Climate Change and variability in the Mountain Region of Pakistan and its impacts on lives and livelihood on habitations.

Pakistan makes a tiny contribution to total global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, but it is among the countries most vulnerable to climate change, and it has very low technical and financial capac…

Source: Climate Change and variability in the Mountain Region of Pakistan and its impacts on lives and livelihood on habitations.

Climate Change and variability in the Mountain Region of Pakistan and its impacts on lives and livelihood on habitations.

Pakistan makes a tiny contribution to total global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, but it is among the countries most vulnerable to climate change, and it has very low technical and financial capacity to adapt to its adverse impacts. The effects of climate change and global warming  in the mountain region of Chitral and Gilgit Baltistan is  now a reality.

The weather is getting more extreme, less predictable, hitting  the region hard — very hard. Over 2000 people were killed in Karachi last year, when the temperatures raised to 50ºC. Over 500 children died in Thar District  due to drought. 9 school children lost their lives in the avalanche in Chitral last month.

The monsoon shifting to Chitral last year killed 40 people and 80% of Chitral  destroyed followed by an earthquake. April is a spring season normally cold, but the recent rains and hailstorms in Chitral and Northern Area severely destroyed crops, trees, agriculture lands, infrastructure on a massive scale. If this  tendency of hot weather is continuing, the melting of glaciers in the Hindukush and  Himalayas will be  threatening more severe events in the coming monsoon season.

Life in the mountain area of Gilgit Baltistan and Chitral is standstill. Hundreds of tourists are stuck up. Communication network destroyed. Essential supply chain, including medicines, food, fuel supply is stopped. Electricity, drinking water is disconnected.The recent torrential rains in mountain region of the country is paralyzed the lifelines and ecosystem of the norther region of the country. It has been raining and snowing for last three days. Roads, power and telecommunication infrastructures are badly damaged. The valleys are virtually disconnected from each other and rest of the country, as the roads has been blocked at various locations due to landslides, rock fall and avalanches.

There has not been any human causalities, but public and private properties are badly damaged. In most places the snow accumulation has exceeded 18 inches and triggering of snow of flash floods and avalanches is still imminent. People living close to slopes and hills have been moved to a safer places by the community volunteers.

Shamira Shams, a professional disaster management practitioner from Humza Gulmit informed  that hundreds of people, including tourists are stuck up in Gulmit due to KKH road blockage in different location towards Hunza and Khunjurab Pass. She said that Attaabad lake tunnel is also blocked due to avalanche.Access road to Shimshal and Misgar are also disconnected. The worst hit area is Chipurson valley. Access road to Yarzich is fully destroyed due to avalanches, landslides and rock falls. The three water channels, pipeline and electricity poles destroyed and people are in shocked, if this channels could not be repaired on time, the crops may be destroyed and there will be serious food crises and starvation like situation in the region.

District Chitral in the north west of Pakistan under the shadow of  Tarich Mir, the highest mountain peak of Hindukush is also been seriously affected due to torrential rain. Road network, water supply channels and other infrastructures have also been destroyed. However, District Administration Chitral is  very active and effectively responding to the emergencies by opening the blocked roads and restoring the supply chain, water supply line and electricity poles.