In the freezing highlands of Gilgit-Baltistan, farmers have turned to innovation to beat worsening water scarcity by constructing cone-shaped “ice stupas” to store water during winter for spring irrigation. These manmade glaciers freeze water sprayed into sub-zero air, forming massive ice towers that melt slowly in spring—just in time for early planting.
Inspired by an idea from Ladakh’s Sonam Wangchuk, the concept has now spread across more than 20 villages in northern Pakistan. “We built our first stupa after watching YouTube videos,” said Ghulam Haider Hashmi, a farmer from Hussainabad. Eight stupas there stored nearly 20 million litres of water this winter.
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This method allows communities to start planting months earlier, increasing the number of harvests and reducing dependency on delayed natural glacier melt. “Now we can grow wheat, barley, and potatoes three times a year,” said Bashir Ahmed, a farmer from Pari.
With limited resources and growing climate challenges, these low-cost, eco-friendly ice stupas are now benefiting over 16,000 people—offering a local solution to a global crisis.
