People special
Hidden HimalayasAsha is working hard to harvest the last of her wheat during good weather. Winter draws in quickly when
you live at this altitude. The Chemrey Buddhist Monastery dating back to the 17th century is visible in the
background. The landscape here hasn’t changed much since it was built, but thanks to global warming, the
climate is now dramatically different. ‘I remember, as a child, having very cold winters and a lot of snow.
However, that is not the case anymore,’ Asha says. ‘Now we have very hot summers and we have to bring
in the wheat earlier than usual if there’s a drought. There’s also a danger that if you leave the crops too long
before harvest they can be flattened by torrential rain come autumn.’
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