Himalayan Region ……

Climate: It’s glaciers are “The 3rd Pole”Water: It supplies 40% of the world’s population with water

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Life on the Plateau .

People: > 30 different ethnic groupsEnvironment: Cold, dry, little vegetationCulmination: Long history of innovation

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Challenges

1961-2009: Temperatures rose 6x faster than China, 128% faster than Globe1978-2009: 3,000 lakes in Qinghai disappeared1991-2009: Glaciers shrank by 5%Each Year: Desertification in W. China consumes > 1 million acres

Climate Change

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Challenges

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Globally: 1.6 million deaths/yearIn each village: IAP claims one life every two years

Indoor Air Pollution

ChallengesFuel & Water Collection

Women spend 1-8 hours/day collecting (forgoing education & income)Injuries and miscarriages during this work are common

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ChallengesContaminated Water

Globally: One child dies every 15 secondsLocally: 86% of women have multiple parasite infections; Parents associate school with diarrhea

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ChallengesAccess to Education

Adults: < 3% literacyChildren: Long distance to schoolCommunities: No access to locally applied science or engineering

One Earth Designs

Challenges

Bartering Cash• Language barriers, Skill barriers, Paper barriers

Transitioning Economies

One Earth Designs