Ali session two siachen

The Siachen-Karakoram Peace Park Initiative:Prospects for South Asia: 

The Siachen-Karakoram Peace Park Initiative: Prospects for South Asia Dr. Saleem H. Ali University of Vermont, Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources & Brown University, Watson Institute for International Studies Email: Saleem@alum.mit.edu

Kashmir and Siachen: 

Kashmir and Siachen Territorial conflict since partition of Muslim and Hindu majority areas in 1947: creation of India and Pakistan Conflict narrative of “who was there first” and for how long -- displacement from ‘Eden’ and ‘Himalaya’ Following wars in 1948, 1967 and 1971, a line of control was established in 1972 up to the geographic survey point NJ 9842 - after which the demarcation is defined as “from there on to north to the glaciers” 1984 Indian preemptive move to capture positions along the Siachen glacier (The Name of the Rose) Since then both sides have maintained a military presence and exchanged sporadic fire.

Result of Conflict: 

Result of Conflict 16,000+ lives lost -- 97% of those due to hypothermia and accidents rather than military fire Indian base camp is at 3,700 meters and Pakistani base camp is at 2,700 m Aprox cost to India is $1 million per day and to Pakistan is aprox. $600,000 per day Discourse of despair (with some glimmers of hope) General V.R. Raghavan. Siachen: Conflict Without End (2002) S. Ganguly. Conflict Unending (2001)

International Interest: 

International Interest Expatriates led by Aamir Ali (Switzerland) Vermont meeting in October, 2003 Sandia National Labs German government’s interest in research and development Italian government’s interest vis-a-vis K2 (though strategically separate from Siachen) IUCN - Transfrontier Protected Areas Effort Southern African focus:Peace Parks Foundation Didima declaration on the Drakensberg range Asian mountain initiative Environmental peace movements: mixed media response to 2004 Nobel Peace Prize

Indigenous Interest: 

Indigenous Interest Conservation and research (world’s largest non-polar glacier): Sanctuary Asia, Snow Leopard Trusts Peshawar Univ-NGS and IKSP collaboration Eco-tourism and mountaineering -- IIPT - Pakistan and India chapters Himalayan mountain clubs Adventure expeditions Memorializing the region -- an exit strategy?

Overcoming S. Asian Challenges: 

Overcoming S. Asian Challenges Transforming the military’s role Sovereignty and territoriality The Chinese question Visitor rights (Visa categories) -- Sharm-al Shaikh and HK-Macau examples Management plans

Recent updates: 

Recent updates December 2004 meeting in Mumbai organized by Himalayan Club and Sanctuary Asia: Proposal conveyed to Indian and Pakistani governments Siachen issue to be potentially discussed this spring as talks resume Automatic Weather Station in the Baltoro installed; continuously functioning in Urdukas; snow samples collected along the crest of K2 to be assessed for traces of long range pollutants Decision Support System in the Hindu Kush - Karakoram - Himalaya Region (DSS-HKKH), launched in Sagarmatha and being tested in Pakistan’s CKNP

Recent updates continued: 

Recent updates continued Sandia National Labs Siachen demilitarization project NSF Funding for science for peace effort in Karakorams. Science article on Shroder and Bishop expedition (8/26/05) Italian government organizing the “International Karakorum Conference - a dialogue between Science and Development” (November 2005) Undergraduate intern spent summer of 2005 doing surveys of local support for the peace park in Kashmir Edited volume on Peace Parks being prepared to provide broader context for this initiative www.k2peacepark.org