The K-2-Siachen Peace Park

What's New

February, 2005 Update

Dear friends of the Siachen-Karakoram Peace Park initiative The thawing of relations between India and Pakistan continues -- albeit at a glacial pace -- but glimmers of hope are becoming brighter for using environmental issues and science in resolving the Siachen conflict. Here are some recent updates regarding the effort (including some material provided by the Italian EV-K2-CNR project and their parliamentary committee): On February 19 there was a three-hour symposium on Himalayan High Ice and Conflict Resolution at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in which the Siachen peace park initiative figured prominently. The AAAS is one of the most widely respected nonpartisan scientific associations (publishers of Science magazine). The symposium was well-attended by scientists from all over the world, media, and some diplomats. Details about the symposium and panelists are given below: I am also attaching an article which I wrote for Sanctuary magazine following my trip to India and Pakistan).

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE ANNUAL MEETING Washington DC: February 17 - 21, 2005. TRACK: Science & Technology for Diplomacy & Security TITLE: Himalayan High Ice: Climate, Water, Hazard, War and Peace DATE: Saturday, February 19, 2005 TIME: 2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. ORGANIZERS: John (Jack) Shroder, University of Nebraska, Omaha PARTICIPANTS: . Ambassador Harry Barnes (Speaker), Asia Society Kashmir Crisis, Siachin Glacier War: Science Solutions Jeff Kargel (Speaker), U.S. Geological Society The GLIMS and HIGH-ICE Projects for the Western Himalaya Syed Iqbal Hasnain (Speaker), University of Calicut, India Glacier Fluctuation and Climate Change in the Indian Himalaya Michael Bishop (Speaker), University of Nebraska, Omaha GLIMS Regional Center for Southwest Asia and K2 Project Nigel Allan (Speaker), University of California, Davis Hindu Kush: Himalayan Water Resources and Agriculture Saleem Ali (Speaker), University of Vermont The Karakoram Peace Park: Scientific Inquiry, Adventure Tourism and Conflict Resolution Title: The Karakoram Peace Park Initiative: Scientific Inquiry, Adventure Tourism and Conflict Resolution Presenter: Saleem Ali Abstract: The instrumental role which scientific collaboration and environmental conservation can play in resolving territorial conflicts is the focus of a new initiative in South Asia to improve relations between nuclear rivals India and Pakistan. The academic component of this initiative aims to test how environmental issues and scientific concerns in this case galvanize conflict resolution. The research is situated within the context of a larger project that the author has in understanding peace park development worldwide. However, there is also an advocacy component to the Karakoram Peace Park initiative given the involvement of various civil society organizations that are working to convince governments to move forward on this effort. This presentation will explore the prerequisites for peace-building and the strategic role of scientists in conflict resolution. In addition, the management regimes that are likely to be most effective for such a transboundary peace parks will also be discussed. 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, 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.” If successful this effort could provide important lessons for other zones of conflict where science and conservation, coupled with the economic incentives of tourism, could be used for peace-building.

UPDATE FROM ITALIAN EVK2-CNR Committee (provided by Beth Schommer) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Within the framework of the K2 Golden Jubilee celebrations (commemorated by Italy with the repetition of the historical first ascent by a scientific-mountaineering expedition "K2 2004 50 years later", which reached the top of the second mountain of the world last July 26th, and was led institutionally by a Government-level delegation), Italy significantly consolidated its presence in the Baltoro region, promoting there an integrated package of long-term cooperation and research projects aimed at benefiting the environment of the area and the local communities living there.

Our Ev-K²-CNR Committee, along with the Italian parliamentary group "Friends of the Mountains" continues to hope that this series of interventions, predominantly centred around effective implementation of the Central Karakorum National Park, will indirectly and subtly raise awareness within the local government and local authorities on the need for environmental awareness and sustainable development opportunities, which underlie the more general theme of peace. Implementation of the CKNP, in fact - with a new management plan being adopted, comprising a systemic and science-based approach to protected area management - continues to appear one of the best stimuli for promoting creation of a protected area on the neighbouring Siachen glacier. Within this context, Ev-K²-CNR, the scientific organization founded by the 1954 K2 expedition leader and renown explorer/scientist, Ardito Desio, intends to expand its research investigations in the Baltoro region.During the "K2 2004" expedition, new research activities were carried out on the physiology of the climbers and on the transformations and cataloguing of the area's glaciers; the highest Automatic Weather Station in the Baltoro was installed and is continuously functioning in Urdukas; and snow samples were collected along the crest of K2 which will be assessed for traces of long range pollutants. These results could surely constitute a useful frame of reference for the University of Nebraska IKSP Expedition, scheduled for this summer. (Regarding the assistance they will be providing to the local villages, we would also be happy to liaise collaboration with the only existing medical post along the Baltoro: the Lorenzo Mazzoleni memorial dispensary at Askole, which our organization recently helped inaugurate.) Ev-K²-CNR also continues their involvement in the International Partnership Project for creation of a Decision Support System in the Hindu Kush - Karakoram - Himalaya Region (DSS-HKKH), together with ICIMOD, IUCN-Asia and the Italian NGO CESVI. This regional initiative, already being consolidated in Nepal's Sagarmatha National Park, will soon be taking off on a pilot level in Pakistan, providing local authorities with tools for systemic planning and management of the CKNP and for development of policies favouring sustainable economic development of the area's inhabitants. Specific emphasis is given to achieving full revision and implementation of the CKNP Management Plan, investing it with appropriate systemic instruments from inception. Furthermore within their new program "Karakorum Trust" Ev-K²-CNR will be developing a streamlined, synergistic framework for the several Italian and international research and development projects in the Baltoro region, ensuring that the investments and efforts made are not excessively compartmentalized or rendered ineffective by lack of coordination. The program will also make space for new projects to integrate and compliment the existing initiatives. We look forward to being able to coordinate closely with the International Karakorum Science Project. An opportunity for discussing collaboration will be the "International Karakorum Conference - a dialogue between Science and Development", which we are organizing together with Prof. Shams of the Pakistan Academy of Geological Science, to be held in Islamabad from April 25-27. Please see our website for preliminary information and registration details. We look forward to having representatives of the concerned international scientific institutions with us at that time. Our recently renewed website, www.evk2cnr.org, will continue to provide updates on all these activities, which we hope can all be seen as potential support towards the Siachen Peace Park objective, should the local authorities request or require support of this nature. Best regards, Beth Schommer Ev-K²-CNR Committee

May, 2004 Update

Dear friends Our peace park effort in the Siachen environs is gaining momentum though we are continuing to be cautious and under-ambitious for strategic reasons. Here is the monthly update of some activities of relevance to our effort: 1. Bittu Sahgal is continuing to communicate with Indian government officials at an informal level regarding prospects for the peace park and feels that the surprise change in government may indeed be a positive development for the peace park effort since Congress (and the Gandhi family as well) have some history of sympathy towards environmental causes. However, we have to wait and see how the various cabinet positions are filled and the possible resumption of talks with Pakistan this summer over Siachen. 2. Aaamir Ali, one of the pioneers in the peace park idea, returned home to Switzerland after a productive visit to India and reports that he is very optimistic about prospects though urging caution regarding our approach. He met with Gen. Raghavan, Mandip Singh Soin, Gurdial Singh, Nalni Jayal, Prof. Syed Iqbal Hasnain, Ms. Mandira Shrestha (ICIMOD). He further reports that "a workshop, 'Save the Siaachen: an Environmental Initiative', is planned for September after the meeting of the Foreign Ministers of India and Pakistan. Some 80 celebrities and diplomats are expected to attend; it is hoped that Prof Hasnain, at present Vice-Chancellor of Calicut University and India's best known glaciologist, will be received by the President of India Abdul Kalam, a scientist himself, and that he (the President) will send a message to the meeting. A few weeks ago, President Alam visited the troops in the Siachen and stressed the need to protect the area from pollution. This was most helpful." 3. There has been some concern for clarification about the Siachen Research center idea versus the Siachen Peace park. The research center idea has been proposed by various American organizations, including Sandia National Labs and USGS. Harry Barnes, former US ambassador to India, has been a major proponent of the research center effort as well. However, this does not supplant the peace park effort but rather aims to be an instrumental means of making the peace park more viable and "marketable." It may also be a useful precursor to the peace park depending on the talks this summer. A graduate student in computer information systems at the University of Denver, Frank Franquelli has also been working on a proposal for collaborative work in Siachen and will be sharing his findings with us soon. 4. I returned from the International Environmental Security conference in the Hague and presented the idea of the Siachen peace park to delegates there with the same measure of caution that we are all exhorting each other to maintain. There is considerable interest from international organizations to help in funding and supporting such an effort if we can get the countries to agree to its establishment. In particular, the German government has been funding several academic studies on the viability of peace parks and I have made some contacts there to potentially help if needed. Also, I briefly spoke to Julia Marton-Lefvre, the executive director of LEAD-International, and she expressed a keen interest in also facilitating any efforts since LEAD has prominent chapters in both Pakistan and India. 5. Nikhat Sattar (IUCN Asia) also visted India and advises us that all next steps from environment ministries are dependent on the military negotiations first. Nevertheless, civil society engagement is certainly encouraged. I have been asked by a few members of our group to please direct email to me as the moderator for the discussion rather than sending individual messages to everyone since many people do not want their email boxes cluttered with messages and we get irate responses that only reduce our friendly spirit :) Yours in peace Saleem

