Champawat (चंपावत) is a district in eastern Uttarakhand, India, bordering Nepal along the Kali, also called the Sharda River. Its headquarters is Champawat town, a former seat of the Chand rulers of Kumaon. The district is known for wooded hills, river valleys, historic temples and pilgrimage sites.
Kumaoni culture shapes local language, festivals, food and community life. Agriculture, small businesses, government services, tourism and pilgrimage support livelihoods. Notable landmarks include Baleshwar Temple in Champawat, the hilltop Purnagiri shrine near Tanakpur and Advaita Ashrama at Mayawati near Lohaghat. Tanakpur and Banbasa are important foothill centres for transport, trade and cross-border movement.
Common civic concerns include reliable roads, landslide and flood preparedness, drinking water, healthcare and access to education in scattered hill settlements. Residents also care about local employment, migration from villages, farm productivity and wildlife-related crop losses. Managing pilgrimage traffic, waste and development while protecting forests and rivers is another important local priority.