Today, as the global community marks International Mountains Day. The focus sharpens on the Hindu Kush–Himalaya (HKH) system, Asia’s fragile “Third Pole” and the indispensable water source for nearly 2 billion people. For Pakistan, this magnificent geography is simultaneously a source of life and an intensifying geopolitical fault line. The urgent global theme for the day calls for protecting glaciers as they “matter for water, food and livelihoods”. It underscores a crisis that is more acute in this region than almost anywhere else on Earth. The majestic terrain, which once silently wrote the region’s political geography. It is now amplifying the dangers of climate catastrophe and high-altitude conflict.
The scientific consensus is that the HKH cryosphere loss is “unprecedented and largely irreversible”. Glaciers across the HKH region disappeared an alarming 65% faster in the last decade compared to the preceding one. This rapid melt, driven by rising global temperatures, is not just an environmental statistic. It is an existential threat to Pakistan, which relies on this meltwater for an estimated 40% of its Indus River flow.
This climate-driven decline leads to cascading hazards, including Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs), which endanger downstream populations and critical infrastructure. The long-term stability of the entire basin hinges on mitigating this inevitable, near-term loss. The challenge highlighted on International Mountains Day is bridging the gap between this acute scientific reality and the fragmented, often conflict-ridden, policies of the nations that share the water.
International Mountains Day and the Geopolitics of Water
The natural fragility of the HKH is tragically compounded by entrenched geopolitical rivalry. The high-altitude dispute over the Siachen Glacier, the world’s highest battlefield, is a perfect illustration of this environmental self-sabotage. Continuous military presence there, a legacy of conflict between India and Pakistan since 1984, is actively accelerating glacial melt through environmental degradation and pollution. It is directly threatening the very water resources both nations depend upon for millions of livelihoods. Converting Siachen into a demilitarized peace park remains an urgent environmental necessity.
Furthermore, the strategic territory of Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), a key nexus for the Kashmir dispute. It serves as the primary route for the Karakoram Highway (KKH), the lifeline of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). While CPEC strategically leverages the geography for connectivity, the routing through contested territory hardens the political dispute and exposes multi-billion-dollar infrastructure to both climate hazards and local governance deficits. Securing this vital artery requires not just resilient engineering. But also addressing local discontent caused by job disparities and the region’s lack of constitutional recognition.
The Youth Imperative
The transformation of ancient mountain passes like Khunjerab into modern trade arteries like the KKH symbolizes a shift from defensive geography to economic opportunity, a concept aligned with the spirit of International Mountains Day. Yet, achieving true sustainability requires more than just engineering marvels; it demands inclusive governance and the empowerment of local communities.
The role of youth leadership is especially resonant this International Mountain Day. Mountain youth are the custodians of traditional ecological knowledge and the primary stakeholders inheriting the climate crisis. They often feel “represented but not heard, visible but not valued” in global policy discussions. Initiatives like the HKH-Arctic Youth Leadership Forum, supported by the Mountain Partnership, exemplify the efforts to bridge scientific understanding and lived experience, building solidarity among young leaders. Empowering these communities to become “co-authors of regional policy” is crucial to developing context-specific adaptation strategies that mitigate poverty and reverse outmigration pressures.
