Shangla bears brunt of climate change

Located in the Hindukush Mountain range, the beautiful Shangla district is experiencing the negative impacts of climate change.

Surrounded by beautiful green forests, scenic waterfalls, cold springs and lofty mountains, the district is faced with effects of climate change, including rising temperatures during summers and a severe reduction in snowfall during winters.

The lack of snowfall has been resulting in water shortage, causing natural springs and waterfalls to dry up, which is one of the major effects of environmental change.

Previously, during the winter season, Shangla used to receive heavy snow, reaching up to three feet deep in residential areas. However, this year there is no sign of snowfall so far, and due to the absence of rain, many springs and waterfalls have already dried up, leading to a severe water shortage.

Shangla, despite being an underdeveloped and remote area, once had abundant water resources. However, with the growing impact of climate change, water scarcity has become a serious issue. As a result, the level of water in streams is falling each passing year, directly affecting the electricity generation capacity of local hydropower plants.

The effects of climate change are a big disaster for the local population because every year a large numbers of trees are being cut down, which are naturally called Smart Dams, helping in maintaining the water level in the upper areas in summer and absorb carbon dioxide by producing oxygen.

The effects of deforestation and climate change are increasingly felt in the highlands evident from the fact that the floods of 2009, 2016, and 2020 destroyed a major portion of agricultural land, causing immense losses to local farmers.

The depletion of water reserves has become a major threat to the very existence of locals in this mountainous region.