LUMS INITIATIVE FOR ENVIRONMENT
Aitchison College Team C
LEAF ID 24
Topic: Glaciers under climate change
Districts: Siachen, Ghanche, Gilgit-Baltistan
One can attribute the melting of glaciers in the regions above to a singular
factor: global warming due to anthropogenic factors. This is caused mainly by the
burning of fossil fuels for energy generation, however, this releases greenhouse
gases, such as CO2, that deplete the ozone layer and cause global warming. This
has resulted in a sharp increase in temperature,which in turn have resulted in
melting of the glaciers and glacial lakes. The melting of the Siachen Glacier is
further exacerbated by war activities between India and Pakistan.
Floods from glacial runoff can be devastating to the infrastructure in
surrounding areas. Such floods are known as Glacial Lake Outburst Floods
(GLOFs), and occur when a glacial lake dammed by a glacier is inundated beyond
its capacity. These lakes build up over time as a result of glacial thinning and
retreat, and floods can occur due to erosion, water pressure,glacier melting or
avalanches. Due to the changing behavior of glaciers and rainfall patterns in
Northern Pakistan, the volumes of these lakes, as well as the probability of
discharge from them, have greatly increased.When this catastrophic event
occurs,the water carries boulders and debris alongside it downstream damaging
the infrastructure,houses and crop lands resulting in scores of life losses alongside
economic devastation.
In order to solve this pertinent issue,a joint effort should be made by the
Government of Pakistan,Ministry for Climate change and the Pakistan
Meteorological Department.One of the main hurdles in preventing GLOF'S is the
lack of technical knowledge available about these glacial lakes.While glaciological
research has been carried out in the Gilgit Baltistan and Ghanche districts, huge
gaps in knowledge persist due the vast terrain and its rugged topography, making
the glacial region inaccessible. Research has been intermittent, uncoordinated
and myopic,and is credited to an assortment of institutions and individuals.The
GoP alongside ICIMOD(International Center for Integrated Mountain
Development) should take an inventory of these glacial lakes and identify subglacial lakes which have a potential for causing GLOF'S . To date, 2500 lakes have
been identified, 52 of which pose a potential threat. However ,if this issue is to be
tackled,further information is to be required.The GoP should forge collaborations
with international organizations such as the WWF or ICIMOD or theWMO(Worlds
meteorological organization) in order to map out risk or hazard maps to illustrate
which areas are most vulnerable for flooding by GLOF'S. Virtual monitoring tools
such as satellite or radar maps can be useful in this regard too.
Furthermore, GLOF awareness raising workshops should be held for
facilitating vulnerable local communities in Northern Pakistan to better
understand and respond to GLOF risks and thereby adapt to growing climate
change pressures. Installation of Automated weather systems in Gilgit will enable
recording and real time transmission of high altitude data to the Pakistan Met
Department so that early warning systems can be devised to evacuate people
safer areas in the event of a disaster.
Moreover ,the Gop should also consider the option of artificially lowering
the water level of these lakes by a simple siphoning technique which requires
manual labour and almost no heavy equipment.This approach is relatively
effective,inexpensive,safe and can approximately lower the water level to 5m in a
relatively short time.Appropriate technology for such a siphon system typically
consists of a series of independent pipes that are small enough for individual
sections to transported by porter (e.g. 6 m lengths of 15 cm diameter plastic
pipe)and a design with valves on both ends and the high point along with a
portable pump for filling.However,this process is slightly complex, since excessive
lowering could cause the failure of the lateral moraines and thus warrants expert
technical assistance.
Considering the urgency and pertinance of this issue and the fact that it
requires a swift response,we propose the following three pronged solution:
1. Careful monitoring of glacial lakes should be done by the PMD and the
Agha Khan Foundation in order to predict any catastrophe before it occurs,
and to gain data in order to recognize which lakes are potentially
dangerous .
2. Local NGOs should create GLOF awareness vis-à-vis government sponsored
workshops; in the event of shock outbursts, proper protocol should exist to
evacuate people to safer locations.
3. The proposal of artificially lowering the water of the lakes should be
considered.
In conclusion,The government should devise a proper framework in order to
execute this plan and engage Bhutan's technical assistance where this initiative
has been fairly successful.