The Giacomo Matteotti Hall of the Chamber of Deputies hosted the conference “Italy and Pakistan: 125 years of history and collaboration.” Promoted by the EvK2CNR association, the event brought together over twenty speakers including institutional representatives, scientists, entrepreneurs, and mountaineers. The relations between Italy and Pakistan are not just a matter of diplomatic protocols, but a story of explorations and discoveries, a bond rooted in the past but looking towards the global challenges of the future. The first panel retraced legendary milestones: from Giuseppe Tucci’s archaeological missions in Swat to the historic Italian conquest of K2, up to the visionary legacy of Ardito Desio. Desio, as recalled by Guglielmina Diolaiuti, was not only a renowned geologist but a pioneer capable of turning expeditions into instruments of international cooperation.
Today this tradition continues through glaciology and the study of the so-called “Karakoram anomaly,” a phenomenon where some glaciers in the region behave contrary to global retreat, making this area an open-air laboratory essential for understanding the evolution of the cryosphere and the future availability of water resources. Pakistan is one of the countries most vulnerable to the effects of global warming. During the conference, the Pakistani Minister for Climate Change, Musadik Malik, launched an appeal proposing the creation of a Virtual Green University to educate new generations on environmental and sustainability issues.
In this context fits the work of EvK2CNR. The ARES (Autonomous Remote Environmental Station) project, operational from 2025 in Arandu, is a station that monitors air quality and climate-altering gases under extreme conditions. Mountains are defined as “climate sentinels” because – explained Paolo Bonasoni, President of Proambiente – the data collected on these peaks allow understanding changes on a global scale. Italian commitment is also manifested through the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS). Director General Marco Rusconi confirmed support for the new “Air for Development” program, which builds on the legacy of “Water for Development” with the aim of enhancing environmental monitoring and the resilience of mountain communities.
The conference finally explored “sports diplomacy,” with testimonies from mountaineers Stefano Ragazzo and Silvia Loreggian, and Syed Zain Abbas Naqvi, a Pakistani player on the Italian national cricket team.
In conclusion, the Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs, Maria Tripodi (in the photo), emphasized how the network of relationships built by researchers and institutions is the foundation for tackling major environmental challenges. As stated by Agostino Da Polenza, President of EvK2CNR: “There is a community that continues to build new opportunities every day. From this network will arise the answers to the social and environmental challenges of the future.” Da Polenza was awarded the Tamgha-e-Pakistan, an honor recognizing over forty years of commitment in building “bridges of trust” between the two peoples. This spirit is also reflected in professional training: in collaboration between EvK2CNR and the National College of Italian Alpine Guides, dozens of local guides have been qualified, leading to the creation of the Karakorum Mountain Guide Association for sustainable and quality tourism.
