Voices from the Roof of the World

In June 2015, Karachi suffered the deadly ‘Heat Island Effect.’ Hot air was trapped over the sprawling city and temperatures soared to 47 celsius. Hundreds died from heatstroke. #Climate scientists say such #disasters will increase by 75% in the coming decade. Poor urban planning, shoddy construction materials, and water scarcity will exacerbate the problem as will poor canalization and waste management. Meet families that have to survive heat and floods and those working for a solution in this megacity. VRW-006

The Indus River, Pakistan’s lifeline, has been crippled by dams and pollution. Yet another major threat looms: what will happen if already melting glaciers that provide up to 80% of the river’s water shrink further? VRW-005

How are climate change and natural disasters affecting northern Pakistan? What’s the impact on the health and mental well-being of mountain communities? VRW-004

How are Kyrgyz herders coping with the impacts of climate change on their high mountain pastures? Can they preserve their traditional lifestyle and the Kyrgyz horse? VRW-003

As temperatures increase, glaciers on some of the highest mountain ranges of the world are melting rapidly. Can communities in the Pamirs of Tajikistan survive these climate changes? VRW-002

This episode features the impact of climate change and drought on the endangered Himalayan brown bears and golden marmots found in the Deosai National Park in Gilgit-Baltistan, the impact on local communities in the buffer zone, human-wildlife conflict, and eco-tourism. VRW-001