Latest news with #HinduKush-Himalayan
Time of India
23-04-2025
- Science
- Time of India
How a warming Himalaya could affect billions of people
The majestic Himalayas, often called the 'Water Tower of Asia,' are undergoing a drastic transformation. As the Earth warms, so do the towering peaks of the Hindu Kush-Himalayan (HKH) range, and the consequences could be catastrophic for nearly two billion people who rely on its snow and ice. Recent data from the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) paints a stark picture: snowfall in the HKH region during the winter of 2024-25 plummeted to its lowest in 23 years. Snow persistence, the duration snow remains on the ground, was 23.6 percent below normal. This marks the third consecutive year of decline and signals a dangerous shift in the region's hydrology. How the melting of Himalayas could affect agriculture and water supplies The Himalayas feed 12 of Asia's major river systems, including the Ganga, Indus, Brahmaputra, Mekong, and Amu Darya. Snowmelt from these mountains sustains agriculture, drinking water supplies, and hydroelectric power across countries such as India, China, Pakistan, Nepal, and Bangladesh. When snowfall declines, so does the water available to millions downstream. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Free P2,000 GCash eGift UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo With winter snowfall now erratic and diminishing, river flows are likely to weaken, groundwater reliance may rise unsustainably, and drought risks could intensify. Some nations have already issued drought warnings, with significant impacts looming over upcoming harvests and urban water supply. What is causing this enormous meltdown The shrinking snow cover is a direct fallout of climate change. The Himalayas are warming faster than the global average, driven by both global emissions and local changes such as urban sprawl and land-use transformation. A 2019 ICIMOD report warned that even if global warming is kept within 1.5°C as per the Paris Agreement, the HKH region will still warm by 0.3°C, triggering irreversible changes. Shifting snowfall patterns are being influenced by weaker western disturbances and disruptions in storm systems from the Mediterranean, further unsettling the region's delicate climatic balance. A call for urgent action In response to these warnings, the path forward demands a two-pronged strategy: mitigation and adaptation. Policymakers need to invest in better water management, drought-proofing agriculture, and upgrading early warning systems. More importantly, regional cooperation must be strengthened. The ICIMOD report calls on HKH nations to share data on river flows, establish joint alert systems for floods and droughts, and develop an interconnected renewable energy grid to reduce dependency on glacial waters. However, the politics of water-sharing in South Asia are fraught with complexity. Riparian disputes and national interests often hinder collaboration. Yet, as glaciers shrink and snow becomes scarcer, the cost of inaction will far outweigh the challenges of cooperation. The way ahead The melting Himalayas are not just a regional crisis. They are a global climate emergency in the making. The lives and livelihoods of billions depend on the resilience of this high-altitude ecosystem. What happens in the Himalayas will ripple across Asia and beyond. As the peaks lose their snowy crowns, humanity must act, not just to protect a mountain range, but to secure the future of nearly a quarter of the world's population.
Daily Tribune
08-04-2025
- Daily Tribune
Artificial glaciers boost water supply in northern Pakistan
At the foot of Pakistan's impossibly high mountains whitened by frost all year round, farmers grappling with a lack of water have created their own ice towers. Warmer winters as a result of climate change has reduced the snow fall and subsequent seasonal snowmelt that feeds the valleys of Gilgit-Baltistan, a remote region home to K2, the world's second-highest peak. Farmers in the Skardu valley, at an altitude of up to 2,600 metres (8,200 feet) in the shadow of the Karakoram mountain range, searched online for help in how to irrigate their apple and apricot orchards. "We discovered artificial glaciers on YouTube," Ghulam Haider Hashmi told AFP. They watched the videos of Sonam Wangchuk, an environmental activist and engineer in the Indian region of Ladakh, less than 200 kilometres away across a heavily patrolled border, who developed the technique about 10 years ago. Water is piped from streams into the village, and sprayed into the air during the freezing winter temperatures. "The water must be propelled so that it freezes in the air when temperatures drop below zero, creating ice towers," said Zakir Hussain Zakir, a professor at the University of Baltistan. The ice forms in the shape of cones that resemble Buddhist stupas, and act as a storage system -- steadily melting throughout spring when temperatures rise. 