Habitat Conditions and Settlement Proce Wes in the Hindukush
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Petermanns Geographische Mitteilungen, 138, 199416, pp. 337-356. 337 Habitat conditions and settlement procewes in the Hindukush - Karakoram 12 figures in the text Zusammenfassung: yuiep6a, H~H~C~HHOCOMMH ~HT~O~O~~HHOÜii~l$paCTpy~Type. Umwelthedingungen und Siedlungsprozesse im Hindukusch - Anx 3TOTO 6binu Bbl6pa~blnBe nOJINHb1, OTpamamulHe pa3Hbie Karakorum npoueccbi 3acene~unU npencTaBnnmuiue co6oü xapar-repsbie AJlR pafi0Ha UCCnenOBaHHR B0 BHYTPUa3UaTCKOM BbICOKOTOP- Die Frage der Siedlungsgrenzen im Hochgebirge wird im HOM nonce CTPYKTYP~InoceneHun. Coopyxesue opouiaeMbix Hinblick auf die Beziehungen zwischen Naturkatastrophen und oa3ucoB U ux npononmu-renbsoe ucnonb3o~a~ueBO~MOXH~I Siedlungsprozessen diskutiert. Angesichts einer wachsenden TOnbKO B 3aUIUTHblX MeCTOnOnOXeHU>IX Ha OrpaHUYeHHOM Bevölkerung in Hochgebirgen der dritten Welt und damit o~pe3~eTeppuTopuu. P~~BUTM~~THXHUUI B nonuHax C Men- verbundener Ausweitungen des Siedlungsraumes treten Schutz- KUMH I~Y~ÜK~MHU CBn3aHHbIe C 3THM CTpaTeCHU npUCnOC0- Überlegungen bei der Wahl von und der Bedarf an Wohn- und 6ne~unnonnemaT npoueccaM ynpasnesun, Ko-ropbie xaparc- Wirtschaftszonen in Konkurrenz. In Fallbeispielen aus dem TepU3ymTCa 06uiU~UnOnUTUK0-UCTOpUqeCKUMU H COUUanbHO- Hindukusch und Karakorum wird das Svektrum von dort 3KOHOMHYCCKUMU YCnOBNRMU. C O~HOÜCTOPOHbl CYiUeCTBYH>T auftretenden Umweltereignissen historisch detailgetreu nachge- nonu~b~,06nanamuiue yme naeso nocenuauiuMcs KopeHsblM zeichnet und hinsichtlich ihrer Schadenswirkung auf die an- HaCeneHUeM U CBa3aHHbiMU C 3THM TpanHUUOHHblMA OpTaHaMH thropogene Infrastruktur bewertet. Zwei ~alsch:dftenwurden BnaCTM. TU nOTeHUUanbH0 IUHPOKO OCBOeHHble PeTUOHbl n0- dafür ausgewählt, die unterschiedliche Besiedlungsabläufe wi- Ka3blBaioT OTHOCUTenbHO ~OCTOI~HH~I~~POCT HaCeJIeHUII. C derspiegeln und für das Untersuchungsgebiet im innerasiati- npyroü CTOPOH~Inpononmamr cyuiecTBoeaTb paüosbr ocaoe- schen Hochgebirgsgürtel charakteristische Siedlungsstrukturen HHII, KOTOPble KaK OKpaUHbl KHIIXeCTB CTaJU UeneBblMH pe- repräsentieren. Die Anlage von Bewässerungsoasen und eine CUOHaMU MUrpaHTOB, UlUyiUUX PeCypCbI C~J~~CKOXO~~ÜCT- nachhaltige Bewirtschaftung sind nur in Schutzlagen auf eng BeHHOTO H ~~CT~HLUHOI'OUC~Onb30BaHUII. n0cnen~Ue npeA- begrenztem Raum möglich. Die lnwertsetzung dieser Nischen CTaBnRtOT CeiOnHR CUnbHO TeTepore~HblÜCOCTaB HaCeJieHUn U in kleingekammerten Talschaften und damit verbundene Anpas- xapa~~epu3yio~cnnpemne Bcero spe3ebiqaü~oB~ICOKUM ypo- sungsstrategien unterliegen Steuerungsprozessen, die durch ioli- BHeM IipUpOCTa. ~OT~~~HOCT~B CH~~X~HUU paCTyuiei0 HaCe- tisch-historische und sozioökonomische Rahmenbedingungen neHun B paüo~euccnenoeatius yme Tenepb TonbKo qacTuqHo gekennzeichnet sind. Auf der einen Seite existieren ~alschafien, MOwteT nOKpbiBaTbCSi U3 TOPHblX PeTUOHOB. die über eine lang etablierte Kernbevölkerung und damit ver- knüpfte traditionelle Herrschaftsinstitutionen verfügen. Diese potentiell weitgehend erschlossenen Regionen weisen ein ver- Summary: gleichsweise stetiges Bevölkerungswachstum auf. Auf der an- deren Seite gibt es weiterhin Erschließungsgebiete, die als The impact of natural hazards on settlement processes in high Peripherien von Fürstentümern Zielregionen von Migranten auf mountain habitats is discussed in view of montane settlement der Suche nach land- und weidewirtschaftlich in Kultur zu frontiers and their relationship to population growth in Third nehmenden Ressourcen wurden. Heute weisen sie eine stark World societies. Mountain habitats tend to expand into periph- heterogene Bevölkerungszusammensetzung auf und sind vor eral regions where safety measures compete with the demand allem durch extrem hohe Zuwachsraten gekennzeichnet. Der for additional living and dwelling space. In case studies from the Versorgungsbedarf der wachsenden Residenzbevölkerung im Hindukush and Karakoram the range of natural hazards is Untersuchungsgebiet kann schon heute nur noch partiell aus documented and classified. An evaluation of historical evidence den Bergregionen befriedigt werden. from records and oral traditions shows the impact of natural hazards on settlements and their destruction of man-made infrastructure. Two valley societies have been selected to present different forms of settlement processes. Both stand for specific settlement structures in the study area of the Inner Asian high mountain arc. The establishment of irrigation oases and their sustainable cultivation is limited to protected areas of finite Bonpoc o rpasuuax saceneHwa B abicosoropbe 06cymnae~cn extent. Processes which are characterized by historico-political OTHOCHTenbHO CB>I~~ÜMeXny CTUXU~H~IMU~~~CTBU~MM U np0- and socio-economic conditions execute a Systems control on the ueccaMu paccenesun. B~unypocTa Hacenetius B abicoitoropebrx utilization of these narrow niches in differentiated valley bottoms paüo~axTpenero Mupa u cema~~oroC ~TUM pacuiupeHun and connected adaptation strategies. On the one hand their exist ~~c~JI~HHoÜTeppHTOpMA COO~~~X~HHR06 OXpaHe npu ebi6ope valley societies that are composed of a long-established nuclear U ~OTP~~HOCT~B XUnblX H XO~!