084 / / JANUARY 2017
Ladakhi women in traditional dress stand in the ruins of a house beneath the famous Thiksey Monastery,
the largest Tibetan Buddhist monastery in central Ladakh. Traditional buildings like this one are gradually
being replaced by houses better able to stand up to the elements. The flash floods that hit the main
city of Leh in August 2010 were unprecedented in scale, leaving many residents homeless. With winter
temperatures dropping to -40°C and intense rain, protection against extreme weather is vital here.BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE