Islamabad (TW) – Pakistan is home to over 13,032 glaciers spanning the Karakoram, the Hindu Kush, and the Himalayan Mountain ranges, making its northern region the largest reservoir of glaciers outside of the polar regions. However, with striking changes in the climate, these glaciers and the habitats surrounding them are deeply troubled, with 10,000 glaciers reported to be receding.
The Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) Project, implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in partnership with the Ministry of Climate Change & Environmental Coordination and supported by the Green Climate Fund, is focused on overcoming the climate vulnerabilities of the valleys of Gilgit Baltistan (GB) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). The project aims to protect communities from the impacts of GLOFs resulting from significant glacial melts. In collaboration with Cirrus Pakistan, the project is rolling out awareness sessions at various universities and colleges in GB and KP, leading up to a climate-centric hackathon to incubate ideas and solutions based on local knowledge to propel climate adaptation mechanisms and programming.
Applicants are invited to submit their concepts for advancing climate-conscious solutions through livelihood interventions and innovative disaster risk reduction practices, among other focus areas. In this respect, the Dr. Allah Ditta, Associate Professor/Chairman, Department of Environmental Sciences of the Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University Sheringal, Dir said, “Collective efforts in engaging our youth through such initiatives will pave the way for innovative solutions to combat the severe impacts of climate change in our region.”
Sumaira Gul, a student of Karakoram International University, (Chilas) Diamer Campus, discussed the need to invest in climate-centric solutions to overcome the impacts of global warming during the awareness session. “The severity of the situation has encouraged me to participate in this hackathon, hoping to contribute to sustainable solutions that will protect our communities and environment,” she added.
UNDP’s GLOF-II project works in 16 valleys of Gilgit Baltistan and 8 valleys in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It empowers communities to identify and manage risks associated with GLOFs and related impacts of climate change, strengthens public services to lower the risk of disasters related to GLOFs, and improves community preparedness and disaster response. The project also supports the development of sustainable livelihood options in project areas, with a particular focus on the participation of women in ensuring food security and livelihoods.