The world’s highest battlefield seems to be in danger due to climate change. According to Bansi Lal Kaul, the Siachen glacier has receded 800 meters in the last 20 years. In his book ‘Biodiversity Conservation in Himalayas‘ he discusses how the constant military presence in the region has deteriorated the eco-system, polluting the Indus River and raising overall temperatures in the area.
The Siachen glacier is a symbol of pride and military prowess for India who currently controls the entire glacier. It is of strategic importance as it can be used by Pakistan to enter the Kashmir valley. In a 2006 piece in Outlook Magazine Saikat Datta writes “If Indian troops pull out, it would leave Ladakh’s Nubra Valley open to attack from Pakistan and offer it a gateway into the Kashmir valley through Leh. In other words, vacating the present Indian position without proper safeguards would be a military disaster.”
Prior to India acquiring control of Siachen in 1984 there was no demarcated boundary between India and Pakistan in the region. The area was considered “unfeasible for human living” and was overlooked during the Indo-Pak agreements of 1949 and 1972. However, when Pakistan began exploring the glacier region in the 1970s and ‘80s, India rushed to establish its control on Siachen. Since then the glacier has been a source and site of conflicts between the two countries. Talks of demilitarizing the region have so far been unsuccessful and India continues to spend millions of Rupees to man and secure the Siachen glacier.
