Heavy snowfall and drastic change in climatic conditions worry locals of Gilgit Baltistan
Jan 25, 2020
New Delhi, Jan 25 (ANI): Exploitation of natural resources by Pakistan and China in Giglit- Baltistan that affects the ecology and demography of the region remains a major concern for the local residents. Extensive snowfall or floods caused due to melting glaciers is a symbol of climate change affecting the region, which is under Pakistan’s illegal occupation. The ill effects of environmental degradation and large scale deforestation by Pakistan and now China have started showing up. As part of its multi-billion dollar China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Beijing has made huge investments in the mining and highway projects in Gilgit Baltistan. At the behest of the Islamabad, Chinese companies are reportedly plundering natural resources in the region. It includes gold, platinum, cobalt and precious gemstones like Topaz and Aquamarine. CPEC project is built at the cost of felling uncounted number of trees and acquiring acres of land, which has affected the climatic conditions in Gilgit Baltistan. Despite being a land of natural resources, indigenous people of Gilgit Baltistan are forced to live in poverty.It remains one of the poorest regions in Asia where around 85 per cent of people live on subsistence agriculture.The locals have no access to basic facilities like cooking gas and majority of them are dependent on wood extracted from forests.
