牧羊人在與氣候變化作斗爭

牧羊人在與氣候變化作斗爭

At an altitude of more than 14,000 feet, where winter temperatures can fall to minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit, it is hard to believe anyone, or anything, can survive in the vast ice desert that is Changthang, on the Tibetan Plateau between India and China.

在海拔超過14000英尺的地方，冬季氣溫可能降到零下40華氏度，很難相信任何人或任何東西能在印度和中國之間的青藏高原上的巨大冰原昌坦生存。

Situated between the Himalayan and Karakorum mountain ranges, it is the highest permanently inhabited plateau in the world, and home to an extremely hardy and rare breed of goat -- the Changra.

它位于喜馬拉雅山脈和喀喇昆侖山脈之間，是世界上最高的永久居住的高原，也是一種極其耐寒和稀有的山羊品種昌格拉羊的家園。

The region's high altitudes, freezing temperatures and harsh winds are essential in stimulating the growth of the goats' super-soft undercoat. The fibers can measure a mere 12 microns in width, making them around eight times finer than human hair and up to eight times warmer than sheep wool.

該地區(qū)的高海拔、寒冷的氣溫和凜冽的寒風是刺激山羊超柔軟底毛生長的關(guān)鍵因素。這種纖維只有12微米寬，比人的頭發(fā)細8倍，比羊毛暖8倍。

This luxurious fiber is known as Pashmina, the softest and most expensive type of cashmere wool in the world.

這種奢華的纖維被稱為羊絨，是世界上最柔軟和最昂貴的一種開士米羊毛。

Rearing these valuable animals in such inhospitable conditions are the Changpa people. For centuries these nomadic shepherds, who are as hardy as their animals, have roamed "the roof of the world," moving their herds of yak, sheep and goats along traditional migratory routes every few months in search of fresh grazing pastures.

昌巴人在如此惡劣的環(huán)境下飼養(yǎng)這些珍貴的動物。幾個世紀以來，這些像他們的動物一樣強壯的游牧牧人，在“世界屋脊”漫游。每隔幾個月，他們就會帶著他們的牦牛、綿羊和山羊沿著傳統(tǒng)的遷徙路線，尋找新鮮的牧場。

But their ancient way of life is now under threat from climate change and the lure of an easier and more comfortable life.

但他們古老的生活方式現(xiàn)在正受到氣候變化和更舒適生活的誘惑的威脅。

I have known of the Changpa people for some time, but it was only recently that I learned of their struggles. I visited them in the Ladakh region, on the Indian side of the plateau, to photograph their winter migration in early December.

我認識昌巴人已經(jīng)有一段時間了，但直到最近才知道他們的掙扎。我在高原印度一側(cè)的拉達克地區(qū)拜訪了它們，拍攝了它們12月初冬季遷徙的照片。

Changthang rarely gets much snowfall, and when it does, it usually begins in January or February. For the last few years, however, it has been increasingly heavy, starting as early as December, even November.

昌坦很少下雪，即使下雪，通常也從1月或2月開始。然而，在過去的幾年里，它已經(jīng)下得越來越大，早在12月，甚至11月就開始了。

The unexpected snowfall was great for my pictures, but it was a major inconvenience for the herders. The high pass they travel through is untraversable once covered in snow, and food supplements have to be brought in to prevent the animals dying from starvation.

這場意想不到的降雪對我的攝影來說是件好事，但對牧民來說卻是個大麻煩。他們所經(jīng)過的高山口一旦被雪覆蓋就無法通過了，為了防止動物餓死，必須帶食物來補充。

The nomads and scientists alike are adamant that climate change is the biggest threat to Pashmina production in the region. And despite the snowfall, the winters are in fact getting warmer, which reduces the quality and quantity of the valuable Pashmina wool.

牧民和科學家都堅信氣候變化是該地區(qū)羊絨生產(chǎn)的最大威脅。盡管有降雪，冬天實際上是在變暖，這降低了寶貴的羊絨的質(zhì)量和數(shù)量。

Warmer temperatures mean that the goats don't grow such thick undercoats, reducing the yield of this soft fur and making it harder to separate from the coarse outer fur.

溫暖的氣溫意味著山羊不會長出這么厚的內(nèi)層毛，這就減少了柔軟皮毛的產(chǎn)量，使它更難與粗糙的外部皮毛分離。

Over a relatively short period of time, dozens of nomad families from the Changthang plateau have migrated away from their village, Kharnak, to the outskirts of Leh, a city 180 kilometers away. There, the herders who have given up their nomadic lives have set up their own neighborhood, called Kharnak Ling.

在相對較短的時間內(nèi)，幾十個來自昌坦高原的游牧家庭從他們的村莊哈納克遷移到180公里外的列城郊區(qū)。在那里，放棄游牧生活的牧民們建立了他們自己的社區(qū)，叫做哈納克嶺。

On my recent visit to the region, the chief of Kharnak village, Targais Tashi, expressed his concerns. "These are worrying times we are experiencing," he said. "If weather patterns continue (changing) like they are, then it could have an irreversible impact on Pashmina goat-rearing on the Changthang. There were once more than 90 families in Kharnak and now there are only 16.

我最近訪問該地區(qū)時，哈納克村的村長塔爾蓋斯·塔希表達了他的關(guān)切。“我們正經(jīng)歷著令人擔憂的時期，”他說。“如果天氣模式繼續(xù)像現(xiàn)在這樣變化，那么它可能會對昌坦地區(qū)生產(chǎn)羊絨的山羊的飼養(yǎng)造成不可逆轉(zhuǎn)的影響。哈納克曾經(jīng)有90多個家庭，現(xiàn)在只有16個。

"The younger generation would rather work in the city and cannot be persuaded to continue this physically, mentally and emotionally demanding existence."

“年輕一代寧愿在城市工作，無法說服他們繼續(xù)這種對身體、精神和情感都要求很高的生活。”