Climate Change Impacts Tibetan Bon Faith in Nepals Highlands

Here’s a rewritten version of the article in a neutral newsroom style:

Lubra Village in Nepal’s Highlands Faces Climate Change Threats

In the remote northwest region of Nepal, Lubra village is struggling to maintain its unique cultural heritage due to the effects of climate change. The village, nestled in a rugged valley, has been home to 16 families who follow the Bon faith, an ancient Tibetan religion.

According to Lama Tsultrim, a spiritual leader and the latest in a long line of Bon lamas in the village, Lubra was founded by Trashi Gyaltsen over 20 generations ago. The story goes that Trashi planted two pine needles and promised that if one grew into a tree, he would establish a village in the area.

The walnut tree that survives among the houses below is said to be around 100 years old and has adapted to its new location near the riverbed. However, the village’s agricultural land is being eroded due to frequent flooding during the monsoon season. The floods have washed away crops grown for local consumption, such as potatoes and buckwheat, and destroyed apple trees, which were a main source of income.

The village’s homes are also at risk, with several families forced to abandon their ancestral homes due to flooding over the past decade. The stone walls of agricultural terraces are collapsing into the mud, and the historic village is facing an unprecedented threat.

Lama Tsultrim’s home, which he left two years ago due to flooding, remains empty, with a pile of sediment blocking the door. The once-thriving village is now struggling to maintain its unique culture, which has endured for centuries despite centuries of upheaval.

The Bon faith, considered an Indigenous religion of Tibet, has its exact historical origins unclear but is thought to include influences from Persia, Central Asia, and China, as well as ancient Tibet. The village’s distinct culture is facing an unprecedented threat due to the worsening effects of climate change.

The situation in Lubra highlights the vulnerability of rural communities in Nepal to the impacts of climate change. As the region continues to experience more frequent and severe flooding, it remains to be seen how the village will adapt and preserve its unique cultural heritage.

Source: Al Jazeera