FOR many communities in northern Pakistan, the sound of heavy rain now carries a different meaning. It is no longer simply weather moving through the mountains. It is the possibility of roads collapsing overnight, rivers changing course and entire settlements being cut off within hours. The Met Office’s latest Glof alert arrives against this backdrop. In 2022, glacial flooding and extreme rainfall damaged homes, bridges and transport links across GB and KP. In Hassanabad, Hunza, a glacial lake outburst swept away a key bridge on the Karakoram Highway, disrupting travel and trade while residents improvised ways to move people and supplies across the damaged route. In Upper Chitral’s Reshun valley, families shifted livestock and belongings themselves as floodwaters surged through vulnerable areas before substantial outside help could arrive.

These episodes are becoming part of the region’s seasonal reality. Pakistan contains more glaciers than any country outside the polar regions, and warming temperatures are accelerating melt at a dangerous pace. When intense rainfall combines with unstable glacial lakes, the result can be sudden torrents carrying mud, rocks and debris through narrow valleys with little warning. The Met Office has identified vulnerable districts and advised residents to watch for changes in water colour, unusual sounds and rising stream levels. Such details matter because, in many places, local observation is the first line of defence. And in too many cases, preparedness has depended heavily on the resilience of local communities. Villagers, volunteers and small disaster committees continue to shoulder responsibilities that require strong institutional backing. Communication systems fail, access roads remain fragile and rescue operations are often slowed by terrain and poor planning. Authorities should already be positioning relief supplies, checking evacuation routes and ensuring uninterrupted communication with remote valleys before the weather worsens. The pressure on our northern valleys is growing. The state response must keep up.

Published in Dawn, May 22nd, 2026