Artificial glaciers boost water supply in northern Pakistan

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Updated 06 April 2025
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Artificial glaciers boost water supply in northern Pakistan

  • Water is piped from streams into villages, and sprayed into air during freezing winter temperatures
  • Gilgit-Baltistan has 13,000 glaciers—more than any other country on Earth outside the polar regions

Hussainabad, 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 have 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 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.




This aerial photograph taken on March 18, 2025 shows a man (R) looking at 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. (AFP)

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 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 Center 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.




This photograph taken on March 19, 2025 shows local residents ploughing a farm at Hussainabad village in Skardu district, in Pakistan's mountainous Gilgit-Baltistan region. (AFP)

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.”


Saad bin Munawar becomes first Pakistani to summit Mt Everest from northern side

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Saad bin Munawar becomes first Pakistani to summit Mt Everest from northern side

ISLAMABAD: In a remarkable feat, Saad bin Munawar has become the first Pakistani to summit the world’s tallest mountain, 8,848-meter Mount Everest, from its northern face, his expedition organizer said on Saturday.

Munawwar was part of a team of nine climbers who summitted the world’s tallest peak as part of the Everest North Expedition organized by Imagine Nepal.

The route to Everest peak from the northern face starts in Tibet, which is different from the Nepalese side route that most mountaineers take to ascend the peak.

“Saad has become the only Pakistani climber to reach the summit of Mount Everest from the north side,” his expedition organizer said on Facebook.

“The other climbers include Justin Moore Walker, Dawa Gyalje Sherpa, Ang Mingma Sherpa, Sonam Tashi Sherpa, Ngima Dorjee Sherpa, Lakpa Tenzing Sherpa, Dawa Kami Sherpa, and Thupten Topchen Sherpa.”

A renowned adventurer, mountaineer and author, Munawwar has long been a source of inspiration in Pakistan’s adventure community. Before this Everest ascent, he was the first Pakistani to summit 6,961-meter Mt.

Aconcagua, the highest peak outside Asia, according to Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP), which arranges various expeditions in Munawwar’s home country.

“This remarkable achievement is not only a personal triumph for Saad but a proud milestone for Pakistan’s mountaineering community,” it said in a statement.

“His leadership in expeditions and mountaineering literature continues to motivate a new generation of climbers.”

Earlier this week, Pakistani woman mountaineer Naila Kiani scaled 8,586-meter Kanchenjunga, the world’s third highest peak, to become the first Pakistani woman to scale 12 of the world’s 14 peaks above the height of 8,000 meters.

Kiani now stands on the threshold of joining a global elite of only 17 women who have conquered all 14 eight-thousanders, Imagine Nepal, which also organized Kiani’s expedition, said after Friday’s summit.


Pakistan PM embarks on regional diplomacy tour after ceasefire with India

Updated 19 min 48 sec ago
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Pakistan PM embarks on regional diplomacy tour after ceasefire with India

  • The development comes two weeks after Pakistan and India traded missile, drone and artillery strikes before agreeing to a truce on May 10
  • During the four-day conflict, several friendly nations supported Pakistan’s demand for a probe into an attack that triggered the standoff

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday embarked on a five-day tour of Turkiye, Iran, Azerbaijan and Tajikistan to thank their leadership for supporting Islamabad during this month’s military conflict with India, Sharif’s office said.

Pakistan and India this month traded missile, drone and artillery strikes for days, killing around 70 people on both sides, before agreeing to a US-brokered ceasefire on May 10.

The conflict, the worst between the neighbors in decades, was triggered by an attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir on April 22 that New Delhi blamed on Pakistan. Islamabad denies complicity.

During the conflict, several friendly nations supported Pakistan’s demand for a credible, international probe into the attack as they urged the nuclear-armed archfoes to exercise restraint.

“During the visit, the prime minister will have wide-ranging discussions with the leaders of these countries on an entire range of issues covering bilateral relations and matters of regional and international importance,” Sharif’s office said.

“He will also have the opportunity to express the deepest appreciation and acknowledgment for the support extended to Pakistan by the friendly countries during the recent crisis with India.”

