.

You can write now to us at ladakh@iisdindia.in

Geothermal Energy Exploration
for Sustainable Development in Ladakh

The Energy Contained Beneath The Earth's Surface In Rocks And Fluid Is Called Geothermal Energy, Which Is A 100% Green And Clean Renewable Energy Source.

India is going to get its first geothermal power project in Ladakh. On February 7, 2021, an tripartite agreement for establishing the first geothermal Power Project of 1 MW, was executed. It would help it tap the potential of natural geysers, touching the Puga area, which happens to be 170 km east of Leh in Ladakh. The project would be undertaken by leading Indian Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) ONGC's Energy Research Centre.

IISD Research and Knowledge Support Centre for Sustainable Development in Ladakh, is arranging a special discussion session, with MNRE, Government Of India & UT Ladakh Administration Officials, LAHDC Officers, United Nation (UN) Diplomats and IISD Policy Advisors and Experts, on the Occasion of the it's Ladakh International Conference (LIC), proposed in August 2021, in post COVID 19 period at Leh.

For Details - Please visit the Link