Gilgit-Baltistan, 5 January 2022 (TDI): Bibi Twaoos sits with the fear of floods dawning on her homes and lands in Northern Pakistan. Gilgit-Baltistan known for its beauty is facing serious environmental threats.
Burche is a region located in the Bagrot valley, which is a short way away from the city of Gilgit. Housing a population of 16,000 individuals houses, with 4 renowned peaks along with 13 glaciers which add to its beauty.
This is an entirely peaceful rural area than the usually busy streets of Pakistan. As it stands vacant of any technology or infrastructure aside from an automatic weather station. Thus allowing the people of Gilgit to live their lives in peace, traveling with their sheep in the summer to Burche and retreating into their village in the winters.
Dans les vallées reculées du nord du Pakistan, la fonte des glaciers menace de provoquer des dégâts énormes. @UNDP_Pakistan avec @theGEF ont installé des stations météorologiques, première étape de systèmes d’alerte précoce pour les habitants de la région. https://t.co/NjVny36Sfr pic.twitter.com/cbOHDcdhIX
— ONU Développement (@pnudfr) January 4, 2022
However, due to climate change and global warming, there is a rise in temperatures across the world, causing greater melting of glaciers and as a result, putting the livelihoods of villages such as these at cost. The flooding experienced by such areas leads to moraine that can lead to massive damages.
Moreover, according to an estimation, almost 5000 Himalayan glaciers’ moraines are unstable. This action is termed the unexpected unloading of glacial lakes.
Role of UNDP
The United Nations Development Program (UNDP), with the cooperation of the Pakistan Meteorological Authority (PMD), has set up 4 different weather stations in various regions to track sudden changes in weather. The information these weather stations gather results in collecting data that predicts the density, impact of flood, and the time of occurrence. Moreover, the gathered data helps in sending messages thus, alerting the residents through phone services about the impended flood. Additionally, all these weather stations rely on solar energy, a sustainable start to controlling the damages of climate change.
Furthermore, it is predicted that this project will further develop to install 50 more of these stations within the Gilgit-Baltistan and duly Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, under the support of the Green Climate Fund.
This region within the Himalayas is called the ‘third pole’. As it is considered to be the third coldest region on the earth after the north and south poles. It is also one of the biggest freshwater reserves globally.
Shisper Glacier
This glacier is one of the largest glaciers located within the region. It commenced its growth in 2018 now stands at being 12 kilometers long and 30 kilometers wide. There is a prediction that it might melt along with its neighboring glacier, Muchuhur Glacier. As a result of its flooding already in the summer of 2018, its slide only grew at a velocity of 43 minutes every day during the months May-June. Thus, causing two major floods that had devastating consequences to the residents exposed to them.
However, the initiatives taken by the UNDP and the Government of Pakistan aim to help 1500 people exposed to this risk. Along with the alert system, there are flow gauges and alarms to assist the families of the impending floods. This is a step towards sustainable risk management.
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