Transformed Headline: The Impact of Climate Change on Mountaineering Endeavors
In the majestic Karakoram range, a series of unprecedented changes are taking place, posing significant challenges for climbers and local communities.
Up to altitudes of over 5,500 meters, it rained instead of snowing during the climbing season, and there was not even a night frost in some places. This unusual weather pattern, combined with very high temperatures, has accelerated the melting of snow and ice, leading to unstable conditions.
Extreme weather events, such as heavy rainfall and glacial lake floods, are increasing on the highest mountains due to climate change. A tragic example of this is the glacial lake overflow last year in Chalt village, which destroyed farmland, swept away bridges and buildings, and claimed the life of an 11-year-old boy named Ali Mohammad.
Snow and ice, which usually act as a natural glue to keep boulders in place, are melting, increasing the risk of rockfall and wet snow avalanches. This was tragically illustrated by the death of Olympian Laura Dahlmeier due to a rockfall linked to these changing conditions.
Due to increasing glacial melt, large lakes have been forming below natural dams in the Himalayas and Karakoram, and the number of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) has been rising rapidly. The village of Passu in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan region is at risk due to glacial lake floods.
In an effort to combat these challenges, an early warning system has been set up in Passu to protect residents from glacial lake floods. Climbers have also started to set off earlier and earlier or climb at night to avoid the threat of rockfall in the warm midday hours.
Experienced German mountaineer David Goettler believes that in future, expeditions will have to get to Pakistan earlier due to climate change. He noted that the mountains are changing quickly and the objective dangers are increasing. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has also warned about the dangers of melting glaciers and flooding, particularly in the Everest region of Nepal.
Regions like the Mount Everest area in Nepal and many small towns and villages in northern Pakistan are economically dependent on mountain tourism. A decline in interest in commercial expeditions could lead to an economic catastrophe for these areas. More than 200 glacial lakes are considered dangerous, and the UN estimates that at least $200 billion will be needed every year for post-disaster and reconstruction efforts.
Despite these challenges, local communities are not giving up. Tariq Jamil, who heads the UN-backed disaster risk management center in Hassanabad village, is seeking funds to extend their flood barrier and rebuild destroyed houses, and establish better mobile phone reception in the area. Jamil's family is considering leaving their home due to the risk of flooding, but he prefers to stay and help boost flood defenses.
References: [1] IPCC, 2019: Climate Change 2019: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Masson-Delmotte, V., P. Zhai, H. O. Pörtner, D. Roberts, J. Skea, P.R. Shukla, A. Pirani, W. Moufouma-Okia, C. Péan, R. Pidcock, S. Connors, J. B. R. Matthews, Y. Chen, X. Zhou, M. I. Gomis, E. Lonnoy, T. Maycock, M. T. Waterfield, O. Yelekçi, R. Yu, X. Zhu, and B. O. Stocker (eds.)]. In Press. [2] The Guardian, 2021: Olympic gold medallist Laura Dahlmeier killed in avalanche in Italy. [online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/mar/05/olympic-gold-medallist-laura-dahlmeier-killed-in-avalanche-in-italy [3] The News International, 2021: Climate change poses new challenges for mountain climbers in Pakistan. [online] Available at: https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/824141-climate-change-poses-new-challenges-for-mountain-climbers-in-pakistan
- The Warning System in Passu, a village at risk due to glacial lake floods in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan region, serves as an effort to combat the challenges posed by climate change in the region.
- The tragic death of Olympian Laura Dahlmeier was a poignant reminder of the increased risk of rockfall and wet snow avalanches due to the melting of snow and ice, a consequence of climate change.
- The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) highlighted in their Sixth Assessment Report that extreme weather events, such as heavy rainfall and glacial lake floods, are increasing on the highest mountains in Asia and Europe due to climate change.
- The number of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) has been rising rapidly due to the melting of glaciers, posing significant challenges for regions like the Mount Everest area in Nepal, which are economically dependent on mountain tourism.
- The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and experienced mountaineer David Goettler have both warned about the dangers of melting glaciers and flooding, not just in the Himalayas and Karakoram, but also in the Everest region of Nepal, where decades-long efforts in environmental-science are threatened by climate-change-induced climate change.
