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They have warmed Hanza and the devastation of the recent icy floods in the grazer is a severe indicator of the changing climate in Gilgit -Baltistan. In August 2025, the flood displaced more than 3,000 residents of the Talidas Village, where three new icy lakes were formed since – the Rashan Glov incident – converted many families into climate refugees.
Located between the great, snow -covered peaks, the Hanza Valley was once ancient Sno Fields, Hardy Alpine Flora and a cramping tape -breaking tapestry. However, this balance has been deeply affected by the harvesting of forests, which turned the valleys into a warm environment. Widespread forest harvesting has once exposed these shiny icy scenes at high temperatures, causing mass melting. As a result, solar radiation now absorbs temperature rise in the bottom of the valley, says Dr. Ghulam Rasool, a former director general of the department of Pakistan and a famous glacologist, Dr. Ghulam Rasool.
Hardy plants once rose above 4,000 meters, even in frozen temperatures. Many people had needle -like leaves, with stomata that was open under sub -zero conditions. According to Dr. Rasool, between 3,000 and 4,000 meters, wide leaf trees survive winter – -below 5 ° C -and will enjoy more than 20 ° C than summer temperatures.
“Less than 3,000 meters, fruit -powered trees such as cherry, plum and apricot are prosperous. They face temperatures less than 3 to 3.5 months annually, which is flourishing in hot conditions in the rest of the year.” These species severely damaged the region’s natural flexibility by rising global temperatures and widespread forest harvesting. “Forests play an important regulatory role their dense umbrella helps maintain snow and change the melting rates, stabilizing the glaciers.
As the forests are decreasing, the snow line always pushed the upper parts, which removed a significant natural buffer and exposed large areas with rapid erosion and instability. Dr. Rasool says, “The harvesting of forests was the first step towards making Hanza the environmental hotspot. Trees used by invasive water and eucalyptus trees replaced local species, which damaged the region’s environment.”
They prefer high and warm temperatures and have spread to Hanza: “… once contributing to the heat of the cooler valleys.” The temperature of the rising valley invites insects that ruin the fruit crops, rob the cherries, apricots and their sweeteners, and its production decreases. Temperature -sensitive plants, such as olives, are particularly affected.
In Babusar, and in the neighboring country Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, olive trees once enjoyed luxury development, which produces more black olive production. Locals set up oil extraction units to take action on olive oil for cooking and scanner.
“Today, only some remnants of indigenous olive species are fruitful at height. Other varieties have stopped tolerating the fruits.”
Once in the high altitude grass fields were large. “Now, now, since the temperature is rising below the valley, marketers come shortly to drink from rivers just before returning to their mountain peak houses,” says Dr. Rasool. This change shows how the growing heat is shrinking zone for mountain wildlife.
Not only has the temperature governments change due to the snow cover and the loss of indigenous plants, but also the region’s ability to support its unique geometry and dynamic, natural beauty, which once praised Hanza.
According to forests, forest life and the Department of Environment, the region once covered 249,205 hectares of forests. However, in recent decades, widespread forest harvesting and unpredictable development has rapidly reduced the cover. The result has been a serious environmental result, which often includes land sliding, flooding and environmental degradation. Forest harvesting, heavy rainfall and high temperatures are destabilizing glaciers, which contains the rising episodes of the cracked floods of the glacier lake.
The 48 -year -old mother of the three watched helplessly as a ‘Bible’ flood, thunderstood down the mountains, and destroyed 80 % of the village. “The mountains were crying,” they remember.
The region suffered a summer temperature in Gilgit -Baltistan in June and July this year. In Chala and Banji, the temperature rose to 47 ° C, accelerating snow and glacier melting. After that, in July, it received more than 70 % of the monthly average. This collection is a basic driver for glofs.
This season, a large number of floods were witnessed due to snow melt and heavy rains – from Ashkuman to Shaigar and Babusar Top.
In Hassanabad, Hansza, the situation is more complicated. It experimented with the increase of the glass glacier melting in 2018, which resulted in the formation of the Glacier Demid Lake, which interrupted the stream of water, in which Hassanabad departs from Mochur Glacier in Allah. From 2019 to 2022 – four consecutive years flooded – the lake was formed and bursting. However, there was no flood in 2023 and 2024 when the glacier increased and the water channel inside the glass glacier allowed the water to flow more comfortably.
But 2025 devastated the Hassanabad community as a large piece of glass, broken about 2 2 km long and 80 feet thick, which partially prevents the flow of the river, resulting in a rise in temperature. The pieces of this ice are more scattered after that.
Several glowing incidents of the glasspper glacier caused a massive flood in Hassanabad, affecting the Dean Village, which was due to high temperatures and wide rainfall in the last fifteen days of the last fifteen days of July and the first 15 days of August.
The fourth confirmed icy lake was flooded in July in the Roshan Village, Ghazar, which says Karmat Aleel, a professor of Gilgit, says Karakoram International University. The incident, created by a icy lake formed in 2022, created another dangerous 7 km long lake, which disrupted the river Ghazar and displaced 3,000 people from the village of Talidas.
Professor Ali says, “This is the second largest number of homeless people in the region since the 2010 destruction.
In the Gharzar, Amina Bibi’s life is destroying the village of Talidas by a cracked flood of an icy lake on August 22. The 48 -year -old mother of the three watched helplessly as a flood of ‘Bible’, rolled the mountains, and destroyed 80 percent of the village. “The mountains were crying,” they remember. His family, of 3,000 climate refugees, lost their home, apricot trees and olive oil shops. “Our pussy, our history, all are gone,” says Amina.
According to experts, the discharge from the lake is much higher than the arrival. It is seen as a positive symbol. If there are back, it can get out itself. “The temperature will fall after September,” says Professor Ali.
Rashan is at risk with four other icy lakes, indicating the need for a region’s vigilance. Floods have once again raised questions about reliable, initial warnings. Such systems are deployed in 24 smaller valleys in Gilgit -Baltistan.
Professor Ali says that the censor associated with the satellite is expensive, delicate and unreliable in a large, steep valley like Ashkuman. Advising local communities in Gilgit -Baltistan, highlighting their deep knowledge about local regions and weather, they propose low cost, community -driven manual alarm system such as sirens or bells to act as preliminary warnings. On the detection of flood marks, dynamic by the watchman, these systems can provide an important time to withdraw and overcome the damage.
Recent events in Hanza and Ghazar work a severe warning of the rapid climate crisis in Gilgit -Baltistan. Instant action is needed through forest harvesting and community -led warning systems to help these valleys regain their flexibility and re -develop.
The author is a senior news staff in Karachi.
