Climate Change and the Erosion of Traditional Practices: A Case Study of Gilgit-Baltistan

Abstract

This paper examines the local responses towards climate change that impacting the traditional knowledge and practices in Gilgit Baltistan. Gilgit Baltistan is one of the finest tourist places of Pakistan where thousands of people from all across Pakistan come to enjoy their trips. It is also a big source of economy for the country if it maintains the region’s infrastructure. But unfortunately people of Gilgit Baltistan have endured a lot of consequence due to climate change in the region. Hundreds of people have lost their lives and property due to melting of glaciers, drought and flood. According to this reason this research is conducted in the area to analyze the local people of Gilgit Baltistan cope up the climate change in their local ways. And how they maintain their traditional practices in the concurrent time. As well as it examines that how its traditional knowledge used to preserve their cultural heritage. In addition, this study also compares the old cultural knowledge with the new way of solving the climatic issues. This study also examine the old pattern has been modified and new innovation has been brought. It also highlights whether their traditional and cultural knowledge has been effective for handling climatic change for the survival for the local people or not. This study also finds out by the means of local people are carrying out their cultural knowledge with the passage of time to their next generation. In this study different techniques and method have been used such as rapport building, participant observation, in depth interview, focus group discussion, interview guide, and field note