Glacier grafting: How an Indigenous art is countering water scarcity

"Residents in the northern part of the country are creating artificial glaciers to tackle water shortages amid soaring temperatures. Skardu, Pakistan As Pakistan grapples with the effects of rising temperatures that are melting its glaciers, residents in the country's high-altitude Himalayan region have adopted a traditional technique, known as glacier grafting, to counter water scarcity. Pakistan, home to an estimated 13,000 glaciers, ranks among the top 10 most climate-vulnerable nations, even though it contributes less than one percent of global emissions."

"The technique involves storing ice fetched from glaciers closer to human settlements amid periods of water scarcity. According to Zakir Hussain Zakir, professor and researcher at the University of Baltistan in Skardu, the earliest recorded instance of glacier grafting goes back to the 14th century, when the Sufi saint Mir Syed Ali Hamadani grafted a glacier in the village of Giyari."

"Over time, what began as a defensive act evolved into a method for managing water scarcity in one of the world's most fragile mountain ecosystems. People in the Ladakh region across the border on the Indian side also use traditional knowledge to preserve ice amid climate change and receding natural glaciers. A relatively newer technique has been developed in Ladakh to create an ice stupa, which is formed after spraying water in freezing temperatures."

Pakistan faces accelerating glacier melt and severe water scarcity as temperatures rise. Pakistan contains an estimated 13,000 glaciers and ranks among the top 10 most climate-vulnerable nations despite contributing less than one percent of global emissions. The National Disaster Management Authority warned that increased glacier melting will have significant impacts. High-altitude communities practice glacier grafting, or glacier marriage, by planting and storing ice at selected high-altitude sites to create artificial glaciers and supply water during shortages. Historical grafting dates to the 14th century and the practice has evolved into a deliberate water-management technique; nearby Ladakh also preserves ice and builds ice stupas.

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