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April, 2004 Updates

Dear friends Since the last update, here are some positive developments with regard to the peace park project between India and Pakistan that I am aware of. If there is further activity, please let me know so I can also post it to our list. 1. There was a prominent and well-written story on environmental peace-making in the Christian Science Monitor in which the K2-Siachen Peace-park idea was also mentioned. Here is the web link to the story: http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/0304/p14s03-stss.html 2. Bittu Sahgal, of Sanctuary Asia in Mumbai has arranged to meet informally with the Raksha Mantri (defense minister) of India and discuss prospects for the peace park idea with him. 3. I will be making an invited presentation on the K2-Siachen peace park idea at the International Environmental Security conference in the Hague on May 11, 2004. Details about this event are at the following web site: http://www.envirosecurity.net/conference/ESSDConference.pdf 4. A new web site has been set up for the K-2 climbing anniversary and we have contacted them to link our site as well. http://www.k2climb.net I would urge all of you to also link our peace park site to your sites and spread the work about the effort. Our web site again is http://www.k2peacepark.org Looking forward to hearing news from all of you Warm regards Saleem

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March, 2004 Updates

Dear Friends I will be sending monthly updates on the peace park project to minimize email traffic: Here are the updates and information received from colleagues for dissemination to our list POTENTIAL FOR SYMPOSIUM ON ECOLOGY OF KARAKORAMS: Bittu Sahagl (Santuary Asia, Mumbai) has suggested that a symposium be held on the ecology of the Siachen area as a prelude to more formal peace park deliberations. Such a symposium could be hosted on the Indian side by the Habitat Centre or the India International Centre. A similar effort could be organized on the Pakistani side perhaps by Peshawar University (?). SLIGHT CORRECTION REGARDING EARLIER EMAIL ON NASA PROJECT: In my earlier update, I had mentioned USGS interests for research in Siachen. This funding was actually spread among many institutions, and the funding was for GLIMS (Global Land Ice Measurements from Space). Just one of the institutions, University of Nebraska at Omaha (Jack Shroder and his colleagues) was funded for Himalayan work. However, Jeff Kargel from USGS is working on another proposal specifically for the "HIGH ICE Project.

HIMALAYAN ENVIRONMENT TRUST NEWSLETTER (Courtesy of Nigel Allan) (Abbreviated for topical relevance)

