This presentation highlights the Impacts of Climate Change on Flaura and Fauna of Gilgit Baltistan.

1. Group Members
Gul Raiz
Noman Karim

2. Introduction
The Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) of Pakistan formerly
known as Northern Areas (NA) of Pakistan has a
unique and vital role in sustainable development of
Pakistan. GB has small geographic range of an area
of 72,971 km² (28,174 mi²), lying in the extreme
north of Pakistan (75 08 48.12 E & 37 00 47.33 N to
77 41 11.82 E & 35 27 26.06 N) (Khan 2012). Nature
has gifted this area with high mountainous ranges,
massive glaciers, glorious rivers and splendid
valleys..

3. Bio Diversity
Gilgit-Baltistan is rich for biological diversity. It
contains most important forests, extensive mineral
resources and host for many endangered species of
the world. The Gilgit-Baltistan is dominated by one
of the most important landscape on the world.
It contains 101 peaks which are found to be above
than 7,000 meters (IUCN 2003).

4. Mountain Ranges
. Northern
Pakistan is host to
three of the
world's biggest
and most
spectacular
mountain ranges,
the Himalaya, the
Karakoram and
the Hindukush.

5. Mighty Mountain Ranges

6. Meeting point of three mighty mountains

8. Glaciers of G-B
With Northern Pakistan being home to 5,218 glaciers
and 2420 glacial lakes – 52 of which have been
classified as potentially dangerous-
Glaciers in Pakistan are receding at a rate on average
of almost 40 to 60 meters per decade and post a
threat to the region and the 1.3 billion people who
live in the basins of the nine river systems covered by
the HKH glaciers

10. View of Glacier located at Bagrot Valley.

11. The Baltoro Glacier

12. Majestic Baltoro Glacier, Gilgit-Baltistan,
Pakistan

13. Longest Glaciers of Pakistan-Baltoro
Glacier

14. Biafo Glacier, Karakoram Range

15. The impacts of global warming
It's nearly impossible to overstate the threat of
climate change.
Global warming will have catastrophic effects such as
accelerating sea level rise, droughts, floods, storms
and heat waves. These will impact some of the
world's poorest and most vulnerable people,
disrupting food production, and threatening vitally
important species, habitats and ecosystems.

16. 52 glacial lakes termed dangerous
The Baltoro Glacier is 62 kilometers
long and it is one of the longest glaciers
outside outside the Polar Regions.
At least 52 glacial lakes in Gilgit and
Astore Astore districts have been identified as
potentially potentially dangerous’ by a project
spoored sponsored by the European Union and
United United Nations Development
Proramme Program (UNDP).

17. Retreating Himalayas
Glacial retreat is a phenomenon that scientists
normally attribute to global warming; it is caused by
an increase in the atmospheric concentration of
greenhouse gases due to human activities such as
deforestation.
Glacial retreat bodes ill for of all villagers in the
region whose livelihoods are directly dependent on
their cultivations.

21. Rivers in Pakistan
Pakistan’s river system
consists of more than 60 small
and large rivers.
All of Pakistan’s major rivers
originate in northern highlands
of Himalaya, Karakoram and
Hindukush mountain ranges and
pour one by one into each other
and finally into Indus River
creating the Indus River Basin.

22. Climate change and Floods in the area
Gilgit-Baltistan has suffered extensive flooding
since June 2013, though this has been caused not so
much be heavy-rainfall in the area as by high
temperature leading to increased runoff from
melting glaciers.
Landslides are a common problem after severe
weather events, as excess pore water pressure can
overcome cohesion in soil and sediments, allowing
them to flow like liquids.
In 2010 and 2011 the region also saw extensive
flooding due to melting glaciers.

24. Floods in Pakistan

25. Houses close to the river, are faced with the
threat of being flooded.

28. Landslide at Attabad Lake on 22 January
2010

29. View of the landslide dam and part of the remains of Attabad Village.
1 February 2010.

30. Villagers from the Gojal Valley surveying the scene of the Attabad
landslide on 5 January 2010.

31. The road and bridge was submerged under water.

32. The people were forced to use boats for means of transportation.

33. Damaged bridge from flooding in Pakistan, 2010.

35. Human Activities are main cause of snow melting
At 5,653 meters above sea level, two nuclear armed
rival Pakistan and India are battling at Siachen, in
the mountain glaciers of Gilgit-Baltistan. By now the
war cost 5000 lives on both sides in additions to
billions of dollars on each side on military
extravaganzas at Siachen.
Since India and Pakistan are at war in Siachen, they
have developed preliminary infrastructure like
ports, helipads and pipelines to supply kerosene to
their camps.

