Watching the mountains

Pakistan's glaciers are sending another warning. The Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission's latest report has identified 130 potentially dangerous glacial lakes. That Pakistan's glaciers are retreating at an unprecedented pace is an unsettling reality whose repercussions are becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. Every passing summer brings with it fresh reminders that the climate crisis is steadily reshaping the country's geography.

The fact that only 24 of the identified lakes are presently unfrozen and under close observation is, therefore, evidence that continuous surveillance is enabling authorities to distinguish between immediate threats and those that may materialise as temperatures continue their inexorable rise. Yet, for all the advances in satellite technology and scientific monitoring, data alone does not save lives. A glacial lake outburst flood does not wait for bureaucratic approvals or policy deliberations. When a fragile moraine dam gives way, torrents of water, mud and debris descend upon mountain settlements with devastating speed, sweeping away every in its path. The real measure of preparedness, therefore, lies in timely warnings and precautions. It is precisely here that Pakistan's climate response continues to reveal its limitations. While successive governments have rightly highlighted community-based adaptation programmes, far too much of the country's adaptation agenda remains reactive and fragmented. To its credit, Pakistan has undoubtedly made measurable progress in understanding the risks that lurk in its mountainous north. The use of high-resolution satellite imagery to identify potentially dangerous glacial lakes and map downstream populations reflects a level of scientific sophistication that was conspicuously absent until a few years ago.

The mountains, after all, have been issuing their warnings for years. Whether the state chooses to heed them with the urgency they demand or continues to rely on post-disaster relief as its principal response will define Pakistan's broader resilience strategy.