Kalam:
Asim Ali, a 55 -year -old resident from the village of Oshu at Upper Kalam, looked helpless that the water died in his stone house, following the Swat of the rising river.
The recent floods, triggered by the accelerated fusion of glaciers combined with heavy rain, have forced many villagers to hastily place sandbags around their houses to try to discover gushing water and personal effects.
“The water flow in the Swat river has increased every summer due to the rapid merger of glaciers and erratic precipitation,” said Asim.
The transport of stones on the donkeys of the neighboring mountains, Asim and his family try to restore their damaged house.
He recalled an era when the glaciers were much closer to the village. “Our streams sank regularly. Now they dry or flood unpredictably,” he said.
He blamed illegal construction, the melting of glaciers, stacking and deforestation to amplify the speed and destructive power of the river.
For generations, the villagers and Asim have mainly relied on irrigation fueled by glaciers to cultivate crops such as wheat, barley, peaches and apricots. But the evolution of water models has made agriculture increasingly uncertain.
“We now depend on the rain, which is rarely sufficient. Sometimes we lose entire cultures to drought or sudden floods,” he deplored.
Swat glaciers are vital for the Industry river system and its tributaries, providing water specific to millions and supporting the fragile ecosystem of the region.
However, their rapid retirement due to global warming is a serious threat.
“As temperatures increase, glaciers are retreating at an alarming rate, triggering ecological, social and economic consequences,” said environmental expert, Dr. Shafiqur Rehman.
Pakistan welcomes more than 7,253 glaciers-plus than everywhere outside the polar regions. Among them, the Baltoro (63 km), the Biafo (67 km) and the Batura (57 km) in the Gilgit-Baltistan, as well as nearly 500 glaciers in the Tirich Mir range of Upper Chitral, which feed the main rivers such as Swat, Panjkora, Kabul and Industry.
“Our irrigation systems strongly depend on these glaciers,” said Dr. Rehman, adding with rapid population growth and in shrinking of glaciers, Pakistan faces an imminent water crisis and, by extension, food insecurity.
Citing the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), he noted that the Himalayan region warms more quickly than the world average. Some glaciers lose up to five meters thick each year. Since glaciers act as natural tanks, storing water and gradually releasing it, their accelerated fusion upsets this balance.
