Gangotri: Wings of Hope

Green Hub Fellows: Aditya Sharma, Kamlesh Singh Jetha and Sheikh Mahajid (2025–26) Organisation: Titli Trust This film explores the changing landscape of small Himalayan villages, where climate change, mass tourism, and unplanned development are placing increasing pressure on fragile ecosystems and traditional ways of life. As tourism expands, over-tourism and human intrusion are affecting the region’s biodiversity, natural landscapes, and the communities that have long lived in harmony with their surroundings. The Himalayas are home to unique and diverse ecosystems that are increasingly threatened by habitat loss, growing development, and limited environmental awareness. As these pressures intensify, the delicate balance between nature, culture, and community livelihoods is being challenged. In response to these challenges, Titli Trust initiated the Nature Guide Training Fellowship, a programme designed to reconnect local youth with their natural surroundings through biodiversity and conservation education. At the same time, the fellowship promotes responsible and community-led eco-tourism as a sustainable livelihood opportunity. Through training and hands-on learning, young people are encouraged to become nature guides and ambassadors for their landscapes. By creating opportunities for local communities to participate in responsible tourism, the initiative aims to strengthen livelihoods while encouraging the protection of biodiversity and cultural heritage. At its core, the film is a story of hope and possibility, showing how local knowledge, conservation education, and mindful tourism can empower communities to become guardians of their own landscapes and help shape a more sustainable future for the Himalayas. This film has been made as part of the Green Hub Western Himalayas (GHWH) Fellowship. GHWH was launched in 2024 as part of the Royal Enfield Social Mission and is based out of the Himalayan Hub at Theog, Himachal Pradesh. Green Hub is the flagship project of Dusty Foot Foundation and was initiated in Northeast India in 2015, and Central India in 2021.