Bitter rivals India and Pakistan have fought three wars, including two over the disputed region of Kashmir, since gaining independence from British rule in 1947. Both claim the Himalayan territory in its entirety but rule it in part. The conflict had raised fears that it could spiral into a full-blown war.

Both countries have separately announced sending delegations to key capitals and friendly countries to present their stance on this month’s standoff before the world, in a bid to gain world support.

During his visit aimed at furthering Pakistan’s diplomatic outreach, Sharif will also attend an International Conference on Glaciers in Dushanbe, Tajikistan on May 29-30, according to the Sharif’s office

The conference aims to advance global efforts in climate adaptation and resilience, with a specific focus on addressing glacial melting.

Pakistan is highly vulnerable to climate change, facing numerous impacts like rising temperatures and increased frequency of extreme weather events.

Officials say unusually high temperatures in Pakistan’s northern areas have resulted in rapid melting of glaciers, warning that the prolonged phenomenon could lead to water shortages and threaten lives in the long run.


Pakistan launches nationwide polio campaign to immunize over 45 million children

Updated 25 May 2025
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Pakistan launches nationwide polio campaign to immunize over 45 million children

  • Pakistan, Afghanistan are only countries where polio remains an endemic
  • Health officials have confirmed 10 polio cases in Pakistan so far this year

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has launched a third nationwide anti-polio vaccination campaign of this year that aims to inoculate 45 million children under five, the country’s polio program said on Sunday.

The campaign was formally inaugurated by Ayesha Raza Farooq, the prime minister’s focal person for polio eradication, who administered oral polio vaccine and Vitamin A drops to children under five at the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) in Islamabad.

Polio is a paralyzing disease with no cure. Multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine, along with the completion of the routine immunization schedule for all children are essential to ensure strong immunity against the disease.

Pakistan has confirmed 10 cases so far this year, according to the polio program. Environmental surveillance has detected the virus in 272 sewage samples from 127 testing sites, across 68 districts, signaling continued circulation.

“Polio eradication is not just a health goal — it is a national imperative and a matter of immense pride for our country,” Farooq said.

“This third campaign of 2025 marks a decisive milestone in our 2-4-6 roadmap. These back-to-back rounds from September 2024 to May 2025 represent our most strategic opportunity to close immunity gaps and halt virus circulation before the high transmission season begins.”

Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only two countries in the world where polio remains endemic.

The polio program described the weeklong campaign as a critical intervention in Pakistan’s “final push” to interrupt poliovirus transmission and achieve eradication by end of 2025.

Farooq acknowledged persistent challenges in areas such as Karachi, southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and Quetta, but noted encouraging progress in reaching previously underserved populations.

Around 400,000 frontline workers, including 225,000 woman vaccinators, are powering the campaign, according to the polio program.

Speaking at the event, UNICEF Representative in Pakistan Abdullah Fadil, who just concluded his tenure, expressed confidence in the program’s direction.

“Pakistan is closer than ever to making history. With continued political will, community engagement, and coordinated action by all partners, I believe this country can soon achieve a polio-free future,” he said.

Pakistan’s polio program began in 1994, but efforts to eradicate the virus have been repeatedly undermined by vaccine misinformation and resistance from some religious hard-liners who claim that immunization is a foreign plot to sterilize Muslim children or a cover for Western espionage.

Militant groups have also frequently targeted polio vaccination teams and the security personnel assigned to protect them, often resulting in deadly attacks.

The polio program has urged public to cooperate with vaccination teams and report any missed children via the Sehat Tahaffuz Helpline 1166 or the WhatsApp Helpline at 0346-7776546.


Champions to be crowned as Lahore, Quetta face off in PSL final today

Updated 25 May 2025
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Champions to be crowned as Lahore, Quetta face off in PSL final today

  • The showdown begins this evening at Lahore’s Qaddafi Stadium with major prize money on the line
  • Shaheen Afridi-led Lahore Qalandars aim for a third PSL title and a historic win on home ground

KARACHI: Defending champions Lahore Qalandars will face 2019 winners Quetta Gladiators in the final of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) today, Sunday, with both sides aiming to make history in the tenth edition of the country’s premier T20 tournament.

