When Buckingham Palace staff referred to Prince William and Kate Middleton's royal tour of Pakistan as one of the couple's biggest undertakings to date, they certainly weren't kidding. William and Kate plan to touch on so many important issues during their five days in the country. They've already discussed barriers to education for females in the region while visiting a school there. Then, they met with the prime minister and president of Pakistan. Now, the couple is tackling the very important issue of climate change.
Day three of William and Kate's tour took the couple to the mountains. The couple was interested in seeing the effects of climate change on the region and its communities firsthand. They traveled to a glacier that's melting in the country's mountainous northern region. Prince William was able to put his geography degree to good use as they traveled along the Hindu Kush mountain range, impressing Kate.
Prince William and Kate Middleton are continuing to highlight important issues during their five-day royal tour of Pakistan. On day three, the couple has traveled to the mountains in the northern region of the country. The mountains are located in Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan.
The couple was deeply interested in seeing the effects of climate change on the communities in northern Pakistan. The people living there have already had to adjust their way of life as temperatures melt glaciers in the mountainous area.
When William and Kate arrived, they were presented with traditional Chitrali hats as they landed in the town of Chitral in the Hindu Khush, near the Afghan border. The hats presented another bittersweet moment in the couple's trip.
Princess Diana also visited Chitral during her first solo visit to Pakistan in 1991. The late princess was also gifted a traditional Chitrali hat during her visit, in a very similar style to the one Kate donned on the trip today.
William and Kate were also gifted a book of photos showing moments from Diana's 1991 visit. "Ha ha ha! It's the same hat!" William said as he flipped through pages. "That's very special," Kate added as she looked on.
From there, Wiliam and Kate boarded their helicopter to fly to the Chiatibo Glacier in Broghil Valley National Park. There, they were able to see how the glacier has retreated in recent years as a result of global warming.
According to People, a spokesperson for the royals says that one of the goals of this trip was to highlight the "very real consequences of global warming, and its devastating effects on our planet." It seems William and Kate have done just that.
While visiting the glacier, William noted that "more education, more awareness, and political action" would be necessary to take on climate change effectively. "The young are starting to get engaged in it," the prince noted.
William also called for "positive conversation" around the subjects of global warming and climate change. The prince does have a bit of a basis for his analysis beyond his own observations and the information he's privy to.
William graduated from the University of St. Andrews with a geography degree. "Dr. Warren, my geography teacher, would be well impressed that I’m back at a glacier after all these years," William joked.
"I’ve been very impressed by William’s geography," Kate added. William continued to eagerly ask questions as he toured the area. Of the 5,000 substantially sized glaciers in the area, nearly 70% of them have retreated due to global warming.
The visit to the glacier was followed by a visit to a Chitral valley village that has experienced devastating flooding and increased flash flooding. William and Kate saw the various farmlands that have been destroyed by the flooding.
The couple also learned about how locals are changing their lives to accommodate the changing planet. Their spokesperson noted that William and Kate saw "inspiring community-led initiatives that aim to equip the local society with the tools they need to adjust to the changing landscape and weather patterns in the area."
In a speech, later on, William urged the Pakistani to work with Britain and the rest of the world to address climate change.
"Whether in Pakistan or the U.K. or elsewhere on our planet – we face shared global challenges. The effects of climate change threaten the present and the future – and therefore demand a concerted effort by everyone," he said.
