GILGIT: Keeping in view the serious threat to glaciers from alarming global warming, a group of mountaineers and researchers from Shimshal Valley of Gojal tehsil in Hunza district are these days on a mission to create awareness about the danger of melting glaciers and necessity of saving glaciers from depletion.

Members of the group who began their expedition from Shimshal Village on Jan 1 have now reached Askoli, a remote mountain village in Skardu, after walking across the Braldu Pass. Before embarking on their journey to Askoli on Jan 6, they surveyed Mulungdi and Khurdupin glaciers.

Batura Glacier, Braldu Glacier, Snow Lake and many more these glaciers are the major source of water feeding major rivers in Pakistan.

Keeping in view this alarming situation, the Pakistan Integra­ted Moun­­tain Conserv­ancy Progr­­amme (PIMCP), an initiative by young researchers and mountaineers, is going to organise the 1st Winter Glacier Conservancy Awar­eness Expedition 2017.

The expedition members originally included Abdul Joshi, Niamat Karim, Daulat Mohammed, Bulbul Karim, Eid Mohammed, Ali Rehmat, Mansoor Karim, Syed Zaman, Jalaluddin and Hidayat Shah, all hailing from Shimshal Valley.

Of these members, Abdul Joshi, Saeed Zaman, Niamat karim, Hameedullah, Bulbul Karim and Daulat Mohammad were able to cross the highly difficult terrain, including Braldu, Lupke La, Snow Lake, Biafo, Khoordhopin and Yazghail Glacier.

A research expedition had already been held in which young researchers and activists, Adnan Mirza (Gulmit), Reena (Moork­hun), Reema Shimshal and Syed Ahmad Khan also took part.

The expedition was aimed at monitoring and collecting data to analyse the change in the glaciers due to global warming.

Samiullah, one of the researchers in the PIMCP, said the data and information collected during the expedition would be shared with various university students and organisations conducting research work on glaciers.

Pakistan — a home to world’s largest glaciers

For millennia, glaciers have formed lifelines of cultures, food production, livelihoods and biodiversity.

In modern times, these rivers of ice also considered as the water reservoirs or water banks of the country provide cooling water for power stations and water supplies for industry and hence contributing immensely in boosting the economy of countries.

Pakistan is home to world’s largest ice glaciers out of the polar region.

Spreading over an area of 16,933 square kilometres, there are over 5,000 glaciers in Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral regions of Pakistan, which include the famous Siachen, Biafo, Khoordhopin, Batura, Braldu and Snow Lake.

Published in Dawn, January 30th, 2017