The final will be played under lights at Lahore’s Qaddafi Stadium, with the match set to begin at 7:30 p.m. local time. A reserve day has been scheduled for Monday in case of rain.

The winner will walk away with $500,000 in prize money, while the runners-up will receive $200,000.

Either the Shaheen Shah Afridi-led Qalandars will become only the second team in PSL history to win three titles, or the Saud Shakeel-led Gladiators will lift their second trophy after a six-year gap.

Qalandars fought their way into the final through the playoffs, knocking out Karachi Kings and Islamabad United, while Quetta topped the points table and beat Islamabad in the qualifier to book their spot.

“I’m thrilled and honored to be leading Quetta Gladiators to an HBL PSL final and we will do our best to lift the trophy,” Shakeel said. “Qaddafi Stadium really has been a lucky venue for us where we have won five out of our six games and will look to continue the winning momentum.”

Afridi said Lahore were aiming for a title hat trick on home turf.

“We are buzzing to feature in our third HBL PSL final in the last four editions and our aim is to complete the treble at our home ground,” he said.

Lahore, who finished fourth in the group stage, will take confidence from their previous outing against Quetta, where they secured a commanding 79-run win before their second encounter was washed out.

Fakhar Zaman, Abdullah Shafique and Mohammad Naeem have led the charge with the bat for Qalandars, while Shaheen, Haris Rauf and Rishad Hossain have spearheaded the bowling attack.

Quetta, meanwhile, have enjoyed a dramatic turnaround after finishing last in 2023.

Their success this season has been fueled by consistent performances from Hasan Nawaz, Rilee Rossouw and a bowling unit featuring Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf and Mohammad Amir.

Both captains promised a highly competitive final to close out what has been a landmark 34-match edition of the HBL PSL.


Gunmen kill journalist in southwestern Pakistan

Updated 24 May 2025
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Gunmen kill journalist in southwestern Pakistan

  • Latif Baloch, who worked for a national news channel and a local newspaper, was killed in Awaran district
  • According to Freedom Network Pakistan, 53 journalists were killed in the country between 2012 and 2022

QUETTA: Unknown armed men stormed a house in Balochistan’s Awaran district in the early hours of Saturday and killed a journalist working for a mainstream news channel and a local newspaper, a Levies official said.

The killing took place in Mashkay, a remote town in the mountainous Awaran district, regarded as a stronghold of Baloch separatist groups, particularly the Baloch Liberation Front (BLF).

Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest but least developed province, is home to a separatist insurgency led by ethnic Baloch groups, which Islamabad accuses of being backed by India.

New Delhi denies the allegation.

Earlier this month, Pakistan blamed India for a deadly attack on a school van in Khuzdar district that killed eight people, including six schoolchildren.

Zulqarnain Baloch, a Levies official in Mashkay, told Arab News that unidentified gunmen entered journalist Latif Baloch’s house at 3 a.m. and shot him dead while he was asleep with his family.

“The attackers only targeted him,” he said, adding: “Motives behind the murder are being investigated.”

According to the Press Freedom Network, an advocacy organization for media rights in Pakistan, 53 journalists were killed in the country between 2012 and 2022.

Hameedullah Sherani, the network’s provincial coordinator in Balochistan, said journalists in the province face serious threats while carrying out their work.

“Journalists in Balochistan have been working under threats by the state and non-state actors,” he said. “More than 40 journalists in Balochistan have lost their lives in the line of duty over the last two decades.”

The Balochistan Union of Journalists (BUJ) strongly condemned the killing and called for a high-level investigation.

“The provincial government must arrest the attackers behind the killing of Latif Baloch,” said Khalil Ahmed, BUJ president. “Journalists are already facing severe threats in the sensitive region of Balochistan. The government has to take immediate action for the safety of working journalists.”

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Balochistan, which borders Iran and Afghanistan, remains one of Pakistan’s most dangerous regions for journalists.