Rising glacial outbursts

In the recent years, Pakistan has incurred irreparable financial losses stemming from climatic catastrophes. The Northern belt, primarily, has witnessed flooding from glacial lake outburst due to soaring temperatures. Owing to the rapidly melting glaciers, over 3,000 glacial lakes have emerged in Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, quite a few of which have caused flooding, causing severe damage to lives, property and livelihoods among the isolated and struggling mountain communities.

The recent burst of the Ghamla and Chapran glaciers in the Naran Valley of K-P province has inflicted havoc on businesses. Although no life is lost nor damage befallen personal property, the financial loss incurred from numerous hotel businesses having washed down will bring further deprivation to the existing socio-economic challenges of the Northern regions. The Kaghan Highway, however, has submerged in the avalanche disabling its route for the national and local Disaster Management teams to access the origin and affected track of the outburst.

In addition to the devastation caused to the local communities, this and similar natural disasters also threat to add to Pakistan’s water crisis in the long run. The pace at which glaciers are melting and flooding is washing away water reservation resources, water for agricultural and livelihood purposes is fast becoming scarce, as it is being lost to the sea. This results in exhaustion of reservoirs and mechanisms to store and supply hygienic water.

Flooding incidents are rising across Pakistan’s northern and southern regions. It is the melting glaciers that chiefly account for flooding, something which has direct consequences on the development of a country. We cannot rely on post-disaster aid received from external sources. The situation calls for us to be more strategic and vigilant about establishing a model of climate-resilient policy, resources and development that enables the government and communities to prepare for the risks and work progressively towards risk management.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 25^th, 2024.

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