Islamabad: Authorities have issued a fresh alert for the risk of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) in parts of Gilgit-Baltistan following intense melting and rising water levels in several high-altitude lakes, warning that thousands of people in downstream valleys remain vulnerable to sudden flooding.
According to the advisory issued on October 2, multiple glacial lakes in districts including Ghizer, Hunza, Nagar, Skardu and Shigar have reached critical levels, raising fears of breaches that could trigger flash floods, damage bridges and roads, and wash away standing crops and livestock.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), which monitors the region, cautioned that ongoing warmer-than-usual temperatures and recent rains have further destabilised fragile glacial structures.
Officials said that district administrations, local disaster management authorities and communities have been placed on high alert. Evacuation plans, community-based monitoring and stockpiling of emergency supplies have been advised, while local residents have been urged to avoid unnecessary travel near glacial streams and to remain in touch with local authorities for rapid response.
GLOFs, sudden surges of water released when glacial lakes burst through their natural ice or moraine dams, have become an increasing hazard in Pakistan’s northern mountains as climate change accelerates glacier melt. Studies show that more than 3,000 glacial lakes exist in Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with at least three dozen considered highly vulnerable to outburst at any time.
Pakistan has already faced multiple such events in recent years, with villages in Chitral, Hunza and Ghizer suffering heavy losses of homes, farmland and livestock. Experts warn that as warming continues, both the frequency and intensity of GLOFs are likely to rise, threatening not only local communities but also major downstream infrastructure, including the Karakoram Highway and hydropower projects.
In response, the Ministry of Climate Change and the Gilgit-Baltistan Disaster Management Authority (GBDMA) are working with UN agencies and NGOs to expand early warning systems, install monitoring equipment, and strengthen community resilience through training and awareness campaigns. However, limited resources, difficult terrain and lack of communication infrastructure continue to hamper preparedness.
Officials stressed that the latest alert is a precaution but urged immediate vigilance, pointing out that even a small breach could devastate narrow valleys where populations live close to glacial streams. “People must treat this warning seriously. Climate-related disasters are becoming more frequent, and preparedness is the only way to save lives,” a senior government official said.
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