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