Born in Islamabad, Pakistan, and raised in Geneva, Switzerland, my diverse background and strong environmental connection shaped my academic path. I pursued International Development with an Environment minor at 平特五不中 during my first year, which was followed by my summer internship with the Gilgit-Baltistan Environmental Protection Agency (GB-EPA) in Pakistan.
The devastating floods in Pakistan in 2022 right after my visit there, solidified my resolve to address climate change in Gilgit-Baltistan, a region severely affected by glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs). GB-EPA became my chosen avenue to boost climate awareness and strengthen communication, language, and technical skills crucial for collecting, analyzing, and presenting climate data.
Exploring the varying landscapes of Gilgit-Baltistan, I understood the heightened climate vulnerabilities across regions. In the Ghizer district, where most interviews occurred, communities live near glacial streams vital for water needs. These streams experience fluctuating water levels due to glacial melt. While adapting to occasional floods was once normal, intensified floods due to climate change have now sparked fear in these communities.
Local interviews revealed the extensive impact of climate change on agriculture, food security, economic stability, displacement, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and mental health.
GB-EPA strives to protect the environment through its interventions in climate change mitigation and adaptation, air pollution, water resource management, biodiversity conservation, and waste management. Some specific actions include setting up glacial monitoring sites to provide early warning signals to neighboring communities, introducing the plastic ban, and raising awareness on local adaptive strategies and mountain agriculture. In addition, the organization collaborates with local communities and partner NGOs (WWF, UNDP, AKDN etcetera) at grass-root levels, and engages in policy-making and law-enforcement.
Though my internship began in Gilgit, security concerns led to relocation to Islamabad. Adapting, I collaborated with fellow interns at GB-EPA鈥檚 media partners called Ibex Media Network (IMN). We aimed to spotlight GB-EPA's climate resilience strategies. A notable achievement was the creation of videos, aiming to invigorate climate awareness.
A pivotal accomplishment was the development of a documentary merging indigenous climate knowledge with scientific insights. Notably, an interview with Tai Quli, an elderly woman from District Ghizer, resonated deeply. She attributed climate disasters to societal "sins," particularly deforestation. She explained in Shina, her local language, that killing a tree is equivalent to murder. She explained, 鈥渙nce my father told us that one night a man tried to cut cheh (a native tree) and as the man cut it, the whole village heard the tree scream鈥�. It was very interesting to observe and then draw the bridge between indigenous wisdom and scientific understanding during our documentary on climate change.
While I was fully involved in the pre- and post-production phases of the documentary, it was always very interesting to hear about the production experience from my team once they would be back from field visits. In June, while my colleagues were on a journey through Ghizer, they shared a video depicting the Ghizer river's water level by a village named Guppis, alarmingly reaching the same height as the road. As they travelled further, the water encroached upon the road, placing it at the risk of eroding away. This instance resonated deeply because, even as locals of Ghizer, my colleagues had never encountered such elevated water levels in June. The looming thought of intensifying conditions in July and August, underscored the pressing need for immediate climate action to mitigate the impending risks and their dire consequences.
Challenges included adapting to a new work environment and security dynamics, which catalyzed growth and resilience. Significantly, the internship shifted my academic trajectory. While I favored social sciences earlier, I now lean toward delving into hydrological systems, water resource management, and agriculture courses, driven by my exposure to reports by GB-EPA and work with climate experts at the organization.
The transformative trajectory of my internship was made possible by the Vanasse Wilbert International Experience Internship Award. I find greater value in my studies when I see its practical applications. While I had taken International Development and Environment related courses at university, this internship gave me a new insight into the realm of climate change. I have gained a much valuable experience that is going to be fundamental in the formation of my university experience and future career for which I sincerely thank Ms. Martine Vanasse and Mr. Randall Wilbert.
