A FEW years ago, while hiking near the Masherbrum Glacier in Gilgit-Baltistan’s Hushe Valley, we witnessed a haunting sight: large chunks of crystal-clear ice believed to be a century old were floating downstream. This melting, driven by global warming, is stripping away snowcaps that took generations to form. It was a heartbreaking reminder of a crisis unfolding across South Asia.

The Hindu Kush-Himalaya and Tibetan Plateau — often called the Third Pole — hosts over 54,000 glaciers, holding around 10 trillion tons of water. These feed 10 major rivers, including the Indus, Ganges and Brahmaputra, sustaining nearly two billion people. While glacier melt contributes under 10 per cent of total river flow in most systems, it becomes vital in dry seasons. The Indus, however, is uniquely glacier-dependent, with 40-60pc of its flow coming from snow and ice. If global emissions remain unchecked, up to 75pc of glacier mass may vanish by 2100 — posing serious risks to agriculture, hydropower and water security.

Pakistan, with over 7,000 glaciers, faces a dual threat: glacial retreat and glacial lake outburst floods. Warming temperatures have formed more than 3,000 glacial lakes — 33 deemed dangerous. Over seven........

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