Glacier growing
Glacier growing, artificial glaciation or
Background
In the high Himalaya water is the limiting factor for agriculture and many farmers experience scarcity of water in late autumn - a period critical to the maturation of crops. Farmers living in watersheds without glaciers are especially vulnerable since they largely depend on snow melt for irrigation, in contrast to other areas where glaciers are a reliable source of water. In such communities glacier grafting is often attempted as a means to encourage the growth of new glaciers and thus ensure the existence of water resources.[citation needed]
Procedures
The first step involves looking for a suitable location to glacier growing. The preferred terrain, according to glacier growers in Baltistan and Gilgit, is in shadowed scree-slopes overlooked by steep
Ice is transported in baskets of woven willow twigs by teams of two and two, who take turns to carry the baskets. This usually involves ascents from lower lying valleys (around 2,000-3,000 metres above sea level) up to the site selected for the glacier growing.
Similar efforts are being carried out by the noted engineer Chewang Norphel, in the adjacent Ladakh region.[4]
See also
- Ice Stupa
References
- ^ Khan, S. (2005): Glacier Grafting, The Aga Khan Rural Support Programme 16, Skardu, Pakistan
- ^ a b Tveiten, I. (2007): Glacier Growing - A Local Response to Water Scarcity in Baltistan and Gilgit, The Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Master of Science Thesis (Abstract, pdf 65 Kb)
- ^ Inayatullah Faizi: Artificial glacier grafting: Indigenous knowledge of the mountain people of Chitral, Asia Pacific Mountain Network (APMN) Bulletin 8, Nr. 1. 2007, pdf, 600 Kb)
- ^ "Indian engineer 'builds' new glaciers to stop global warming". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 31 October 2009. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
External links
- Adaptation: Ice stupas of Ladakh Climate researcher Alizé Carrère examines the growing of artificial glaciers in Tibet
Media related to glacier growing at Wikimedia Commons