'Ice stupas' Gilgit-Baltistan has 13,000 glaciers -- more than any other country on Earth outside the polar regions. Their beauty has made the region one of the country's top tourist destinations -- towering peaks loom over the Old Silk Road, still visible from a highway transporting tourists between cherry orchards, glaciers and ice-blue lakes. Sher Muhammad, a specialist in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan mountain range that stretches from Afghanistan to Myanmar, however said most of the region's water supply comes from snow melt in spring, with a fraction from annual glacial melt in summers. "From late October until early April, we were receiving heavy snowfall. But in the past few years, it's quite dry," Muhammad, a researcher at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), told AFP. The first "ice stupas" in Gilgit-Baltistan were created in 2018. Now, more than 20 villages make them every winter, and "more than 16,000 residents have access to water without having to build reservoirs or tanks", said Rashid-ud-Din, provincial head of GLOF-2, a UN-Pakistan plan to adapt to the effects of climate change. Farmer Muhammad Raza told AFP that eight stupas were built in his village of Hussainabad this winter, trapping approximately 20 million litres of water in the ice. "We no longer have water shortages during planting," he said, since the open-air reservoirs appeared on the slopes of the valley. "Before, we had to wait for the glaciers to melt in June to get water, but the stupas saved our fields," said Ali Kazim, also a farmer in the valley. Harvest seasons multiply Before the stupas, "we planted our crops in May", said 26-yearold Bashir Ahmed who grows potatoes, wheat and barley in nearby Pari village which has also adopted the method. And "we only had one growing season, whereas now we can plant two or three times" a year. Temperatures in Pakistan rose twice as fast between 1981 and 2005 compared to the global average, putting the country on the front line of climate change impacts, including water scarcity. Its 240 million inhabitants live in a territory that is 80 percent arid or semi-arid and depends on rivers and streams originating in neighbouring countries for more than three-quarters of its water. Glaciers are melting rapidly in Pakistan and across the world, with a few exceptions including the Karakoram mountain range, increasing the risk of flooding and reducing water supply over the long term. "Faced with climate change, there are neither rich nor poor, neither urban nor rural; the whole world has become vulnerable," said 24-year-old Yasir Parvi.
Gulf Today
07-04-2025
- Gulf Today
Farmers in Pakistan's Skardu valley create their own 'ice towers' to boost water supply
At the foot of Pakistan's impossibly high mountains whitened by frost all year round, farmers grappling with a lack of water have created their own ice towers. Warmer winters as a result of climate change has reduced the snowfall and subsequent seasonal snowmelt that feeds the valleys of Gilgit-Baltistan, a remote region home to K2, the world's second-highest peak. Farmers in the Skardu valley, at an altitude of up to 2,600 metres (8,200 feet) in the shadow of the Karakoram mountain range, searched online for help in how to irrigate their apple and apricot orchards. "We discovered artificial glaciers on YouTube," Ghulam Haider Hashmi told AFP. They watched the videos of Sonam Wangchuk, an environmental activist and engineer in the Indian region of Ladakh, less than 200 kilometres away across a heavily patrolled border, who developed the technique about 10 years ago. Water is piped from streams into the village, and sprayed into the air during the freezing winter temperatures. Hussainabad village in Skardu district, Gilgit-Baltistan region. AFP "The water must be propelled so that it freezes in the air when temperatures drop below zero, creating ice towers," said Zakir Hussain Zakir, a professor at the University of Baltistan. The ice forms in the shape of cones that resemble Buddhist stupas, and act as a storage system – steadily melting throughout spring when temperatures rise. 'Ice stupas' Gilgit-Baltistan has 13,000 glaciers – more than any other country on Earth outside the polar regions. Their beauty has made the region one of the country's top tourist destinations – towering peaks loom over the Old Silk Road, still visible from a highway transporting tourists between cherry orchards, glaciers and ice-blue lakes. Sher Muhammad, a specialist in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan mountain range that stretches from Afghanistan to Myanmar, however said most of the region's water supply comes from snowmelt in spring, with a fraction from annual glacial melt in summers. "From late October until early April, we were receiving heavy snowfall. But in the past few years, it's quite dry," Muhammad, a researcher at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), told AFP. This aerial photograph taken on March 18, 2025 shows an artificial glacier built by local residents during winter. AFP The first "ice stupas" in Gilgit-Baltistan were created in 2018. Now, more than 20 villages make them every winter, and "more than 16,000 residents have access to water without having to build reservoirs or tanks", said Rashid-ud-Din, provincial head of GLOF-2, a UN-Pakistan plan to adapt to the effects of climate change. Farmer Muhammad Raza told AFP that eight stupas were built in his village of Hussainabad this winter, trapping approximately 20 million litres of water in the ice. "We no longer have water shortages during planting," he said, since the open-air reservoirs appeared on the slopes of the valley. "Before, we had to wait for the glaciers to melt in June