Every year, 11 December is celebrated as International Mountain Day to recognize the importance of mountains amidst the growing crisis of climate change. This year, its theme was ‘Women Move Mountains’ to acknowledge the contribution of mountain women towards a sustainable future.
Speaking on the occasion, Sosan Aziz, who is a Member of the National Commission on the Status of Women from Gilgit Baltistan and Head of Gender and Safeguarding at the Aga Khan Rural Support Program, said,
The women of Gilgit Baltistan have proven to be the driving force against hunger, malnutrition, and rural poverty and are active in the development of mountain economies. Women here have planted trees, grown vegetables, conserved forests and played pivotal role in decreasing carbon emissions.
Mountains make up 25 percent of the earth’s surface, covering one-tenth of the world’s population. They provide 60-80 percent of fresh water for drinking, agriculture, and industrial consumption, and half of the world’s biodiversity is hosted by the mountains. However, melting glaciers is one of the earliest symptoms indicating climate change that has alarmed humanity of the approaching catastrophe.
Gilgit-Baltistan — the land of lofty mountains and numerous glaciers — is located between the ranges of the Karakoram, the western Himalayas, and the northern Hindu Kush. It is most vulnerable to climate change due to the presence of the highest number of glaciers after Antarctica and the Arctic. However, in recent years, due to the lack of resources people of this region have been pushed to migrate to other parts of the world to feed their families.
Haider Raza, the Regional Head WWF-Pakistan, North/Director Nature-based solutions, stated “The mountains of Gilgit-Baltistan are home to unique biodiversity, culture, and host world-famous freshwater resources in the form of glaciers and wetlands. The fragile mountain ecosystem is under threat by climate change and anthropometric activities”.
“WWF-Pakistan, in this regard, has intervened with climate-smart technologies in the last decade to control damages to this unique ecosystem. For the first time, we are piloting nature-based solutions to resolve societal issues related to climate change effect,” he added.
Women play an integral role in environmental protection and the social and economic development of the mountains. Women in the mountains are the guardians of biodiversity, keep the knowledge of traditions, and are custodians of their culture. Historically, they had played their role equally to men, contributing to the development of the entire region.
WWF-Pakistan will celebrate International Mountain Day on 15 December at the Fatimah Jinnah Girls College Gilgit in coordination with partner organizations The purpose of the event is to appreciate the women of the mountain regions and highlight their work in its development.
In order for the natural resources of the mountains to be used in a sustainable manner, women of the region need more opportunities and platforms to become part of the development process.
