The Cold Desert of Pakistan, also known as the Katpana Desert, is located at an altitude of 2,226 meters making it one of the highest deserts in the world. The desert experiences cold temperatures year-round with summer highs of 24-27°C and winter lows of -17°C to -25°C. Sparse vegetation includes grasses and brush plants that grow during summer months. Wildlife includes threatened snow leopards, Tibetan wolves, foxes, and bharal sheep. Tourism is an important economic activity, with visitors camping and enjoying scenic views and rallies.

1. Topic: The Cold Desert Of Pakistan
Slides made by Dr. Saba Malik

2. List of Context
• Cold Desert (Katapna) of Pakistan
• Why it’s called Highest Desert Of World?
• Topography
• Climate
• Vegetation in Katpana Desert
• Katapna Lake
• Wildlife in Desert
• Economic Activity
• Activity due to Wilderness

3. The Cold Desert (Katpana) of Pakistan
• The Cold Desert of Pakistan
include Katpana Desert and also
known as Biama Nakpo (in Balti
language).
• The high sand dunes of Katpana
has given it the name of the cold
desert.
• It is one of the few deserts of the
world where sand dunes meet
snow-capped mountains during
the winter.

4. Highest Desert Of The World
• The desert technically
stretches from the Khaplu
Valley to Zanskar in Ladakh
but the largest area is found in
Shigar Valley and Skardu.
• Skardu Airport is located near
the cold desert.
• Total area is 9.4 square
kilometers.

6. Altitude
• It is Situated at an altitude/elevation of 2,226 metres (7,303 feet) above sea level
and distance from Skardu is 33km.
• This Cold Desert is one of the highest altitude desert in the world.

7. Topography
• West Pakistan to North the topography
is very pleasing with the colors of the
lush plantation, giant mountains, rocky
plains, flowing, curvy streams,
waterfalls, cloudy skies, and picturesque
landscapes.
• The granules of sand in Katpana Desert
are white, not yellow, which has marked
this desert as a wonder on earth.

8. Surrounded by blackish grey
Karakoram and Himalayan-
mountain range, the desert
has a unique landscape which
contains large white sand
dunes keep changing and
shifting due to the mighty
winds which brings out a new
scenery every time.
They are also covered in
snow during winter and
making the views incredibly
eye appealing.

9. Climate
Temperature in Summers
Temperatures in cold desert vary
between 8°C usually at night and
maximum 24°C to 27°C at day time
in the summer season
Temperature in Winters
In Winters, It can drop as low as -17°C
to -25°C with extreme cold winds in
the December to January.
It receive 2 to 3 feet snow annually, the
snow covered duns feel exactly like
snowy hills in winter.

10. Vegetation in Katpana desert:
The first thing that comes to one’s
mind when thinking of a desert is the
scarcity of vegetables and plants but
Katpana desert stuns everyone with
its lush plantation and green
vegetation.
Grasses are the most common
vegetation in cold deserts. They tend
to grow in clumps known as
bunchgrass.

11. Shrubs and brush plants also cover the terrain of cold deserts include
algae, grasses, and plants with spiny thin leaves. Usually these plants
grow only in the summers.

12. Katpana Lake
At roughly 8,000 feet, Katpana Lake is surrounded by snow-capped 15,000 foot mountains and
katpana desert with some foliage, making it even more gorgeous, appealing, and fascinating.

13. Wildlife in Katpana Desert
Tibetan Wolf
There are two subspecies of the
Grey Wolf in Pakistan. But in the
northern mountanious regions,
the Tibetan Wolf (Canis lupus
campestris) is found. The Tibetan
Wolf inhabits the barren rocky
mountanious valleys of Baltistan,
Gilgit and other regions of
Pakistan.

14. Snow leopards
• It’s live in some of the harshest conditions on
Earth.
• They scale the great, steep slopes of mountains in
Central Asia with ease, blending into the
landscape.
• But these majestic and elusive cats face many
threats including habitat loss and degradation from
climate change and human encroachment,
retaliatory killings resulting from human-wildlife
conflict, reduced prey, and poaching.
• WWF works to reduce human-wildlife conflict,
increase anti-poaching efforts, and protect the
fragile snow leopard habitat.

15. Tibetan Red Fox
• Tibetan foxes are also known as Tibetan sand foxes
or simply sand foxes.
• Scientific name is Vulpes ferrilata.
• They are present in Tibetan plateau and other
mountainous plains across Asia.
• The Red Fox is killed in enormous numbers each
year for its valuable pelt and because it is considered
destructive to poultry, but it has survived this
persecution and still survives in good numbers
where ever it is found.

16. Onager
• Onager is native to the desert a large
Tibetan relative, was previously
considered to be a subspecies of the
onager as E. hemionus kiang, but recent
molecular studies indicate that it is a
distinct species.
• It is also known as the Asiatic wild ass,
Asian wild ass, or wild Asian ass.
• It range has contracted greatly under
the pressures of poaching and habitat
loss.

17. Golden Jackal or
Asiatic Jackal
• It’s scientific name is
Canis aureus.
• This is a very common
animal in Pakistan and is
usually seen around
human settlements.
• It is widespread and is
found throughout much of
the country, except the
northern most
mountanious regions.

18. Bharal
• The bharal (Pseudois nayaur),
also called the blue sheep.
• They live in open grassy
slopes in high mountains and
are usually found near cliffs
but try to avoid forested areas.
• These animals are tolerant of
extreme weather conditions
and can be found from desert
mountains in searing heat to
windy and cold slopes.

19. Economic Activity
A major economic activity for the inhabitants of
this desert is tourism.
People love sitting up their
camps in the desert when the
weather is suitable enough.

21. • Many tourist visit there to
experience staying beneath
the starry sky and gazing
stars as well as cold desert
air.
• It also delight the visitors
with other scenic sights.

22. Many people and
childrens like to picked
Cherry or enjoy it.

23. Activity Due To Wilderness Of Desert
The Government of Gilgit-
Baltistan organize Jeep rally
an bike rally every year in
summer due to the wilderness
of this cold desert which also
attract huge number of tourist
from all over the Pakistan and
World.

24. References
• https://guidetopakistan.pk/destination/sarfaranga-cold-desert/
• https://lovinpakistan.com/katpana-desert/
• https://www.thejure.com/have-you-ever-heard-about-this-unique-cold-desert/
• https://m.blizin.com/articles/katpana-desert-cold-desert-skardu
• http://www.wildlifeofpakistan.com/wilddogs.html
• https://educalingo.com/en/dic-en/onager
• https://a-z-animals.com/animals/tibetan-fox/
• https://www.worldwildlife.org/stories/where-do-snow-leopards-live-and-nine-other-
snow-leopard-facts