to get water, but the stupas saved our fields," said Ali Kazim, also a farmer in the valley. Harvest seasons multiply Before the stupas, "we planted our crops in May", said 26-year-old Bashir Ahmed who grows potatoes, wheat and barley in nearby Pari village which has also adopted the method. And "we only had one growing season, whereas now we can plant two or three times" a year. Temperatures in Pakistan rose twice as fast between 1981 and 2005 compared to the global average, putting the country on the front line of climate change impacts, including water scarcity. Its 240 million inhabitants live in a territory that is 80 per cent arid or semi-arid and depends on rivers and streams originating in neighbouring countries for more than three-quarters of its water. Glaciers are melting rapidly in Pakistan and across the world, with a few exceptions including the Karakoram mountain range, increasing the risk of flooding and reducing water supply over the long term. "Faced with climate change, there are neither rich nor poor, neither urban nor rural; the whole world has become vulnerable," said 24-year-old Yasir Parvi. "In our village, with the ice stupas, we decided to take a chance." Agence France-Presse
Asharq Al-Awsat
06-04-2025
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Artificial Glaciers Boost Water Supply in Northern Pakistan
At the foot of Pakistan's impossibly high mountains whitened by frost all year round, farmers grappling with a lack of water have created their own ice towers. Warmer winters as a result of climate change has reduced the snow fall and subsequent seasonal snowmelt that feeds the valleys of Gilgit-Baltistan, a remote region home to K2, the world's second-highest peak. Farmers in the Skardu valley, at an altitude of up to 2,600 meters (8,200 feet) in the shadow of the Karakoram mountain range, searched online for help in how to irrigate their apple and apricot orchards. "We discovered artificial glaciers on YouTube," Ghulam Haider Hashmi told AFP. They watched the videos of Sonam Wangchuk, an environmental activist and engineer in the Indian region of Ladakh, less than 200 kilometers away across a heavily patrolled border, who developed the technique about 10 years ago. Water is piped from streams into the village, and sprayed into the air during the freezing winter temperatures. "The water must be propelled so that it freezes in the air when temperatures drop below zero, creating ice towers," said Zakir Hussain Zakir, a professor at the University of Baltistan. The ice forms in the shape of cones that resemble Buddhist stupas, and act as a storage system -- steadily melting throughout spring when temperatures rise. 'Ice stupas' Gilgit-Baltistan has 13,000 glaciers -- more than any other country on Earth outside the polar regions. Their beauty has made the region one of the country's top tourist destinations -- towering peaks loom over the Old Silk Road, still visible from a highway transporting tourists between cherry orchards, glaciers and ice-blue lakes. Sher Muhammad, a specialist in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan mountain range that stretches from Afghanistan to Myanmar, however said most of the region's water supply comes from snow melt in spring, with a fraction from annual glacial melt in summers. "From late October until early April, we were receiving heavy snowfall. But in the past few years, it's quite dry," Muhammad, a researcher at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), told AFP. The first "ice stupas" in Gilgit-Baltistan were created in 2018. Now, more than 20 villages make them every winter, and "more than 16,000 residents have access to water without having to build reservoirs or tanks", said Rashid-ud-Din, provincial head of GLOF-2, a UN-Pakistan plan to adapt to the effects of climate change. Farmer Muhammad Raza told AFP that eight stupas were built in his village of Hussainabad this winter, trapping approximately 20 million liters of water in the ice. "We no longer have water shortages during planting," he said, since the open-air reservoirs appeared on the slopes of the valley. "Before, we had to wait for the glaciers to melt in June to get water, but the stupas saved our fields," said Ali Kazim, also a farmer in the valley. Harvest seasons multiply Before the stupas, "we planted our crops in May", said 26-year-old Bashir Ahmed who grows potatoes, wheat and barley in nearby Pari village which has also adopted the method. And "we only had one growing season, whereas now we can plant two or three times" a year. Temperatures in Pakistan rose twice as fast between 1981 and 2005 compared to the global average, putting the country on the front line of climate change impacts, including water scarcity. Its 240 million inhabitants live in a territory that is 80 percent arid or semi-arid and depends on rivers and streams originating in neighboring countries for more than three-quarters of its water. Glaciers are melting rapidly in Pakistan and across the world, with a few exceptions including the Karakoram mountain range, increasing the risk of flooding and reducing water supply over the long term. "Faced with climate change, there are neither rich nor poor, neither urban nor rural; the whole world has become vulnerable," said 24-year-old Yasir Parvi. "In our village, with the ice stupas, we decided to take a chance."
