Published Oct 2011
Karakorum Hindukush & Himalayas (KHH) are also undergoing the glacier receding crisis. Logging trends and of course global warming are the main culprits behind the climate tragedy. Most of the summer remains dry while it rains in winters rather snow-falling. It accelerates glacier retreating problem. The snow and ice melt is causing rise in sea level.In Pakistan the Districts Badin & Thatha are being affected by rising sea levels.
There are rapid decline in the underground freshwater resources as sea saline waters are invading beneath.The extended monsoon rains water discharge to the sea was slowed down by the seasonal high tides in the Arabian Sea as well. Tradition spread of monsoon rains has been drastically changed during last two decades. Now rains are being observed in regional pockets and hence damaging all infrastructure. These views were expressed by Chairman APM Pakistan Raza Khan while he was asked to comment on the Govt. Inaugural initiative to dam the River Indus at Diamer Bhasha Chilas.
Left:(Receded Glacier in Upper Hunza Valley June 2011) Right (Receded Glacier of the Bagrote Valley june 2010)
He said; " Without Al-pine tree cover the porn slopes are ruining the entire ecology of the Indus Basin. Timber Mafia across the KHH ranges is no one but the respective governments themselves. The governments of these areas do seek and get international aids in the name of Environment but follow the opposite policies. The rising sea levels phenomenon is not only endangering the Maldives, the Nicobar Islands, Sindh and Maharashtra coastal cities regionally but also threatening Asia Pacific oceanographic system."
Answering a question whether dams are environmental friendly he explained that to harvest green energy small dams like Bhasha Dam assist the Nature to perpetuate her course of sustainability. He told that APM is striving hard to persuade authorities to build a chain of small lakes in KHH as her 15 years research work declares this chain of small lakes as an adaptive measure to reverse the glacier receding process. The last year storage of glacier melt in an accidental lake at Hunza has proven the findings of APM research work."
Upper Hunza Attabad Lake June 2010: (Right to left ) Chairman APM Raza Khan, Ayaz Anwar and Tahir Shah
He further added that Bhasha Dam Lake would cast positive impact on the Glaciers of Kohistan and Diamer Valleys. The retreating glaciers of Nanga Parbat are also situated in the area.