Gilgit Baltistan: A Critical but Unknown Pivot of South Asia under Threat

Unrepresented Nations and Peoples

Development in Gilgit Baltistan – Root Cause for Environmental Degradation and Impacts Beyond

05 May 2011

Lakhu Luhana

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Format of Presentation

�Environmental Overview of Gilgit Baltistan

�International Environmental Policy and Law

�Development OR Environmental Degradation - Major Environmental Issues & Impacts

�Environmental Impacts on Sindh�Conclusions

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Environmental Overview of GilgitBaltistan

� Gilgit Baltistan in its current shape is a country on an area of about 2.5 times the size of Belgium

� It has a very fragile ecosystem established over millions of years of natural evaluation

� The region consists of valleys with rivers, streams, lakes and glaciers and tall mountains, Many unique and endangered habitats andspecies

� The second tallest mountain peak, K2� Three largest glaciers outside the polar

regions� The impact of environmental changes in Gilgit Baltistan goes

far beyond its boundaries 3

International Policy and Legislation – Environmental Degradation

� United Nations High Level Threat Panel identified ten major dangers having serious potential of risk to damaging humankind and its habitat.

� Environmental degradation is at number three in that list of ten threats.

� Environmental degradation could be defined as deterioration of environment (air, water, soil), depletion of resources and loss of ecosystems and wildlife.

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International Policy and Legislation –International Environmental Law

� A number of international agreements are in place to minimize/avoid damage to the environment. Those relevant in case of Gilgit Baltistan include:

� Climate Change - United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol on Global Warming

� Sustainable Development - The Rio Declaration on Environment and Development

� Biodiversity - Convention on Biological Diversity

� Hazardous Materials and Activities - Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal

� Cultural Preservation - Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural & Natural Heritage

� Desertification - United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification

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Major Causes of Environmental Degradation in Gilgit Baltistan

�The major causes of environmental degradation in Gilgit Baltistan are man-made associated with so-called development and include:� Large infrastructure projects – roads,

railway lines, gas and oil pipelines � Mining� Dams

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Road and Rail Projects

� Widening Karakoram Highway from 10m to 30m and triple its transportation capacity

� High-speed train line and about20 tunnels

� Bothe projects built by China Road and Bridge Corporation

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Environmental Impacts of Road, Rail, Pipelines Projects

� Melting of glaciers� Damage to sensitive ecosystems� Loss of productive agricultural lands� Resettlement of large numbers of people� Permanent disruption of local economic activities� Demographic changes� Accelerated urbanization� Introduction of disease

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Gilgit Baltistan Map of Mines

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Mining in Gilgit Baltistan

�Gilgit and Baltistan is very rich in mineral resources.

�Thousands of mines are spread all over GilgitBaltistan.

�The mines include gemstones, metals (gold, silver etc) and other minerals

� In recent years hundreds of mines have been leased either to China or to Pakistani authorities as a result mining activities have significantly increased 10

Environmental Impacts of Mining

� Removal of topsoil and vegetation

� Release of toxic chemicals into the environment affecting air, water, soil, aquatic organisms, wildlife and humans.

� Large disturbances adversely affect aquatic habitats (lakes, ponds, streams, rivers), terrestrial habitats (deserts, grasslands, forests)

� Increase risk of seismic activity

� Increase glacial melting

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Dams in Gilgit Baltistan

�Environmental scientists all over world agree that dams do more harm than good

�Pakistan is following a very aggressive policy of building new dams in Gilgit and Baltistan

�Six large dams planned including Skardo(15000 MW), Diamer-Bhasha (4500 MW), Bunji(7000 MW), Yulbu (3000 MW), Raikot (675 MW), Hanzel (3000 MW), Tengus (625 MW) and Shengus (625 MW)

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Environmental Impacts of Dams

� Destroying ecosystems

� Wholesale displacement of

population

� Destroying archaeological sites

� Glacial melting

� Change in weather patterns

� Mud slides

� Floods

� Droughts

� Soil erosion

� Change of earth's rotation13

Impacts on Sindh - 1

�River Indus is the lifeline of Sindh

�A number of mega water projects: Tarbela dam, Mangladam and numerous canals on river Indus have resulted in severe shortage of water of agriculture and drinking

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Impacts on Sindh - 2

� Water has decreased by 90% down Kotri Barrage

since 1970s

� The thousands years old ecosystems have

irreversibly been damaged� The droughts are causing changes in weather

pattern

� Poverty has increased due to severe damage to agriculture

� Any new dam will be a death warrant for Sindh

Impacts on Sindh – 3

� Climate changes - unusual glacial melting and other abrupt weather patterns such as heavy rains cause serious natural disasters in Sindh

� After 18 years sustained drought last year Sindh saw the worst floods in its known history

� 10 million people were displaced

� Thousands of towns and villages submerged

� Over 100 billion Rs worth of crops, properties and infrastructure destroyed

� Still more than one million people are homeless

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Conclusions 1

� The so-called major development projects by Pakistan in collusion with China in Gilgit Baltistanare causing severe environmental degradation.

� The activities of Pakistan are:� irreversibly damaging the thousands years old

sensitive ecosystems� Displacing local population� Destroying thousands years old archeology and

historical sites� Changing demography

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Conclusions 2

� The activities are against the international laws, agreements and conventions: Climate Change, Sustainable Development, Biodiversity, Hazardous Materials and Activities, Cultural Preservation, Desertification

� Any new dams on river Indus and its tributary rivers will be a death warrant for Sindhi people

� International community should not support or finance these projects and press upon Pakistan to stop these anti-environment projects

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