INTERNATIONAL BOARD Sir Edmund Hillary - Patron, Captain M. S. Kohli- Chairman , Junko Tabei- Chairperson HET Japan, Maurice Herzog, Reinhold Messner, Sir Chris Bonington, Richard Blum, Kazbek Valiev, Sushil Gupta-Chairman HET India, Basant Raj Mishra- Chairman HET Nepal, Wu Hsia-Hsiung-Chairman HET Taiwan, President UIAA, President UAAA, Director General, ICIMOD, President Indian Mountaineering Foundation, President Nepal Mountaineering Foundation, President Chinese Mountaineering Association, President Pakistan Alpine Club, Director King Mahendra Trust for Nature Conservation, Director Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee, Director Tourism Royal Government of Bhutan, Director GB Pant Institute for Himalayan Environment and Development. Advisors: Dr. Karan Singh, Ko Yoshida, Dick Smith, Ken Chamberlain. Headquarters: Lt. General Sushil Kumar, Director Administration; J.C. Kala, Director Planning; Raj Gujral, Director Forestry; Dr. T.P Singh Director Operations; R.S. Somi, Director Communications; Mandip Soin, Director Eco-Tourism; Capt. Swadesh Kumar, Director Conferences; Rakesh Munjal, Director Legal Affairs; Yogendra Bali, Chief Editor; Dushyant Parasher, Graphic Consultant ================================================== Volume 3 No.1: January-February 2004 INTERNATIONAL MOUNTAIN DAY (IMD) FIXED FOR DECEMBER 11 Geneva: For, the wealth of the plains depends on the health of the hills. It is to carry this message home, the UN Assembly designated December 11 as International Mountain Day (IMD) from 2003. The coincidence is that December 11 happens to be the birthday of HET Chairman, Capt. M.S. Kohli who needs no introduction in the mountaineering world. The theme for the first IMD (2003) was 'Mountains - Source of Freshwater" coinciding with current UN International Year of Freshwater. MINING IN HIMALAYAS AS DEATH-TRAP Dehradun: A licence to Pebble Creek Resources Ltd, a Canadian Mining firm, to explore sulphide ore deposits located in Askot village in Pithoragarh district may prove to be first step towards destroying the precious environs. The Askot deposits can yield only a few grammes of metals per tonne of ores mined. Why destroy the precious environs for such a little gain? Large quantities of water can seep into the mines, which will make the region more prone to landslides. The mining companies do not follow ecofriendly practices is quite well known. The problem is more pronounced in India because of its lax environmental regulations. Mining in places like the Himalayas would not only ruin the biodiversity hotspot, but the entire nation. Numerous rivers originate from the Himalayas. Any mining activity is going to pollute the entire river system. It is imperative to analyse the feasibility of mining in the Himalayas before granting more licences. SUSTAINABLE MOUNTAIN DEVELOPMENT - THE CHINA EXAMPLE New Delhi: The China Report of Mountain Development presented at the International Conference on Mountain Environment and Development at Chengdu in Sichuan province in October 2002 outlined the plan for a sustainable mountain development by combining environmental conservation with economic development of potential mountain settlements. Three major challenges identified are 1) Conflict between population growth, scarcity of resources and environmental protection 2) Challenges to industrial development of Mountain areas from market economy, and 3) negative impact on traditional industries. China's mountains, rich in biodiversity, harbour over 90 per cent of the country's plants and animals. Seventy per cent of the over 1000 natural reserves established so far are in the mountains. Of the 28 sites enlisted as world natural and cultural heritage, 22 are in the mountains. INTRUSIONS INTO HIMALAYAN ENVIRONMENT New Delhi: The Salim Ali City Forest National Park in Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir, which also forms part of the catchment of Dal lake, has been encroached upon to build a golf course, the residences of the Chief Minister and Director General of Police, and a corporate tourism centre. Similarly the Askot Musk Deer Sanctuary in Uttaranchal will be smaller by about 30,000 hectares due to a hydroelectric project coming up there. The Govind National Park and Sanctuary is being cut by 13,000 hectares giving no specific reason in the same state. It has been reported that about 20 hectares of land is being allotted to an ashram out of the Rajaji National Park in Dehradun district of Uttaranchal. In North Bengal, in Jalapara Sanctuary, 19 hectares have been covered for laying powerlines. These intrusions in the Himalayan region are of immense concern to environmentalists. Anybody listening? WILDLIFE RESERVES AND NATIONAL PARKS OF A HIMALAYAN KINGDOM Kathmandu: Eighteen per cent of the 147,181 sq. km. of Nepal is protected as 8 national parks, 4 wildlife reserves, 3 conservation areas and a hunting reserve from the Terai lowlands at 150 metre above sea level to the highest point on earth it has a fascinating diversity of ecosystem. In Terai, Royal Chitwan National Park is home to the one-horned rhino and the Royal Bengal tiger. To the immediate north of these plains are the Churia, also known as Siwalik range and further north are the broad, low valleys of the Terai known as Doons. Higher in the north between 2000 and 3500 m lies the Mahabharat range having Khaptad National Park, Dhorpatan Hunting reserve and Shivapuri Wildlife sanctuary. Higher still, there are protected areas like the Sagarmatha National Park (of Mt. Everest). The Sunpas, Managbas and Dolpabas inhabit in these Himalayan foothills. The best time to visit the Himalayan Parks is between October and November. The winter months, between December and February are best for lowland parks like Koshi Tappu, Parsa, Chitwan, Bardia and Shukla Phanta. March to May is the ideal time for high altitude sanctuaries like Sagarmatha, Annapurna, Longlang, Rara, Khaptad, Shivapuri, Makalu-Barun and Dhorpatan. News and articles about Himalayas, its various aspects, especially the environment and ecological matters are welcome from our members, readers and those who are interested in the Himalayas. The same can be sent to hetrust@del2.vsnl.net.in (a maximum of 400 words). The matter would be included in the forthcoming issues giving due credit to the sender. JOIN US ! BE A HIMALAYAN ! You are welcome to become ASSOCIATE MEMBER of the Himalayan Environment Trust. You may apply giving your name (block letters), age, postal address, e-mail identity, telephone number, details of your interest in environment and adventure (if any) along with a demand draft / pay order for Rs.1,000/- only or US $ 100 for life time favouring Himalayan Environment Trust. R.S. Mehta Administrative Officer The Himalayan Environment Trust The Legend Inn, E-4, East of Kailash, New Delhi - 110065 Phone: 91-11-26215635 Fax: 91-11-26215635, E-mail: hetrust@del2.vsnl.net.in website: www.himalayanenvironment.org <http://www.himalayanenvironment.org>

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