This event is sponsored by the RHNHFF BCS Program and Utpala Craft.
We are delighted to host this hybrid conversation entitled:
Biodegradable Alternatives to Synthetic Khata and Lungta
About this Event
This interaction program brings together expert community members from the Himalayas to discuss the impact of synthetic khata and lungta on the environment, mass consumption culture, and the need for biodegradable alternatives. The panelists will open the discussion with initial remarks. The audience members, participating in-person and virtually, will follow with their questions and comments. This event will be recorded and shared via RHNHFF Program in Buddhism & Contemporary Society website.
About the Speakers
Ang Dolma Sherpa (Entrepreneur, Utpala Craft) is a social entrepreneur who won the top “ideator” award at Idea Studio Nepal 2019 for her concept of biodegradable khatak, or scarves. The platform led her to initiate Utpala Craft in 2020, creating a shift from synthetic prayer flags and khatak to biodegradable ones.
Dr. Kalzang Dorjee Bhutia (Religious Studies Scholar) is from west Sikkim. He is a Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the Centre of Excellence for Himalayan Studies, Shiv Nadar University, Delhi NCR and research associate in the Hidden Stories project at the University of Toronto and Princeton University. He studies relationships between human and more-than-human communities in Sikkim.
Tashi Lhamu Sherpa, Acting Chair, Khumbu Pasanglhamu Rural Municipality.
Yangji Doma Sherpa (General Manager, SPCC) is a staff member of the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee (SPCC). Dividing her time between Thame Valley and Kathmandu, she oversees communications related to the SPCC’s Icefall Doctors and other operations on Mt. Everest. Yangji has been instrumental in ensuring that local waste management is done through community-based organizations, maximizing local participation and benefit-sharing through environmentally friendly practices. Her research focuses on community involvement in tourism development.
Mr. Raj Gyawali (Founder, socialtours) has over two decades of experience working specifically on responsible tourism in practice – on the ground developing his company socialtours as the first tour company in Asia to be sustainability certified.
As a consultant, he helps governments and communities develop more sustainable practices, and inserts sustainability strategies in government plans. Raj’s work ranges from training guides in more sustainable practices, to educating customers on the practice of responsibility in tourism as travellers, developing more sustainable tourism offerings, as well as guiding governments and stakeholders in putting sustainable procedures into action.
