Pakistan Drafts National Strategy to Protect Glaciers

Pakistan has drafted a National Glaciers Preservation Strategy to address rising risks from accelerated glacier melt, as the country faces growing threats to water security and vulnerable mountain communities.

The draft strategy has been prepared by the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination and is currently undergoing stakeholder consultations. Inputs are being sought from federal and provincial departments, technical experts, and development partners.

According to the ministry, the strategy provides a national framework to strengthen resilience against glacier-related impacts on water resources, ecosystems, and downstream livelihoods. Rapid changes in glacier behaviour are increasingly affecting river flows and seasonal water availability across the country.

A key focus of the draft is systematic glacier monitoring and the integration of glacial data into national and provincial water planning. Officials said better data and forecasting are essential for managing future water risks linked to climate change.

The strategy prioritises strengthening early warning systems, particularly to reduce the risk of glacial lake outburst floods, which pose serious threats to settlements and infrastructure in high risk areas.

It also calls for improved preparedness and response mechanisms in glacier-dependent regions, alongside closer coordination between federal and provincial institutions to ensure effective implementation.

The ministry said the draft aligns glacier preservation and risk reduction efforts with Pakistan’s broader climate adaptation and resilience agenda, recognising glaciers as a critical part of the country’s climate-sensitive water and environmental systems.

Pakistan is home to one of the largest concentrations of glaciers outside the polar regions, and experts warn that rising temperatures are accelerating melt rates, increasing flood risks in the short term and water shortages in the long run.