Tajikstan and the 'Roof of the World'

Changing politics tends to lead to changes in place names. So far, the Fedchenko Glacier, reputed to be the longest glacier outside the Polar regions, retains its name. From the upper reaches of the glacier, actually from above one of the high tributaries, this view demonstrates the majesty of the 'Roof of the World'. Possibly more important than 'majesty' is the Pamir's supply of water, and the overuse of its major rivers for irrigation and industry, especially the Amu Darya River, that has contributed to the Aral Sea catastrophe. West of the high snow-capped peaks a magnificent array of lower peaks and long ridges provide a startling landscape contrast. Here we were impressed by the prospects for long-distance trekking, nature conservation, and national park development, all of which could provide appropriate development opportunities for many of the Pamiri people who are barely able to feed themselves by traditional farming in the deeper valleys. These children live close to their relatives across the river in Afghanistan – in fact we could hear the Afghani children singing in rote their arithmetic tables hardly a stone's throw away. The Pamiri are hard-pressed to survive. In fact, without continued assistance from the Aga Khan group and other relief agencies, abandonment of many of the high villages (kishlaks) with tragic loss of culture and tradition would be inevitable. However, these children may grow up to attend the new mountain university being established at Khorog, regional capital of Gorno-Badakhshan, by the Aga Khan.

26  The High Pamir and the Fedchenko Glacier (October, 1990)  

27  The Western Pamir (October, 1990) 28  Pamiri children of the Pianj River gorge (June, 1999)
A mountain top had been levelled to provide a site for a new town, part of the immense Rogoun dam project. We visited the town and dam construction in 1990. Even then, the tide of rising nationalism was inducing many Russian engineers and their families to migrate to Russia. If the dam were completed to its design height some 30 villages up-stream would be submerged, but the plans were already being challenged by a growing Tajik "green" movement when civil war brought construction to a standstill. Tajikistan is one of Asia's poorest countries and, although rich in resources, development would raise serious environmental problems. Such is the dilemma facing many mountain regions. For the time being, however, this major hydroelectric site is controlled by an uncooperative militia and is not safely accessible.   This is an aerial view of the Surkhab Valley, tributary to the Vakhsh, seen in the middle distance with the Gissar-Alai range beyond. Khait, the district centre, and many villages in the valley were annihilated in 1949 when a major earthquake released a gigantic landslide near the summit of a Pamir peak. Some 28,000 people are believed to have perished in a matter of minutes, an event that, for political reasons, went unreported until recent years. Today the mounds of rock and debris litter almost the entire valley floor.
29  Rogoun Dam and the Vakhsh River, Tajikistan (October, 1990)   30  The Tragedy of Khait – Landslide disaster in the Pamir (October, 1990)

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