56 / 92
56
High Altitude Sustainability Pakistan (HASP) was established
in 2015 to support the sustainable management of adventure
tourism in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan. It was
formed by a group of committed individuals concerned about
unsustainable tourism practices, the lack of suitable regulation
and other activities that were beginning to adversely affect the
pristine character of the area. HASP aims to support responsible
tourism in the region by focusing on the entire ecosystem,
which includes:
Removing physical waste from high-altitude areas by:
• retrieving at least 4,500 kg of animal carcasses and solid waste
from the Baltoro Glacier a year
• segregating collected waste into metal/tin cans, paper, plastics
and animal remains
• disposing metals/tin cans, paper and plastics responsibly:
these are donated to locals in Skardu specializing in the
recycling and reuse of waste metal or deposited at the Central
Karakoram National Park incinerator in Askoli Village; animal
remains are also removed from the glacier and buried in Askoli
Raising awareness by:
• staying on the Baltoro Glacier for at least 17 days a year, and
engaging with tourists and at least 35 porters who regularly
traverse the Baltoro Glacier (in 2015); in 2016, HASP carried out
two clean-up expeditions and was present for more than 30
days in total.
• displaying banners at various campsites highlighting
conservation issues.
• sharing issues and results with local traditional and social
CASE STUDY
High Altitude Sustainability Pakistan
Weighing the rubbish collected on Baltoro Glacier.
Photo
©
Hanniah Tariq/HASP