The K-2-Siachen Peace Park

     Introduction

    Didima Declaration

    A Gathering of Forces

• Research Potential

• Mountaineering & Tourism

• Environmental Conservation

    Overcoming Challenges

    The Next Step

    Video

    Team

    Resources

    Email Updates

All parties working on this project are doing so out of respect for the natural environment.  Their stance is, thus, inherently apolitical, while recognizing and respecting political processes needed to achieve their goals. Three areas of relevant activity are noted below:

1. Research Potential

Academic researchers interested in the scientific value of the region – for both natural and social science research -- have proposed the idea of a peace park. The Karakoram Science Project was initiated by former U.S. Ambassador to India, Harry Barnes, and the eminent geologist, Jack Shroder, in 2003 with support from institutions such as the National Geographic Society. There is also interest from planetary scientists and glaciologists such as Jeffrey Kargel, potentially under NASA auspices, to make the area available for research experiments, given its high altitude and rocky, glaciated environment (making it suitable as a terrestrial research environment with attributes similar to terrain on Mars).[1]

Under the auspices of the Kashmir Study Group (initiated by the Kashmiri-American businessman, Farooq Kathwari), the idea for using the peace park concept as a tool for conflict mitigation has been proposed by geographers Joseph Schwartzberg and Nigel Allan.[2]  To provide a sound research base for this purpose, Allan has also compiled an authoritative bibliography on the region.[3]

Additionally, environmental researchers such as Saleem Ali, are interested in the planning mechanisms by which common environmental protection goals can be used to bring hostile players together. Unlike peace parks between friendly neighbors, the Karakoram peace park provides a greater challenge.[4] Thus, understanding the process for peace-building in this context may be of great value for other areas of conflict resolution.

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2. Mountaineering and Tourism

Mountaineers have also been avid supporters of the peace park idea, particularly since the establishment of the Sagarmatha International Peace Park between China and Nepal. The momentum in this regard comes from both indigenous mountaineers such as Harish Kapadia and Sayed Hamidullah, and from foreign mountain climbers such as the Italian initiative "K2-2004", in celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the first summiting of K2. The Italian effort also has a research component, inspired by late Professor Ardito Desio, who led the first successful expedition in 1954, as well as direct government backing from the Italian Ministry of Agricultural and Forestry Policies and the parliamentary group, “Friends of the Mountains.” [5] Taking advantage of this opportunity for international sensibility and awareness raising, an informal Italian working group has been created with the aim of providing support for the implementation of the Central Karakoram National Park  in commemoration of K2's 50^th anniversary and, subsequently, at the establishment of a peace park.

Some joint climbs between Indian and Pakistani mountaineers have also been conducted to support this cause. Two notable climbs were held in 2003 – one in Switzerland,[6] the other in South Africa. The latter was organized in association with the World Parks Congress and led to the Didima Declaration on September 7, 2003. This declaration, signed by 60 delegates from 27 countries at the Maloti-Drankensberg Mountains peace park between Lesotho and South Africa, called for further international efforts “to strive for a just world which secures our shared resources for the benefits of all people through peaceful cooperative efforts which transcend national boundaries.”

Additionally, the tourism potential of the Karakoram is immense and there are numerous adventure tourism outfitters who would revel at the opportunity for safe access to this unique region.[7] The International Institute for Peace through Tourism also strongly support the Karakoram peace park proposal and is willing to share experiences of other economically-driven tourism ventures that have led to peace initiatives.[8] Indeed, this may become the most direct utilitarian / market approach to the establishment of the park.

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3. Environmental Conservation

Environmentalists in both India and Pakistan have also been advocating the establishment of a peace park for several years. The Karakoram range includes fragile ecosystems that have been impacted by military presence and the lack of proper conservation management regimes.

Endangered species, such as the snow leopard,[9] Marco Polo sheep, and Tibetan gazelle, are found at lower elevations of the Karakorams. Furthermore, the huge amount of freshwater stored in the glaciers constitutes an important feature of the hydrologic balance for much of South Asia. Melting of the glaciers due to activities in their immediate vicinity or as a result of climate change deserves careful monitoring and attention and is ranked among the Worldwide Fund for Nature’s Global-200 areas “critical to global conservation.”

The World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) in cooperation with various officials from the World Conservation Union (IUCN), have formed an ad hoc working group on the prospects of peace parks and published a detailed report on transboundary parks of this kind.[10] The idea for a peace park, specifically in the Karakorams, was brought up at a workshop of the WCPA held in Dhaka in June 2003. As a follow-up, an ad hoc working group has been formed and an electronic petition forum was started by the Mumbai-based environmental group Sanctuary Asia.[11]   A formal presentation in favour of the Siachen Peace Park was also presented at the V World Park’s Congress held last September in Durban by a representative of the informal Italian working group during the Governance Stream of the Transboundary Protected Areas for Peace and Co-operation sub session

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A Unified Stance

All these initiatives reflect the broad spectrum of support for this project from the grassroots and beyond. The next step lies in bringing the issue to policy makers and overcoming some of the physical and political constraints to the idea.[12]