Tourism Must Be Eco-tourism To Survive Melting Glaciers: Sherry

News Desk

Islamabad: Many of these glaciers are melting as a result of careless trekking because it is now a lucrative industry to take tourists up glaciers. Tourism must be eco-tourism if these glaciers are to survive as human progress and activity cannot be allowed to continue uncontrolled, stated Senator Sherry Rehman on Thursday.

Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination (MOCC) Federal Minister Sherry Rehman further stated that these mountains are facing real risk as these glaciers are melting faster than average. In a calculated estimate, she said that the glacial melt is probably beyond 300 percent, which she said on the basis of the past glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) event.

The Minister noted that there is no data available on the pace of melting glaciers.

She underlined that littering at snowy peaks is reaching a critical level at the highest peaks that are hard to access.

She regretted that the G20 ministers’ inability to agree on reducing fuel emissions prevented the globe from taking effective steps to slow down climate change.

Sherry Rehman expressed her views while launching the coffee table book launched under the GLOF-II project with the title ‘Fading Vistas– The Beauty of Northern Pakistan’.

The coffee table book Fading Vistas highlights the beauty of Northern Pakistan and reminds us of what is at stake in the highly glaciated region of the country owing to climate change, added Sherry.

The GLOF-II is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination and the United Nations Development Programme-Pakistan (UNDP), supported by the Green Climate Fund.

Senator Rehman appreciated the book and also lauded the UNDP partnership in Pakistan. She said the mountains of the country are stunning and have emerged like a poster child in the content of every tourism company’s social media magnets showcasing natural beauty and nature.

Pakistan has the largest glaciers outside the polar region and watching the Indus River pass by the mountains in the north is a humbling feeling.

UNDP-Pakistan Resident Representative Samuel Rizk said, “If we want such initiatives to produce results, prevention and protection are important, as are response and recovery.”

The GLOF-II project was not possible without the strong political commitment of the government at the federal and local levels, he added.

MOCC Additional Secretary and GLOF II Project Incharge Syed Mujtaba Hussain informed that the project’s execution in different phases was initiated at a pilot phase at two sites, namely Bagrot and Bindu Goal Valleys, whereas the GCF provided $37 million to further scale up the project.

Syed Mujtaba further said that the coffee table book showcased the beauty of the northern regions and urged us to exercise greater responsibility in protecting the natural resources that ensure the survival of habitats and ecosystems.

The GLOF-II interventions would assist in giving communities early warning information so they could take preventative steps during GLOF disasters. whereas the installation of flood protection walls and water protection infrastructure would enhance disaster resilience, Hussain added.