Shrinking glaciers: a threat to ecological balance

Asim Ali, a 55-year-old resident of Oshu village in Upper Kalam, watched helplessly as water surged into his stone house, as result of the rising River Swat.

The recent flooding, triggered by the accelerated melting of glaciers combined with heavy rains, forced many villagers to hastily place sandbags around their homes in an attempt to stem the gushing water and salvage belongings.

"The water flow in River Swat has been increasing every summer due to the rapid melting of glaciers and erratic rainfalls," said Asim.

Transporting stones on donkeys from nearby mountains, Asim and his family are trying to restore their damaged home.

He recalled a time when glaciers were much closer to the village. "Our streams used to flow steadily. Now, they either dry up or flood unpredictably," he said.

He blamed illegal construction, glaciers melting, encroachment, and deforestation for amplifying the river's velocity and destructive power.

For generations, villagers like Asim have mostly relied on glacier fed irrigation to cultivate crops such as wheat, barley, peaches, and apricots. But changing water patterns have made farming increasingly uncertain.

"We now depend on rain, which is rarely sufficient. Sometimes, we lose entire crops to drought or sudden floods," he lamented.

Swat's glaciers are vital to the Indus River system and its tributaries, supplying clean water to millions and sustaining the region's fragile ecosystem.

However, their rapid retreat due to global warming is posing a grave threat.

"As temperatures rise, glaciers are receding at an alarming rate, triggering ecological, social, and economic consequences," said environmental expert Dr Shafiqur Rehman.

Pakistan hosts over 7,253 glaciers-more than anywhere outside the polar regions. Notable among them are Baltoro (63 km), Biafo (67 km), and Batura (57 km) in Gilgit-Baltistan, as well as nearly 500 glaciers in Upper Chitral's Tirich Mir range, which feed major rivers such as the Swat, Panjkora, Kabul, and Indus.

"Our irrigation systems depend heavily on these glaciers," said Dr Rehman, adding with rapid population growth and shrinking glaciers, Pakistan faces an impending water crisis-and by extension, food insecurity.

Citing the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), he noted that the Himalayan region is warming faster than the global average. Some glaciers are losing up to five meters in thickness each year. Since glaciers act as natural reservoirs, storing water and releasing it gradually, their accelerated melting is upsetting this balance.