Human interference triggers environmental crisis in Gilgit-Baltistan

BALTISTAN: Pakistan-occupied mountainous Gilgit-Baltistan is a climate-vulnerable region. The infrastructure of the local towns has suffered significant damage due to flash floods, landslides and other calamities that have occurred in the past few years. However, Gilgit Baltistan’s devastation cannot be attributed to environmental factors alone.

The human activities in the region have made the situation worse. Enhanced deforestation and solid waste pollution have severely affected the livelihood of the inhabitants. The growing amount of plastic garbage is endangering a region that is renowned for its breathtaking beauty. A number of glaciers in Gilgit-Baltistan have already been categorised as dangerous as they pose serious threats to the local people.

The locals in Gilgit-Baltistan have claimed that the federal and provincial governments are competing with each other to worsen the situation in this mountainous region. Indiscriminate construction and movement of traffic are severely impacting the habitat of Gilgit-Baltistan.

According to locals, the vehicular movement is changing the weather dynamics of the region. Furthermore, mega projects are worsening the air quality in the region. The ecology of Gilgit-Baltistan is being negatively impacted by Chinese projects, which are causing unmanageable pollution and permanent loss of aquatic habitats.

According to a report that came out in 2001, the drinking water sources in Gilgit-Baltistan are polluted with high levels of contaminants, which has a negative impact on the health and safety of the inhabitants.

Though there is no industry in Gilgit-Baltistan, the drainage from hotels, restaurants, and other commercial establishments directly flows into the main Indus River without undergoing any treatment. This explains why Gilgit-Baltistan has a high prevalence of water-borne diseases.

Many people in the region use drinking water only after boiling. In Gilgit-Baltistan, human activity has deteriorated the environment to the point where species such as snow leopards are in danger of going extinct.

The corrupt administration’s negligence is the main cause of the double whammy that Gilgit-Baltistan’s residents endure. The locals have been suffering from bitter cold on the one hand, and lack of gas or electricity to cook food on the other. Therefore, forests are being cut down without any thought, endangering the already delicate ecology.

Furthermore, during the past few years, Gilgit-Baltistan has witnessed a rise in the illicit cutting of trees by the wood mafia. According to reports, the forest department receives substantial payments for permitting the mafia to engage in illegal deforestation.