VEDIKA LALL / WORK / SECURE HIMALAYA
Secure Himalaya
︎ Client Project: Srishti Films, United Nation Development Programme & Global Environment Fund
︎ Duration: July - September 2019
How might we create systems that facilitate and generate a common vision for a ‘Secure Himalaya’ and support the exchange of information and knowledge in order to strengthen the decision support system?
Himalayan landscape is home to a magnificent yet elusive species of the Snow Leopard. With a keen interest to conserve this flagship species, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) with support from the Global Environment Facility(GEF), have joined hands to develop a project in the high altitude Himalayas entitled “Secure Himalayas.” The project aims at securing livelihoods, restoration of high range Himalayan ecosystem, conservation and sustainable use and development. The vast landscape of the Trans Himalayan range is a cornucopia of rituals, practices, traditional knowledge, myths, communities, teeming flora and fauna.
As a Research Associate, I worked closely with the stakeholders and with a collaborative process, formed the Inception workshop in Shimla to hold discourse over this subject with the stakeholders and spread awareness.
As a Research Associate, I worked closely with the stakeholders and with a collaborative process, formed the Inception workshop in Shimla to hold discourse over this subject with the stakeholders and spread awareness.
Tags:
--
Design Research
Communication Design
Service Design
Ethnography
Narration Writing
Team:
--
Srishti Films
Mentors:
--
Rustam Vania
Sanjay Barnela
Project Website︎︎︎
--
Design Research
Communication Design
Service Design
Ethnography
Narration Writing
Team:
--
Srishti Films
Mentors:
--
Rustam Vania
Sanjay Barnela
Project Website︎︎︎
PRIMARY RESEARCH
The primary research was carried out over a two-month period of intensive research and immersion.It is imperative to understand how landscapes are extensively meaningful in choreographing of identities, local practices and gathering of cultural and traditional knowledge. The team began their work in Manali and included visual designers, filmmakers, design researchers, and communication designers. We collaborated with the locals to gain a better understanding of the Himalayan conditions.
- Three field trips to Lahaul-Pangi and Kinnaur.
- Information gathered from community and landscape via videography, photography, interviews and focus group discussions.
- Audio-visual, 6 short films, factsheets, maps, project branding and communication material for inception workshop were prepared.
This enabled us to comprehend the demographics, as well as their specific needs and aspirations. Some key findings were:
-
Locals complained about recurring landslides and slow education;
-
due to the difficult terrain, many children had to travel for hours downhill to reach school. As a result, access becomes a major issue.
- Many people are forced to leave their homes and travel to more accessible towns such as Manali and Shimla.
COMMUNICATION AND STRATEGY
Contributing to the achievement of Project Objective 4 'Improved knowledge and information systems for landscape conservation approaches' by providing communities and administrators with relevant information and knowledge for the long-term development of high altitude ecosystems.
THE INCEPTION WORKSHOP
After meeting, interacting, and interviewing various stakeholders, the UNDP, headquartered in Delhi, entrusted us with conducting an Inception Workshop in Shilma to document the various needs of the stakeholders involved. The workshop was designed to create a bridge between the project's five key stakeholders.
- UNDP Officials
- Agencies at grassroot levels
- Government officials
- The State Forest Department
- Communication Team/ NGOs
Mr. Govid Singh Thakur, a well-known politician, was invited to speak at the session, emphasising the importance of how development and conservation can appear to be a double-edged sword, but when done coherently, they can sustain the lives of both humans and other worlds.
As a team we conducted two co-design activities;
Thematic Groupwork: The teams were formed at random, with one representative from each stakeholder category present. They were then given prompts related to snow leopard conservation. They were given eight minutes each to come up with a possible solution, which they were then asked to share with the entire group.
Discussions on scope of convergence and synergies: An
©2022 by Vedika Lall