IWT violations deepen threat to Himalayan glaciers
PESHAWAR (APP): In the shadow of towering mountains of Pakistan, where glaciers have nourished rivers and sustained communities for centuries, a growing sense of uncertainty among local communities about future water is taking hold amid Indus Water Treaty (IWT) violations by India since April last year.
For families living in the valleys of the Hindu Kush, Karakoram and Himalayan ranges stretching from Swat to Chitral, glaciers are more than frozen masses of ice but a lifeline for them.
They are the source of drinking water, irrigation, livelihoods and life itself. Today, however, environmental experts warned that climate change, coupled with Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) violations by India could place these vital ice reserves under greater threat of disappearing that may disturb ecological balance in the entire region.
Across northern Pakistan, residents are already witnessing changes in glaciers melt and weather patterns due to climate change.
“When I was a school student, I have seen large glaciers at Lower Kalam. Today these glaciers were hardly be visible there,” said Ataullah Khan, a 50 year old resident of Swat.
He said summers arrive earlier than before at Kalam Swat, temperatures soar unexpectedly, and snowfall has become less predictable.
“The weather conditions have changed in recent years in northern Pakistan with increased threats of floods in western rivers amid IWT violations by India,” observed environmental expert Gulzar Rehman while talking to APP.
“We have experienced very hot temperatures even in April, something that was uncommon a few decades ago at northern KP especially at Swat.”
For mountain communities, these changes are not abstract scientific projections but they are realities that can determine whether crops survive, livestock have water, and families remain safe from natural disasters.
Pakistan is home to one of the world’s largest concentrations of glaciers outside the polar regions mostly found in Gilgit Baltistan where over 7,253 glaciers were providing fresh water supplies to millions of people for irrigation, drinking and industrial purposes.
Besides 2,253 mighty, medium and small glaciers, including Baltoro (63km), Biafo (67km), Batura (57km) found in Gilgit Baltistan, the Khyber Pakthunkhwa’s Upper Chitral district was blessed with around 500 glaciers especially at Trichmir mountains ranges providing freshwater to downward districts of Khyber Pakthunkhwa, Punjab and Sindh provinces through rivers Swat, Panjokra, Kabul and Indus throughout the year.
Pakistan irrigation network has largely depended on these glaciers that continuously re-charge our rivers and irrigated system in all provinces.
These glaciers continuously feed major rivers, including the Indus, Swat, Panjkora, Kunhar and Kabul, supporting millions of people from remote northern valleys to the fertile plains of Sindh.
But experts said that IWT violations have put these glaciers under threats with looming water crisis in the region.
Dr. Salimur Rehman, former chairman of the Environmental Sciences Department at the University of Peshawar, said climate change besides IWT violations remain the principal cause of glacier melt. However, he warned that unsustainable water management practices and disruptions in natural river systems may further weaken the resilience of glacier-dependent ecosystems in the region.
“Reduced river flows, changing water regimes and ecological degradation can place additional pressure on already vulnerable mountain environments,” he said.
The consequences are being felt across the region. Rising temperatures and shrinking snow cover are accelerating glacier melt, increasing the risks of flash floods, droughts and Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) sudden and destructive floods caused by the collapse of natural barriers holding back glacial lakes.
Ironically, those most exposed to these dangers have contributed the least to the problem.
“The people living in mountain areas, who have contributed almost nothing to greenhouse gas emissions, are at the highest risk of floods and glacial lake disasters caused by rapid glacier melting,” Rehman said.
Experts warned that the negative effects of glaciers melting will not remain confined to remote valleys and mountains.
Pakistan’s water security is already under pressure due to deforestation and climate change. According to the National Water Policy, per capita surface water availability has declined sharply over the decades, reflecting growing demand and shrinking resources.
In the short term, accelerated glacier melt may bring more floods similar to those witnessed in 2010 and 2022. In the longer term, however, shrinking glaciers could leave millions facing serious freshwater shortages.
“With the constant loss of glaciers, flash floods are likely to become more frequent and dams will become dry cresting food and energy crisis,” Gulzar said. “At the same time, millions of people could face reduced access to freshwater besides affecting agriculture, livestock and aquatic resources.”
Scientific studies have painted a troubling picture for the broader Hindu Kush-Himalayan region, indicating that a significant portion of glacier volume could disappear by the end of the century if current warming trends especially IWT violations continue.
“Once ice melts in glacier regions, it is very difficult to put it back into its frozen form,” Gulzar explained. “When large glaciers begin losing mass, that process can continue for a very long time before stabilizing.”
Despite the challenges, experts believed strong action can still make a difference.
They emphasized stronger regional cooperation, adherence to international water agreements, improved water governance, expanded afforestation programs and greater efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
“Protecting glaciers requires collective responsibility and coordinated action,” said Dr. Salimur Rehman, stressing that glaciers transcend political boundaries and are essential for the water, food and energy security of millions of people across South Asia.
Environmentalists point to Pakistan’s recent afforestation initiatives as a positive step, while calling for greater international climate financing to help vulnerable countries adapt to the accelerating impacts of climate change.
For the people living beneath these icy giants, the stakes could not be higher. Every season brings fresh reminders that the glaciers are changing, and with them, the future of communities that have depended on their waters for generations.
As temperatures continue to rise in Pakistan, experts warned that the window for meaningful action amid IWT is narrowing and time has come for World Bank and International Community to step in and force fasist Modi Govt to restore IWT immediately.
“The time has come to address these challenges before we lose this invaluable source of water forever,” Gulzar concluded.
