A one-day seminar on Green Ladakh Festival 2017 was conducted on March 25 at Phyang monastery. The program was organized by Go Green Go Organic in collaboration with DIHAR, SECMOL, LEHO and NCF.

Prior to the seminar, an artificial glacier of Phyang was recorded in the Guinness World Record. The measurement was done by the Chief Surveyor of the Civil Engineering Department and two witnesses one from Army and Police.

Sonam Wangchuk, SECMOL founder said, “The prior record was held for the 53 feet tall man-made Ice sculpture in Harbin, China. The artificial Ice stupa has gone up to roughly 80 feet and we are sending to the analysis of the Guinness Book of world record.” 

The seminar was presided by His Holiness Chetsang Rinpoche. Dr. Scharf, Bavarian Minister of Environment and Consumer Protection, Germany was the chief guest of the occasion.Dr. Sonam Dawa , CEC, Prof Grambow and Dr. Gondhalekar from Germany and many other dignitaries were present on the occasion.

Talking about the water management in Ladakh, Dr. Scahrf expressed happiness and motivated to see the water management technique in Ladakh keeping the traditional practices and culture alive. She said, “Such traditional practices and learning needs to be adopted in abroad”.

She said, “Every resource of the earth are getting limited and among which water has become an issue. To deal with the issue and to live in the harmonious environment it is very important to work and manage collaboratively".

She further added that the initiative and work towards environment should start at the local level with its impact globally.

Giving an example of Climate Action and Policy conferences she stressed on the need of every part of the world to come on one platform for a change which will not only get some result and action but will definitely give some positive hope.

In the end, she ended her talk with the quote of His Holiness Dalai Lama in which he stated that there are two days in the whole year on which nothing can be done, one is yesterday and one is tomorrow. The only day is today on which we can make the change.

His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang Konchok Stanzin Kunzang Thinley Lundup expressed happiness to be part and implementing the Green Ladakh Festival in Ladakh region, talked about the idea generation and the concept of the Green Ladakh. His Holiness talked about the Ice Stupa project of Secmol and Phyang three years back.  He said the artificial ice stupa is a sample project and plan of Leh which is one step or action against global warming. He stressed the importance to aware people about global warming and act on it to set an example for everyone. 

Talking about the Rolex award, His Holiness said, “Out of 3200 applicants from all over the world Phyang Ice stupa project was awarded. To receive the award, Sonam Wangchuk asked me to go to California but I was occupied with some other program and asked him to receive the award instead of me. The award money was decided to use as seed money for the construction of an alternative university in Leh.”

His Holiness talks about the importance and value of water and the need to conserve it. He also expressed hope and plan to make and celebrate Green Ladakh Festival annually all over Ladakh and to spread in other parts of the country like Lahaul-Spiti.

Dr. Sonam Dawa, CEC expressed gratitude and appreciated the work of Go Green Go Organic initiated by His Holiness Chetsang Rinpoche. He also informed about the LAHDC aims to encourage agriculture activities and to move towards organic.

Talking about the availability of barren lands in Leh he said, “We have a plan to make those lands cultivable.” He also informed about the various plans and projects to be carried out in the various parts of the Leh district.

Prof Grambow from Germany spoke about River basin management and good neighbourhood. He talked about the importance and value of water on the earth and the need to save it.  

He said, “We need to talk and discuss the importance of water collaboratively for a peace making process. In this world of change and transformation, it becomes immense important to change with ecological understanding and peacemaking.”

A certificate was also distributed to the top ten people who planted the highest number of trees.  From the top ten, Nyingjey Tulku from Kargyam planted 7000 trees and titled first among them. 

Ven. Konchok Gyaltson of Go Green Go Organic, Dr. Stobdan, Dihar, Sonam  Wangchuk  Founder of Secmol and Dr. Godhalekar from Germany also spoke on the occasion. 

Representatives from DIHAR, Go Green Go Organic, NCF, LEHO, AND Secmol gave a presentation.