Islamabad:The portrayal of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) in media remains largely event-driven, with 76.8 per cent of coverage focusing on the problem rather than solutions such as preparedness, early warning, adaptation and long-term resilience, a new study has found. It emphasised that GLOF coverage must shift from disasters to solutions.
The findings are based on an analysis of GLOF-related news stories, editorials and opinion articles published in English and Urdu national newspapers between June 1 and September 30 in 2023 and 2024. Conducted by Muhammad Saleem Shaikh, a climate policy advocacy expert and MPhil research scholar at Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU), the study, titled ‘Framing of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods in National Newspapers of Pakistan’, examined the frequency, prominence, themes and framing of GLOF coverage.
The research, conducted during 2024-25 under the supervision of Prof Dr Saqib Riaz, former chairman of AIOU’s Department of Mass Communication and a postdoctoral scholar at Indiana University, found a gap between the scale of GLOF risks facing mountain communities and sustained media attention.
Coverage generally increased after GLOF incidents rather than maintaining focus on risk reduction, preparedness, adaptation and early warning. English-language newspapers provided more detailed coverage than Urdu papers, while GLOF stories rarely received prominent front-page placement.
The Economic Consequences frame dominated coverage, followed by Conflict and Human Interest. Reports largely focused on immediate damage and losses rather than long-term resilience, coping strategies and policy responses.
With more than 13,000 glaciers, Pakistan’s northern region is a critical freshwater reservoir for South Asia, according to the Pakistan Glacier Inventory published in 2024 by Italy-based research organisation EvK2CNR.
The findings are particularly significant for Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where nearly two million people face recurring GLOF risks, said Muhammad Asif Sahibzada, Director General, Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination.
“The scale of the GLOF threat makes sustained and effective public communication an essential component of climate-risk management. Timely and sustained media reporting can help communities understand early warnings, preparedness measures and evacuation risks, while keeping GLOF-related vulnerabilities on the policy agenda and encouraging stronger institutional action for protecting lives, livelihoods and infrastructure in the country’s vulnerable mountain regions,” he said.
Prof Dr Saqib Riaz said the study showed that GLOF risk was not only a disaster-management challenge but also a communication challenge. “The findings demonstrate the need for Pakistani media to move from episodic reporting towards sustained, locally grounded and solutions-oriented coverage that can further strengthen public awareness, preparedness and resilience among vulnerable mountain communities. The study provides useful evidence for journalists, policymakers and other stakeholders seeking to further strengthen climate and disaster-risk communication in Pakistan,” he said.
Khalil Ahmed, climate expert at UN-Habitat Pakistan and former National Project Manager of the GLOF risk-reduction project, said the findings were relevant to disaster preparedness and community resilience.
“Effective disaster-risk reduction depends not only on early warning systems and physical interventions, but also on sustained public awareness and access to timely, understandable information. The study provides useful evidence for media organisations to strengthen climate and disaster-risk reporting and for government institutions to improve public communication, preparedness and community engagement,” he said.
The study recommends sustained editorial attention to GLOF risks, specialised training for journalists, closer cooperation with climate and disaster-risk experts and greater inclusion of local community voices.
It also calls on newspapers to use their agenda-setting role to make GLOF risks a sustained public-policy concern and help improve awareness, preparedness and resilience in vulnerable mountain communities.
Mr Shaikh successfully defended his thesis at AIOU before a viva voce committee headed by Prof Dr Syed Hassan Raza, Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities. UN-Habitat Pakistan's climate expert Khalil Ahmed said the research significantly contributed to scholarship on climate change communication, disaster-risk communication and media framing in Pakistan, while highlighting the role of news media in improving public understanding of GLOF risks and strengthening preparedness and resilience among vulnerable communities.
