Italian lessons to save Asia's glaciers

They came, they explored, they conquered, and they continued to do all they can to protect Asia's spectacular mountains and glaciers. The Italians have made a remarkable contribution to protect glaciers - the life-sustaining frozen water bodies on which millions of people depends - in the Asia continent, especially in Nepal and Pakistan.

Italian exploration of high mountains and glaciers in the Karakorum mountains dates back to the travels of Roberto Lerco, the Duke of Abruzzi, in 1909. During that expedition, legendary Italian photographer Vittorio Sella produced stunning images of K2 and its surroundings which later served as research treasure and baseline for study of the Baltoro glacier. However, it was the great expedition of Prince Aimone, the Duke of Spoleto, accompanied by a young geographer and geologist Ardito Desio, in 1929 that laid the foundations of Italian scientific research of the vast glaciers in the central Karakoram mountains.

The Italian team of 1929 traveled by lorries, rafts and mules and trekked on foot traversing snow-covered passes across craggy terrains for weeks to reach the Concordia - the base camp of K2. The purpose of Italians return to the Karakorum was indeed to climb the K2. But the dream of reaching the summit of the elusive K2 remained unfulfilled due to weather conditions, and the expedition decided to conduct surveys of the glaciers around the K2. Ardito Desio and his team ended up producing, for the first time, a detailed mapping of the glaciers and several volumes of in-depth glaciological, geographic, botanical and anthropological studies.

Italians, being Italians, never gave up on summiting the K2. So, 25 years later, in 1954, they showed up again in the Karakoram with great force. This time, the expedition was led by geographer and glaciologist Professor Ardito Desio himself, who had gained valuable experience of the Karakoram's unique challenges from his previous visit. Finally, in the summer of 1954, one year after Sir Edmund Hillary's ascent of Mount Everest, two Italians, Compagnoni and Lino Lacedelli, managed to put their feet for the first time ever by any humans on top of the K2.

Italians' epic exploration of K2 and the Karakorum inspired a generation of alpinists and scientific mountain researchers. The studies conducted by the Italian expedition leading to the ascent of K2 sparked interest and pride among Italians that led to their efforts in conservation of the Karakoram and the remote mountain communities.

Since then, Italy has played a significant role in protecting the glaciers in Asia, which are often referred to as the region's "water towers". These glaciers are crucial for sustaining the downstream farming communities, water resources and hydro sectors. Italy's efforts have been pivotal in implementing innovative strategies and technologies to monitor and preserve these glaciers.

Collaborative projects by Italian researchers and scientists have helped build understanding of glacier dynamics and the impacts of changing weather on glacier melting. These initiatives have not only contributed to rare scientific knowledge but have also provided practical solutions to manage glaciers ecosystem and glacial meltwater, contributing to ecosystem integrity and availability of a stable supply of water for agriculture and hydroelectric power generation.

Conservation efforts of these glaciers which constitute a major share of the perennial flow of the rivers is essential for maintaining the livelihoods of millions of farmers and their families downstream. The monsoon cycle is another important element that helps recharge the ground waters, but limited storage and reservoirs capacities to attenuate the sudden and sharp increases often result in floods and inundation, disrupting infrastructure and services.

The Italians' expeditionary science-based approach to monitor, assess and preserve the glaciers and freshwater resources switched to an institutional effort in 1980s when Professor Desio and Agostino Da Polenza teamed up to establish the EvK2CNR Committee, dedicating life-long efforts to streamline Italian scientific research in high mountain areas. This, in turn, paved the way for the establishment of the Pyramid Observatory on the foot of Mount Everest in Nepal - a high-altitude scientific research hub in Khumbu Valley of Sagarmatha National Park that has, since 1990, hosted hundreds of scientific research missions from over 150 different academic institutions and countries.

Recently, EvK2CNR, in partnership with the UNDP and Italian and Pakistani universities, compiled a comprehensive glacier inventory for Pakistan. The inventory documented 13,032 glaciers - highest number of dry land glaciers in a country. The earlier estimate was about half the number of what the new study revealed using remote sensing, UAVs, satellites and ground surveys to create detailed geo-tagged glacier inventories and melt modeling.

In addition to the scientific work on glaciers, EvK2CNR have helped develop and strengthen the Central Karakorum National Park and other protected areas. However, mass tourism and other challenges, including changing weather and hydrology, continue to heighten risk of biodiversity loss and damage to glacier ecosystems.

Thus, more international and trans-boundary collaboration and pooling of financial and technical resources are needed to build understanding of cryosphere changes and their drivers, and ice mass fluctuations, besides instituting mitigation and adaptation measures for water management. Glaciers are global natural heritage. The consequence of damage to glacier ecology and faster melting will not remain limited to the mountains, it will hurt the people living in the plains and in wider regions as temperature and heat stress continue to soar.

The United Nation has declared 2025 as the International Year of Glacier Preservation, which offers an opportunity for the people, governments and experts to unite to support people and entities such as the Italian initiatives to save the melting water towers that are likely to adversely affect many countries and communities in Asia. The Italian contribution and efforts in glacier conservation is a timely call to action for commitment to protecting these vital natural resources, ensuring a sustainable future for millions downstream and for the generations to come.