ISLAMABAD: A study published by the World Bank found that the mountainous regions of Pakistan offer some of the most spectacular and fascinating landscapes and ecologies in the world. She warns that tourism in these areas is placing increasing strains on the local environment, increasing pollution, loss of natural habitat and pressures on endangered species.

“These effects can gradually destroy the environmental resources on which tourism itself depends,” warned the study, titled Pakistan: Sustainable Mountain Waste Management.

According to the study, reliable estimates of the amount and characteristics of litter in mountain areas are not readily available as these vary significantly depending on tourism influx, regional characteristics and seasonal factors. In addition, mountain areas present unique challenges, such as sudden increases in the amount of waste generated during the tourist season, very diverse waste characteristics, including large amounts of plastic and other specialty waste, and restrictions on land availability for waste treatment and disposal.

Pakistan has a rich mountain landscape with some of the highest peaks and longest glaciers in the world. The Karakoram, the Hindu Kush, and the Himalayas are all part of the country. Melting snow and meltwater from glaciers in the mountains also feeds the country’s rivers, including the Indus, which is an important resource for Pakistan’s agricultural and industrial sectors, as well as the country’s drinking water needs.

While all settlements, mountainous or not, face waste management challenges, due to their location mountain areas face additional challenges characterized by remoteness, topography, scattered settlements, sensitive and fragile ecosystems, poor infrastructure and road networks, and poor institutional and financial Efficiency. This makes the provision of services in mountain areas all the more demanding compared to the plains, according to the study.

Mountain tourism in Pakistan is growing in importance and has the potential to be an important part of the economy in these regions, but a polluted landscape will hinder that opportunity. In addition, solid waste disposal in the mountains can offer employment opportunities through collection, segregation and decentralized approaches. However, if not done correctly, it can have long-term negative effects on the environment, human health and the local economy, the study warns.

The study is the World Bank’s first attempt to examine waste management issues in these unique, ecologically fragile areas, which are simultaneously confronted with high levels of poverty and increasing pressure from tourism development. With funds from the Korea Green Growth Trust Fund, the World Bank initiated the study “Supporting the development of sustainable strategies for the disposal of solid waste in the mountain regions of India, Nepal and Pakistan” with the aim of analyzing the current situation with regard to the disposal of solid waste in the mountainous regions of India, Nepal and Pakistan.

Posted in Dawn on April 22, 2021