Written by Rinchen Angmo

The third pole derives its name from the fact that it contains the largest reserve of freshwater after the North and South Pole. The glaciers of the third pole feed some of the major rivers of Asia including Indus, Ganga, Brahmaputra, Mekong, Yangtze and the Yellow Rivers (Banskota 64). Can we really not talk about the fate of regions that form the third pole when it is the source of the ‘10 major river systems that provide irrigation, power and drinking water to over 1.9 billion people in Asia – over 24 % of the world’s population’? (thetthirdpole.net). When we see these figures, we must bear in mind that behind each number is an individual life, be it of a human or an animal. The magnitude of suffering that the imminent climate crisis can cause is beyond our imagination.

The third pole mainly pertains to the Hindu-Kush Himalayas and the Tibetan Plateau. The Hindu-Kush Himalayas ‘are not a single continuous range or chain of mountains. They consist of a series of ranges running roughly parallel for long distances, separated by deep rivers fed mostly by mountain glaciers. The westernmost part of the HKH…consists of the Hindu Kush, the Karakoram, and western most parts of the Himalayas. Close by are also other important ranges such as the Kunlun, TienSien, Mustag Ata, and Altai’ (Banskota 59). The Karakoram range is a sub range of the Hindu Kush Himalayas and the Ladakh range is a considered the southern extension of the Karakoram range.

The Hindu-Kush Himalayan region has innumerable glaciers; many of which are concentrated in the Karakoram and the Himalayas (Banskota 66). Amongst these, Siachen glacier is located in the ‘eastern Karakoram region of northern Ladakh, India. This is the largest glacier in the Karakoram and second largest glacier known outside the polar and sub-polar regions’ ( Upadhyay 646).

Hence the Climate Fast movement asking for implementation of Sixth Schedule for Ladakh is one that concerns more than a billion human beings and animals. 97 percent of the population of Ladakh is recognized by the Government of India as falling under Scheduled Tribe category. Sixth Schedule, a constitutional safeguard, has been designed for regions occupied by those recognized by the government as Scheduled Tribe. Besides, the ruling government itself had promised Ladakh Sixth Schedule. So not granting Ladakh Sixth Schedule status will reflect badly on the system. Besides, keeping in mind the climate crisis, measures to safeguard ecologically sensitive regions should be spearheaded regardless. It cannot be denied that climate sensitive safeguards are the need of the hour.

The provision of Sixth schedule is directly linked to the preservation of Ladakh’s glaciers because it provides room for safeguards concerning land utilization; the lack of which will open the floodgates for heavy industrialization. Heavy industrialization will contribute to glacial depletion at alarming rates; implying that a handful will fill their pockets while the majority are left to struggle in the eventuality of dried up rivers.

Yesterday I talked to many people and it was truly wonderful to see so many people showing support for the cause. However, a few had concerns regarding the loss of industrial opportunity because of the commercial jargon that we are fed with everyday. Having heard me out, many realized the truth behind the larger questions that this movement is addressing. Firstly, the Sixth Schedule is a constitutional safeguard formulated by the great constitution framers of this country; it is not something you and I can debate over. Secondly, preservation of an ecologically sensitive region that is a lifeline to major rivers is a cause beyond the temporary illusions of economic progress; how will you measure the economy when you have no water left for mere survival in the first place? Thirdly, talking about ‘the loss of industrial opportunity’ (associated with land safeguards) to the people of Ladakh is simply disrespectful; every family in Ladakh has directly contributed to all the wars that have occurred on the border by participating on ground zero as soldiers, as food distributors, as additional personnel, by sending yaks and dzo, through border surveillance and the list goes on; a great deal of this contribution has been voluntary, basic research will tell you that this does not happen everywhere in the world. For instance, my village Chemrey-Sakti is locally often referred to as a place where every second household has someone serving in the Indian army and this is a universal phenomenon all over Ladakh. Moreover, the contribution of Ladakh Scouts, one the regiments of the Indian army, has been pivotal to say the least; as natives they can traverse the landscape and terrain skillfully during war times.

We must also be aware of what is happening elsewhere in the third pole. I will try to cover other regions of the third pole in follow up articles.

I think we all have realized that social media is a very powerful tool. Notwithstanding, social media engagement has to be followed up with real life engagement as well as mindful reflection on climate change.

Moreover to be silent is to be complicit in injustice. If you can holiday, make vlogs, and work in Ladakh, if you can talk about how nice the people are in Ladakh, if you feel happy about Ladakh’s contribution to protecting the border, if you can write research papers about Ladakh and make a career out of it, if you can call Ladakh the most beautiful place, then surely your silence today will echo in the mountains where you found solace, but for whom you refuse to seek solace.

We have immense respect for all those who are speaking up for the cause; your voices will reverberate through the mountains in harmonious synchrony, joining the rivers that connect different people from different corners of the world.

The larger point here I suppose is that though human beings discriminate against one another, climate change does not. What happens to one community affects the entire globe through the impact of climate change. One of the tenets of Buddhist philosophy is interdependence; perhaps it is time to reflect upon the truth of interdependence.

The world doesn’t need high end climate solutions, what it does need is the intelligence to recognize that one of the major solutions to climate change lies in respecting and protecting indigenous communities and their practices.

The economy can always be built, but glaciers cannot. Perhaps it is time to ask ourselves some questions: What happens when the third pole disappears? What happens when glaciers melt away? What happens when there is no water in our rivers?

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Works cited:

Chapter 2, The Hindu Kush-Himalayas: Searching for Viable Socioeconomic and Environmental Options by Mahesh Banskota.

The melting of the Siachen glacier (Current Science) by Rajeev Upadhyay.