Glacier Grafting: A Traditional Practice Combating Water Scarcity in Pakistan
In the face of rising temperatures and melting glaciers, Pakistan's residents in the high-altitude Himalayan region have turned to an ancient technique known as glacier grafting to combat water scarcity. This traditional practice, dating back centuries, involves 'planting' ice at specific high-altitude locations to create new artificial glaciers. As global warming intensifies, the impact of glacier melt is expected to worsen, making glacier grafting an increasingly vital strategy.
Pakistan, home to approximately 13,000 glaciers, is among the top 10 most climate-vulnerable nations, despite contributing less than one percent of global emissions. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has warned that the effects of glacier melt are likely to be significant as global warming worsens.
Glacier Grafting: An Ancient Technique
Glacier grafting, locally known as glacier marriage, is a centuries-old practice that involves storing ice from glaciers closer to human settlements during periods of water scarcity. The earliest recorded instance of glacier grafting dates back to the 14th century when the Sufi saint Mir Syed Ali Hamadani grafted a glacier in the village of Giyari. This act was both defensive and practical, blocking the route of invaders from Yarkand and providing a reliable water source.
Over time, glacier grafting evolved into a method for managing water scarcity in one of the world's most fragile mountain ecosystems. The technique is particularly effective in the Ladakh region, where a newer method, known as an 'ice stupa', is also practiced. This involves spraying water in freezing temperatures to create a conical ice structure that remains frozen for longer due to its shape and exposure to the sun.
The Process of Glacier Grafting
Glacier grafting involves sourcing 'male' and 'female' ice from different locations and combining them to create an artificial glacier. Volunteers collect around 200kg of 'male' ice from one valley and 'female' ice from another. Male ice is typically black, while female ice is lighter, providing more fertile water that enhances agricultural productivity. In ancient times, due to limited transportation, volunteers would travel on foot for several days, carrying the ice in traditional wooden cages on their backs.
The process requires specific materials: coal, grass, salt, and water from seven different streams. Before the grafting, the group recites Quranic verses, performs spiritual rituals, and prays for success. The materials, including the ice blocks, are carried to the site while adhering to environmentally respectful and culturally sacred practices, avoiding plastics and consuming only locally produced foods.
At the grafting site, a small trench is dug away from avalanche or flood-risk zones. The male and female ice pieces are carefully layered together, mixed with salt, coal, and grass. Water from the seven streams is dripped over the ice to bind the layers. Over several months, the pieces fuse into a single ice mass, and if the site receives seasonal snowfall, it gradually develops into a glacier. After surviving for at least three years and enduring seasonal snow cycles, the artificially grafted glacier expands and becomes a reliable water source.
Rituals, Spirituality, and Collective Effort
The spiritual and cultural aspects of glacier grafting set it apart from purely technical interventions. Ice pieces must remain in continuous motion from collection to planting, never touching the ground. Volunteers are often forbidden from speaking, using plastic, or relieving themselves near the site, ensuring a disciplined and environmentally conscious approach.
Historically, glacier grafting has been accompanied by local music known as Gang Lho, sung directly to the ice. These songs address the glacier as a living being, expressing prayers for its establishment and survival to aid the community's survival and livelihood.
Challenges and Future Prospects
While glacier grafting can provide a long-term solution to water scarcity, it is vulnerable to various challenges. The process may fail due to abnormal climatic conditions, such as during war, and military activities can harm glaciers. The mean temperature in Pakistan has risen by 1.3 degrees Celsius since the 1950s, twice as fast as the global average, which may limit the effectiveness of glacier grafting as a comprehensive solution.
Locals emphasize the critical role of glacier grafting in combating water scarcity and erratic snowfall, which affect irrigation, domestic consumption, and livestock. However, they also express concern about the rapid disappearance of this traditional practice. Younger generations, drawn to urban centers and alternative livelihoods, are less engaged in traditional irrigation, disrupting the intergenerational transfer of Indigenous knowledge.
Despite these challenges, glacier grafting remains a powerful example of how Indigenous knowledge, culture, and collective care have historically shaped survival in the mountains. As Pakistan continues to grapple with the impacts of climate change, this ancient technique may hold valuable lessons for adapting to and mitigating the effects of water scarcity.