~ÜCTB~HH~IX3OHaX BCTynaioT B population. In those societies hereditary rule and traditional KOHKYPeHUUW. C TIOMOUIbH) OTnenbHblX npUMepOB U3 ~HH~Y- institutions hold a strong position. The agricultural potential Kyma U Kapa~~py~aaa-cop, TO~HOnepenaean ucTopuqecKue of these regions has been cultivated and meliorated to a high AeTanN, O~~UCOB~IB~~TCneKTp BCTpe9aioiUUXCSl TaM B OKpyXa- degree; population growth is rather steady. On the other hand mueü cpene c06bi~uüU OuesuBaeT nocnenHue oTHocsTenbHo there remain developable regions that have been the peripheries 0 1994 Justus Perthes Verlag Gotha GmbH of principalities or local institutions. These virgin or un- characterized by extraordinary high population growth rates. derutilized areas represent prominent targets for migrants in All valley societies within the study area suffer from agricultural search of grazing and cultivable lands. Presently they resemble production deficits, thus increasing the dependence on external a heterogeneous population structure. Valleys and villages are supplies from lowland regions. 1. Introduction The discussion of risk conditions, environmental and historical developments characteristic for all valley socio-economic vulnerability of ecosystems has been societies in the Hindukush - Karakoram region. focussing on regions at the settlement frontiers. The phenomenon of expanding deserts and the overall loss of habitable space within the ecumene on the one 2. Structural elements of Settlement hand and the cultivation of virgin lands on the other hand characterize shifts in Settlement areas on a global The mountain belt of Eastern Hindukush, Karakoram scale (cf. EHLERS1984). In the third dimension, i. e. and Western Himalaya features a settlement Pattern adding the altitudinal scale to the focus, there occur which is characterized by permanent human habita- limitations for human habitations posed by environ- tions in the arid valley bottoms and seasonal abodes mental conditions such as ice and glacier cover, in semi-arid to sub-humid ecological zones of higher water availability, bio-physical potential and spatial altitudes. While crop-raising dominates the traditional distribution of cultivable lands and pastures. These economic activities in the low-lying villages, a shift basic frame conditions for settlements are locally towards animal husbandry occurs in the higher ele- specified through a Set of short-lived events, com- vations. This system of a mixed mountain agriculture monly described as natural and man-made hazards forms the basis of human exploitation of natural which are responsible for the classification of high resources in these mountain regions. mountain areas as regions of disasters (cf. HEWITT The selection of permanent settlement sites in the 1992). The recent discussion of environmental deteri- scattered oases has been governed by different factors: oration in these habitats' has led to the assumption First of all, water availability for irrigated agriculture that mountains offer a decreasing space for human and human consumption is an important precondition settlements. Contrary to these limitations the popula- as well as the provision of flat or terraceable land in tion figures in mountain regions of the Third World a Safe location. The combination of these two factors register growing numbers of residents in spite of identifies glacio-fluvial terraces, alluvial fans and increasing emigration. The regional dissimilarities in debris cones at the confluence of tributaries with main population density between different subregions of the rivers as convenient sites in this en~ironment.~High High Asian mountain belt are remarkable, and in relief energy and the extreme variation of climate and comparison with the average of the neighbouring vegetation with altitude are characteristic features Himalayan system (54.2 inhabitants per km2) the with mighty water towers of ice in the upper storey, Northern Areas of Pakistan in the Karakoram - intermediate zones of transition with variable vegeta- Hindukush belt with 8.8 inhabitants per km2 represent tion cover, and desert-like conditions in the valley rather sparsely populated mountain regions. These bottoms. The irrigation oases depend on the water figures have to be evaluated in perspective of the Storage capacity of the nival Zone from where melt- availability of resources and settlement potential. A