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HIGHLANDS OF GILGIT BALTISTAN, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND WATER RESOURCE CHALLENGES.

Dr. Pervaiz Amirand

Sardar Muhammad Tariq

DATE: 21TH NOVEMBER 2017

STORY LINE

Gilgit Baltistan store House of waterWater quality emerging as serious

concernLeft out in CPEC agenda despite

gateway Its economic potential and SDGWater inclusive development agenda

PLEASE USE LESS WATER THERE IS SHORTAGE OF WATER

PROJECTED FUTURE CLIMATE

Increased temperature--showing Increased long-lasting heatwaves Decreased cold spells-vanishing wintersWeak evaporation Increased dry spells Heavy rains but few Glaciers in turmoil with land Slides in NA

NATURAL RESOURCES OF G.B

Human resourcesAtmospheric

resourcesWater resourcesForest resource

• Animal resources• Crop resources• Wildlife resources• Mineral resources

Trees absent so is WSM

Livestock a and

carrying capacity

WATER RESOURCES Gilgit-Baltistan is the Water Shed and Catchment of Indus Basin having an area of 72496

Sq Km.

The area lies at the confluence of the Karakorum, the Hindu Kush and the Himalaya mountain ranges consisting of about 27 % glaciers and snow deposits, the largest in the world outside polar region.

There are more than 40 Glaciers in GB. Main glaciers are Baltoro, Siachan, Biafo, Hispar and Batura.

Main Tributaries of Indus River are 6 (Suro River, Shyoke River, Shigar River, Gilgit River, Hunza River & Astore River).

WATER RELATED ISSUES

The Indus River bodies from the northernmost territory of Gilgit-Baltistan to the lower parts of Sindh are getting contaminated with high levels of lead and arsenic.

Amounts of arsenic and lead are increasing in the water of the Indus at an alarming rate.

GLOBAL WARMINGGlaciers Melting

Pakistan’s 5,000 glaciers are retreating faster than any other part of the world, according to a new Pakistan Economic Survey 2014-15.

Land Sliding Northern area of Pakistan is

mainly covered with mountains with three world’s biggest

mountain range which are in peril to many natural disasters like earthquake, floods, landslides etc.

mainly covered with mountains

mountain range which are in peril to many natural disasters

• Landslides are the most alarming and devastating hazard because it consistently endanger the people and civil infrastructure.

NEGATIVE IMPACTS

TourismAreas strewn with wrappers, empty bottles, boxes, plastic bags and food items included Diamer’s Fairy Meadows, Astor’s Deosai plains and Rama, Ghizer’s Phunder and Khalti lakes, Hunza, Skardu and Naltar.

bottles, boxes, plastic

Fairy Meadows, Astor’s

Begging for trees trees and some trees

Kk glacier are/not melting?

Glaciers in trouble

and so are water resources

Llittle to showcase at PC border

STRATEGIES Improvement of watershed management,

particularly through massive reforestation campaigns.

Development of water reservoirs and infrastructure in GB on fast track

Taking up measures for the identification of vulnerable areas for flooding and LS

Improvement in the disaster monitoring and early warning systems.

Propose development Paradigm within SDG

STRATEGIES Improvements in water supply for agricultural

and domestic uses. Protecting fragile lands and culture from CPEC

onslaught Applying Science and Management for

sustainable futureWater development for all with clear Benefit

Sharing

CONCLUSION

GB needs to be brought into CPEC development fold-well thought through facelift

Preserving GB culture and environmentWater quality control the priority Gravitational Flow and lift irrigation scienceMaintaining peace and the pristine

environment within SDG framework