Japan Times
06-04-2025
- Japan Times
Artificial glaciers boost water supply in northern Pakistan
At the foot of Pakistan's impossibly high mountains whitened by frost all year round, farmers grappling with a lack of water have created their own ice towers. Warmer winters as a result of climate change has reduced the snowfall and subsequent seasonal snowmelt that feeds the valleys of Gilgit-Baltistan, a remote region home to K2, the world's second-highest peak. Farmers in the Skardu valley, at an altitude of up to 2,600 meters (8,200 feet) in the shadow of the Karakoram mountain range, searched online for help in how to irrigate their apple and apricot orchards. "We discovered artificial glaciers on YouTube," Ghulam Haider Hashmi said. They watched the videos of Sonam Wangchuk, an environmental activist and engineer in the Indian region of Ladakh, less than 200 kilometers away across a heavily patrolled border, who developed the technique about 10 years ago. Water is piped from streams into the village, and sprayed into the air during the freezing winter temperatures. "The water must be propelled so that it freezes in the air when temperatures drop below zero, creating ice towers," said Zakir Hussain Zakir, a professor at the University of Baltistan. The ice forms in the shape of cones that resemble Buddhist stupas, and act as a storage system — steadily melting throughout spring when temperatures rise. Gilgit-Baltistan has 13,000 glaciers — more than any other country on Earth outside the polar regions. Their beauty has made the region one of the country's top tourist destinations — towering peaks loom over the Old Silk Road, still visible from a highway transporting tourists between cherry orchards, glaciers and ice-blue lakes. Sher Muhammad, a specialist in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan mountain range that stretches from Afghanistan to Myanmar, however said most of the region's water supply comes from snowmelt in spring, with a fraction from annual glacial melt in summers. "From late October until early April, we were receiving heavy snowfall. But in the past few years, it's quite dry," said Muhammad, a researcher at the International Center for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD). An artificial glacier built by local residents during winters to conserve water for the summers at Pari village in Kharmang district, in Pakistan's mountainous Gilgit-Baltistan region, is seen in this aerial photograph taken on March 18. | AFP-JIJI The first "ice stupas" in Gilgit-Baltistan were created in 2018. Now, more than 20 villages make them every winter, and "more than 16,000 residents have access to water without having to build reservoirs or tanks," said Rashid-ud-Din, provincial head of GLOF-2, a U.N.-Pakistan plan to adapt to the effects of climate change. Farmer Muhammad Raza said that eight stupas were built in his village of Hussainabad this winter, trapping approximately 20 million liters of water in the ice. "We no longer have water shortages during planting," he said, since the open-air reservoirs appeared on the slopes of the valley. "Before, we had to wait for the glaciers to melt in June to get water, but the stupas saved our fields," said Ali Kazim, also a farmer in the valley. Before the stupas, "we planted our crops in May," said 26-year-old Bashir Ahmed who grows potatoes, wheat and barley in nearby Pari village which has also adopted the method. And "we only had one growing season, whereas now we can plant two or three times" a year. Temperatures in Pakistan rose twice as fast between 1981 and 2005 compared with the global average, putting the country on the front line of climate change impacts, including water scarcity. Its 240 million inhabitants live in a territory that is 80% arid or semiarid and depends on rivers and streams originating in neighboring countries for more than three-quarters of its water. Glaciers are melting rapidly in Pakistan and across the world, with a few exceptions including the Karakoram mountain range, increasing the risk of flooding and reducing water supply over the long term. "Faced with climate change, there are neither rich nor poor, neither urban nor rural; the whole world has become vulnerable," said 24-year-old Yasir Parvi. "In our village, with the ice stupas, we decided to take a chance."