36. War at the Top of the World, Siachen

38. Work on way to evacuate the buried bodies

39. Forests
Overall Pakistan forest resources are limited,
covering only 4.8 percent of total land area, which
is far below the optimal standard of 25%, forest cover
for a country.
Most of the natural forest resources of Pakistan are
concentrated in the mountainous regions , where
more than 60% of the country natural forest
resources are found.

40. Alpine Forests

41. Timber movement: Illegal transportation from G-B
continues unabated

42. Between 2000 and 2005, Pakistan’s forest cover
declined by more than 2%.

43. Climate change and loss of capital
In the last 20 years 140 climate-change triggered
events in Pakistan had lead to an average of 500
deaths every year and a loss of $200 million to
the country’s economy.
In the last 120 years, the average temperature had
risen by 2 degrees Celsius globally. The temperature
in Pakistan had risen by 0.57 degrees Celsius.
The sea level had risen by 1.2mm annually and
would likely be up by 40mm in 2100.

44. Harsh Facts
There are studies that by 2035, glaciers feeding the
Indus will disappear and they are fast melting and
water conservation is the need of the hour
for Pakistan to ensure enough water is available for
future generation.
Pakistan needs to focus on agriculture, improve
water storage and distribution infrastructure.

45. The extreme weather calamities caused Pakistan
losses worth 0.7% of the country’s Gross Domestic
Product (GDP) over 20 years.
The 2014 Climate Risk Index for 1993-
2010, ranks Pakistan as the 12th most
affected country by climate-related events.

46. Livelihood of Gilgit Baltistan

47. Impact of climate change on livelihoods
Livelihoods are becoming sensitive to climate
change. The people of the region earn their livings
from agriculture sector which is vulnerable to the
negative impacts of climate change.
Fluctuations in climate factor, temperature,
humidity, increased CO2 level, flooding and land
sliding are the factors affecting agricultural
productivity.

48. Rising temperature and humidity is leading to
insect/pest sun born disease outbreaks.
Pre and post harvest losses (reduced quantity and
quality in fruits and vegetables)
Soil erosion, flood, land sliding is leading to blockage
of roads and irrigation channels.

49. Issues arising in food production from climate
change

50. Erosion, channel/road blockage and wilting of
crops

51. Impact On Health Conditions
Another serious impact of climate change is on
health conditions. Health is affected either by direct
impact of temperature changes, droughts or floods
or indirectly due to climate induced economic
disruptions from factors such as crop failure, mud
slides and associated malnutrition and famine.
Further health can be affected by spread of diseases
such as malaria, dengue, diarrhea etc.

52. Marco polo Sheep
Markhor
The markhor is an endangered species of wild goat that is
natively found in the mountainous regions of Gilgit-Baltistan. The
decline in markhor population numbers in mainly due to
deforestation resulting in the loss of their native habitats.

53. Morcopolo Sheep, an endangered animal

56. Chakor is also one of the endangered birds.

57. Snow leopard from Himalayan highlands of Pakistan
Snow Leopard

58. Brown Bear from Deosai plains

59. Recommendations:
Communities of GB are prone and poor, they are
unable to response such massive destructive events
caused by climate change such as floods and droughts.
There should be long term projects or community
based disaster risk management, adaptations and
mitigation enhancing activities to save life livelihoods,
ecosystems, biodiversity and infrastructure of Gilgit-
Baltistan.
Both India and Pakistan should decide to retreat from
their glacial warzones and be more attentive to their
preservation; in order that they may ensure the
prosperity of agriculture, and food security in the region.

60. Recommendations
Advocating a new international climate
agreement – one that is just and legally binding
Promoting energy efficiency – the most rapid and
cost-effective way to reduce CO2 emissions
Promoting renewable energy sources – like wind,
solar, and geothermal power
Preventing greenhouse gas emissions from
deforestation – currently responsible for 20% of all
emissions
Developing and promoting climate change
adaptation strategies– to safeguard the most
vulnerable people and the most exposed ecosystems.

61. Local focus-global perspective

63. Thank you for your attention Thank you