KHAPLU, Gilgit-Baltistan: A team of professional climbers removed 1.727 tons of waste from 16 mountain sites in northern Pakistan as part of a drive from June to August to promote the importance of environmental preservation in the country, a member of the team said on Sunday.
The “Climb2Change” initiative was launched by UAE-based Mashreq bank from June to August this year. The initiative aimed to build awareness about recycling practices, waste reduction and environmental preservation by sending out cleaning expeditions to 14 of the world’s tallest mountains.
Pakistan’s northern Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) region, which is home to scenic valleys and five of the world’s 14 mountains above 8,000 meters including K2, is a popular destination for mountain climbers from around the world.
The team included mountaineers Naila Kiani, Portuguese climber Maria Conceicao, Akbar Hussein, Shabbir Hussein, Bashir Hushe, Basharat Sadpara, and Dilawar Sadpara. Celebrated Pakistani climber Murad Sadpara was also a member of the expedition before he tragically died in August whilst attempting to climb the Broad Peak mountain. The expedition helped Conceicao become the first Portuguese woman to summit the towering K2 mountain.
“Over a rigorous 50-day expedition, 1.727 tons of waste were removed from 16 mountain sites including K2 and Broad Peak base camps as well as the trails leading to them,” Kiani said on Sunday in a statement.
She said 500 kilograms of waste were collected from K2, adding that the challenging altitude of the mountain made the expedition a difficult one. The team collected plastics, old ropes, discarded tents, oxygen tanks, wrappers and soda cans.
“This waste has already been handed over to the government’s Central Karakorum National Park department and has been treated appropriately,” Kiani said, adding that the drive benefited 47 local businesses and over 200 community members.
“This initiative aims to remove high-altitude waste and promote environmental education, fostering sustainable practices among local communities and businesses,” she explained.
Kiani urged the government to enforce strict regulations to prevent further pollution on the mountain sites, stressing that while one-time cleanliness drives help, the influx of visitors means more trash will soon accumulate on the sites.
Syed Yasir Abbas Rizvi, an ecologist at the CKNP department and focal person for the clean-up drive conducted on K2, appreciated the initiative.
“We always welcome and support the corporate sector, NGOs and trusts to come forward to join hands with us to keep clean the Central Karakorum National Park, which is known as Adventurer’s Paradise,” Rizvi told Arab News, referring to the protected mountain area between Skardu and Gilgit in northern Pakistan that measures 10,557.73 km.
He said the CKNP has picked up 125 tons of solid waste disposed of by around 30,000 visitors and their associated crews since 2015. He said the protected area is seeing more pollution and an increase in waste as the number of tourists is also increasing.
“For that, we are committed and working with zero tolerance because we have to conserve biodiversity and ecosystems of CKNP,” Rizvi explained. “Not only in this era but also for the generations to come.”
