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The threat that lurks behind the melting glaciers

What is UNDP in Pakistan doing about the risk posed by climate change?

Por UNDP in Pakistan

11 de December de 2019

The degradation of the environment on earth has been going on since the advent of the industrial revolution but its impact has been felt on a far greater scale during the past century. The ever-increasing reliance on fossil fuels and the resultant greenhouse effect have increased global warming to the extent that the whole ecosystem is being disrupted. The rise in global temperatures is causing the glaciers to disappear which poses a great threat to our environment.

Alpine glaciers offer many benefits to the world. They are a great source of fresh water, as they melt and feed the rivers. These rivers support agriculture and are used to generate electricity. The glaciers also serve as an indicator of climate change as they can be studied to ascertain the rise or fall in global temperatures.

Numbering 7,253 (source: Washington Post), Pakistan has the greatest number of glaciers anywhere in the world, outside the polar regions. Scientists have predicted that at least a third of the world’s glaciers will be gone by the end of this century. This would mean disastrous consequences for Pakistan. The communities living in the northern parts of the country are dependent on these glaciers. This is the source of their drinking water. This is what their agriculture depends on. In the absence of these glaciers, life would be impossible there. Since these glaciers act as a lynchpin for the environment, their absence would also affect the tourism industry. If the environment stops being the way it is, there would be no attraction for visitors to go there.

The melting of glaciers also poses a more immediate threat. As glaciers melt, lakes are formed. When these lakes overrun their capacity, they cause floods known as glacial lake outburst floods. There are many villages and towns situated in the vicinity of these glaciers, inhabited by thousands of people. Their lives and property are at a constant risk due to this climatic phenomenon.

In this context, UNDP Pakistan is implementing a project with the Ministry of Climate Change to address the excessive melting of glaciers in these regions. The main aim of the Glacial lake outburst flood risk reduction in northern Pakistan (GLOF II) project, supported by Green Climate Fund, is to strengthen the vulnerable communities and enhance their capacities against the impacts of these sudden catastrophes. Glacial melting phenomenon is directly linked to climate change to which Pakistan’s contribution is less than 1%. However, the long-term vulnerability index puts the country on the 8th position amongst the most affected by climate change.

Although it is too late to reverse this devastating trend, steps can be taken to slow it down. A serious commitment to use of green energy and reforestation campaigns could help. Both are key components of the GLOF II project and contributing to the Prime Minister’s Clean and Green Pakistan Program. Through GLOF II’s Adopt a Tree campaign, approximately 5000 trees have been planted already in Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa while Passu and Batura glaciers are getting cleaned under its Glacial Cleaning campaign.

Interestingly, glacier grafting is something that has been indigenously discovered and sounds promising. UNDP has started to support glacier grafting at the Kuwardo village in Skardu where local volunteers are enthusiastically participating in their endeavor to increase the land mass of glaciers. Local universities are also interested in carrying out detailed research on this innovative technique to be implemented at a broad scale. The only way to secure a livable habitat for our future generations is through adopting sustainable livelihood options. In addition, capacity building of the local communities for an improved response and recovery is also of critical importance. These measures have to be implemented on a war footing. The future of our planet depends on it.

Footnotes

Author: Jamil Akhtar; an award-winning writer and photographer with extensive experience in different aspects of communication. He can be reached at jamil0@gmail.com

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FootNotes

Author: Jamil Akhtar; an award-winning writer and photographer with extensive experience in different aspects of communication. He can be reached at [email protected]

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