Protecting the Cultural Heritage in Upper Dolpo, Cultural Protection Fund (2024-2025)

Описание: Dolpo, located in the high Himalayas, is defined by the rugged beauty of the landscape and its rich cultural heritage which is directly linked to the identity of the local communities living in various isolated valleys. The traditional settlements and built heritage reflect the harsh climate of the location and the socio-cultural life of the people living in the area. Climate change has greatly impacted the Himalayan region, including Dolpo, where it has created havoc on the traditional pastoral lifestyle and to the traditional buildings and structures. In addition, with the increased threat of armed robbers looting the monastic complexes in the isolated areas, many of these sites remain abandoned during large parts of the year. These external factors have affected the upkeep of the built heritage in the Dolpo area.
In this pilot project we have examined the built heritage within the Shey Phoksundo Rural Municipality which lies within the National Park. Through local engagement programmes with diverse community groups in terms of ethnicity, age and gender, we were able to gain insight into their values and the risk on the built heritage. With the establishment of an inventory system for the built heritage, documentation methodology and outlining the actions, procedure and requirement for the protection of the built heritage in Dolpo, the project has provided technical support and capacity building activities to attain the objective which are also outlined within the Five-year Plan of the Shey Phoksundo Rural Municipality.

The project was implemented by Sampada Samrakshyan Samaj Nepal
(ICOMOS Nepal) in partnership with Shey Phoksundo Rural Municipality in
2024-2025.

The project “Towards Protecting the Cultural Heritage in the High Himalayas
of the Shey Phoksundo National Park of Dolpo” under the Cultural Protection
Fund was funded by the British Council in partnership with the Department
for Culture, Media and Sports, UK.