ISLAMABAD: The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has launched the “Glacial Lake Outburst Floods” (GLOFs) project in partnership with the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination, supported by the Green Climate Fund.
The initiative aims to address climate vulnerabilities in the valleys of Gilgit Baltistan (GB) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
Pakistan, home to over 13,032 glaciers across the Karakoram, Hindu Kush, and Himalayan mountain ranges, has the largest reservoir of glaciers outside the polar regions. However, significant climate changes are causing these glaciers and surrounding habitats to face severe challenges, with 10,000 glaciers reported to be receding.
The GLOFs project focuses on protecting communities from the impacts of glacial melts that lead to outburst floods. In collaboration with Cirrus Pakistan, the project is conducting awareness sessions at universities and colleges in GB and KP.
These sessions will culminate in a climate-centric hackathon aimed at generating ideas and solutions based on local knowledge to drive climate adaptation strategies.
Applicants are invited to submit concepts for climate-conscious solutions, including livelihood interventions and innovative disaster risk reduction practices. Dr. Allah Ditta, Associate Professor and Chairman of the Department of Environmental Sciences at Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University Sheringal, Dir, emphasized, “Collective efforts in engaging our youth through such initiatives will pave the way for innovative solutions to combat the severe impacts of climate change in our region.”
Sumaira Gul, a student at Karakoram International University’s Chilas Diamer Campus, highlighted the need for investment in climate-centric solutions during an awareness session. “The severity of the situation has encouraged me to participate in this hackathon, hoping to contribute to sustainable solutions that will protect our communities and environment,” she said.
UNDP’s GLOF-II project operates in 16 valleys of Gilgit Baltistan and 8 valleys in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It empowers communities to identify and manage risks associated with GLOFs and other climate change impacts, strengthens public services to reduce disaster risks, and enhances community preparedness and disaster response.
The project also promotes sustainable livelihood options, particularly focusing on women’s participation in ensuring food security and livelihoods in the project areas.
Preceding the #GlacialHack Hackathon, @glof2pakistan with @cirrusismpk are rolling out awareness sessions at universities in GB and KP. The sessions aim to incubate ideas to derive #ClimateAdaptation mechanisms based on local knowledge.
📢 Applicants are invited to submit their… pic.twitter.com/d2aoDx0dED
— UNDP Pakistan (@UNDP_Pakistan) June 13, 2024
