When it comes to the climate crisis, the world continues to live in oblivion, neglecting the impact of its heedless behavior as long as such actions feed its hubris. Every year, world leaders convene for conferences of the parties to shed light on the silent catastrophe unfolding in different parts of the world, especially the global south, but no substantial action is taken to combat the climate crisis.
The Over-reliance on fossil fuels to meet energy needs leads to excessive greenhouse emissions, which have accelerated global warming. The primary impact of these emissions is their major contribution to rising Earth’s temperatures globally, ultimately causing the glaciers to melt and form glacial lakes. These lakes are prone to Glacial lake Outburst Floods. GLOFs are unpredictable events that result in releasing millions of cubic meters of dirt and water leading to countless casualties and destroying everything in their path. Asia, which is home to multiple mountain ranges such as the Karakoram, Himalayas, and Hindu Kush, also known as the “water tower of Asia”, has been reported to be most affected by vulnerabilities such as glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), rapid glacier recession and endangered Indigenous practices.
Pakistan hosts over 7,000 glaciers, ranking it as the country with the largest number of glaciers outside the polar regions. This ranking indicates the risk of disastrous consequences and impacts of climate change if drastic steps are not taken to mitigate the effects and tackle the impending threats. According to ICIMOD, Hindu Kush Himalayan glaciers are retreating at an average rate of 14.9 meters annually, with losses of up to 80% projected by the end of the century if emissions remain high. Losing glaciers at such an alarming rate would result in loss of lives due to flooding, poor economy, and water scarcity as Pakistan heavily relies on these glaciers for its water needs.
The government of Pakistan is aware of the vulnerability of the situation and the ticking clock which can explode at any moment if radical measures are not taken. The authoritative bodies have collaborated with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Green Climate Fund and devised a comprehensive policy framework to address the pressing issue, but the problem lies in its lack of implementation, efficiency, and pragmatism.
With the rise of emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence and IoTs, the world has leaped. Tackling with issues has become more feasible and accessible. Pakistan can incorporate such technologies in its policy program for Glacier Preservation and Water Security.
Pakistan should also strategise a policy on solar-powered irrigation systems to reduce excessive dependency on fossil fuels
Pragmatic Measures Pakistan Should Implement
It’s highly important to understand the nature of glaciers to combat its accelerating recession. For this purpose, Pakistan can invest in sustainable development as well as initiate an AI-based glacier monitoring system that can help examine satellite imagery and ground-based sensor data to complement the analysis by tracking glacier melt changes, snowpack thickness and ice volume.
Secondly, it’s important to be preemptive in approach rather than reactive. Investing in projects that can predict water flow patterns depending on the weather can be effective but not holistic. To make it more dynamic, incorporating AI can be beneficial as it can assist with more accurate glacier melt rates, precipitation trends, and temperature variations, and allow the managers to take precautionary measures against shortages or surplus according to the data provided.
Thirdly, it’s a renowned fact that floods cause the most casualties as they’re unpredictable, and alerting the public is a big task due to the lack of infrastructure and communication channels in Pakistan. To avert this crisis, AI can be incorporated into programs that can predict floods and send warnings to the targeted public through mobile apps or SMS texts to minimise the impact by alerting people to prepare for emergencies beforehand.
Carbon emissions are key factors responsible for accelerating glacier melt rates. Developing countries are highly dependent on fossil fuels for their economy because investing in sustainable development is costly. With the efforts made in the recent COP’29 summit like consensus on climate finance and carbon markets, carbon emissions can be mitigated more quickly. Pakistan can leverage such initiatives to invest in its climate policy by engaging with regional partners to lessen their greenhouse gas emissions and its execution can be made more effective through the introduction of the Pigouvian tax (a tax equal to the cost of environmental damage due to excessive emissions) on key contributors. Additionally, AI can be integrated into this model by using AI-based satellites to monitor and identify high-emission areas, ensuring more efficient enforcement of these taxes on non-compliant entities.
Pakistan should also strategise a policy on solar-powered irrigation systems to reduce excessive dependency on fossil fuels. Its execution can be made more effective by utilising an AI-based water distribution system to minimise the risk of exploitation and wastage.
Incorporating new technology into practical applications is not easy and cannot be adopted rapidly or overnight. A step-by-step approach needs to be followed along with collaborations with neighboring countries like (India, China, and Afghanistan) to achieve a consensus for equitable water sharing of the Indus Water River and promote joint management to reduce the risk of flooding and disasters. Along with that efforts to build region-specific agreements should be made to cut black carbon emissions from industrial hubs, vehicles, and biomass burning. Lastly, it’s pivotal that the funding from international sources is used efficiently, these funds from foundations like the Green Climate Fund should be keenly invested to support large-scale adaptation and mitigation projects.