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    High Altitude Sustainability: Battling the Garbage Crisis in the Gilgit-Baltistan Mountains

    High Altitude Sustainability: Battling the Garbage Crisis in the Gilgit-Baltistan Mountains

    Written by: Ismail Umar
    Posted on: November 17, 2015 | | 中文

    High Altitude Sustainability (HAS) Pakistan

    The Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan boasts 3 of the world’s greatest mountain ranges, 5 of the 14 highest peaks, and 3 of the largest glaciers outside the Polar Regions. It is no surprise, then, that this region is an extremely popular destination for trekkers from all over the world, welcoming thousands of tourists from home and abroad every year. However, this has resulted in undue pressure on the mountain ecosystems, especially due to the waste left behind by all the visitors. The use of animals such as horses and yaks for transporting supplies has also resulted in improper disposal of carcasses on the glacier, which may eventually become toxic. The consequences of these activities include water contamination, glacial deterioration and increased risk of flooding.

    High Altitude Sustainability (HAS) is a contribution-based organization that seeks to help manage the sustainability of adventure tourism in the Gilgit-Baltistan region. HAS aims to support responsible tourism in Pakistan’s north by focusing on two key areas: environmental sustainability and support for the local porters in the region.

    The 'Sustain Baltoro 2015 Cleanup Expedition' team

    The 'Sustain Baltoro 2015 Cleanup Expedition' team

    Khurpas (or Pakistani High Altitude Porters) are the people who help teams in trekking and climbing. They follow an extremely tough routine by carrying up to 40 kg uphill every day, for hours at a stretch. However, they suffer from a lack of resources for training and equipment. They are also constantly faced with welfare issues such as a lack of health insurance and an absence of retirement plans. The consequences are economically and socially distressing for their families, and eventually lead them to abandon this line of work in search of other opportunities.

    HAS strives to fill the gap in the availability of support to these disadvantaged communities. It employs a multi-sector approach to the development of tourism by addressing the social as well as environmental aspects of trekking and tourism in the Gilgit-Baltistan region. This is done by providing support for local porters as well as environmental conservation of glaciers and trails in the region, spreading knowledge through research and documentary making, and raising awareness about environmental and social opportunities and threats.

    Carrying waste near Joula Camp

    Carrying waste near Joula Camp

    In conjunction with local partners, HAS conducts joint cleanup expeditions in order to remove solid waste and animal carcasses left on the trails and glaciers, as well as to raise awareness about this issue in the rest of the country. Currently, HAS is working on the ‘Sustain Baltoro’ program with local partner Khurpa Care Pakistan (KCP). Along with a team of 35 porters, the cleaning activity was carried out from Askoli Village to Concordia, over a period of 2 weeks. The total amount of waste collected was 4,500 kg, in addition to 76 animal carcasses. HAS aims to conduct at least one cleanup expedition annually as part of its efforts to clear the waste that collects in the area.

    HAS was formally incorporated in April 2015 by Hanniah Tariq, a young, energetic social entrepreneur, in collaboration with Khurpa Care Pakistan (KCP), a nongovernmental organization that has been working on porter welfare, tourism promotion and conflict resolution in the region for almost 10 years.

    Porter medical assistance at Concordia

    Porter medical assistance at Concordia

    “Khurpa Care has been working on this issue for several years, but the Baltistan region is cut off from the rest of Pakistan. So I’ve teamed up with them for the same cause. We want to help the ecosystem, as well as the locals who work here”, explains Hanniah Tariq, who is currently Chief Executive at HAS. “We have a very unique opportunity for adventure tourism in Pakistan. The local porters are spectacular workers. However, they’re running off to Dubai to pick up bricks, simply because they don’t earn enough for survival. They’re a unique community that needs to be protected, loved and recognized. We can’t afford to lose them!”

    Hanniah feels that there’s a dearth of people who understand environmental consequences in our country. “Pakistan is going to be one of the world’s most water-stressed countries by 2040. In the next couple of years, we’re expecting a lot more flooding, and then this effect will start to trickle down. We need to deal with these issues urgently”.

    The Board of Trustees

    The Board of Trustees

    As of now, funding remains the biggest challenge for HAS. So far, funding is contribution-based, gathered mostly from private sources. “It’s very difficult to make this a socio-economically viable project. Funding is currently very touch-and-go. There are so many things that we want to do, but our current approach is limited due to a lack of funds”.

    Despite a host of difficulties, nonprofit organizations such as HAS and KCP continue to persist by virtue of an unflinching desire to contribute meaningfully to environmental conservation and the economic and social welfare of marginalized communities. Rather than sitting around and waiting for the government to take action, they actively engage with societal problems and come up with unique ways to solve them by altering the system, finding the solution, persuading entire societies to change their course of action, and as a result, succeeding against all odds.


    As the new year begins, let us also start anew. I’m delighted to extend, on behalf of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and in my own name, new year’s greeting and sincere wishes to YOULIN magazine’s staff and readers.

    Only in hard times can courage and perseverance be manifested. Only with courage can we live to the fullest. 2020 was an extraordinary year. Confronted by the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Pakistan supported each other and took on the challenge in solidarity. The ironclad China-Pakistan friendship grew stronger as time went by. The China Pakistan Economic Corridor projects advanced steadily in difficult times, become a standard-bearer project of the Belt and Road Initiative in balancing pandemic prevention and project achievement. The handling capacity of the Gwadar Port has continued to rise and Afghanistan transit trade through the port has officially been launched. The Karakoram Highway Phase II upgrade project is fully open to traffic. The Lahore Orange Line project has been put into operation. The construction of Matiari-Lahore HVDC project was fully completed. A batch of green and clean energy projects, such as the Kohala and Azad Pattan hydropower plants have been substantially promoted. Development agreement for the Rashakai SEZ has been signed. The China-Pakistan Community of Shared Future has become closer and closer.

    Reviewing the past and looking to the future, we are confident to write a brilliant new chapter. The year 2021 is the 100th birthday of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan. The 100-year journey of CPC surges forward with great momentum and China-Pakistan relationship has flourished in the past 70 years. Standing at a new historic point, China is willing to work together with Pakistan to further implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, connect the CPEC cooperation with the vision of the “Naya Pakistan”, promote the long-term development of the China-Pakistan All-weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership with love, dedication and commitment. Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan said, “We are going through fire. The sunshine has yet to come.” Yes, Pakistan’s best days are ahead, China will stand with Pakistan firmly all the way.

    YOULIN magazine is dedicated to promoting cultural exchanges between China and Pakistan and is a window for Pakistani friends to learn about China, especially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It is hoped that with the joint efforts of China and Pakistan, YOULIN can listen more to the voices of readers in China and Pakistan, better play its role as a bridge to promote more effectively people-to-people bond.

    Last but not least, I would like to wish all the staff and readers of YOULIN a warm and prosper year in 2021.

    Nong Rong Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of
    The People’s Republic of China to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
    January 2021