ilgit-Baltistan is a region of magnificent mountains, glistening glaciers and diverse eco-systems. It has more glaciers than any other country outside the polar region. Here the people are heavily dependent on the water flows from the glaciers both for irrigation and for drinking.

The rise in climate hazards like the glacial lake outburst floods (GLOF) and flash floods is causing water scarcity and destruction of property and livelihoods. Local communities in Gilgit-Baltistan have been addressing these changes in climate through the use of methods that incorporate indigenous knowledge. Glacier grafting highlights the importance of indigenous knowledge and how it has led to water conservation in the glacier regions of Gilgit-Baltistan where the accelerating climate change is causing rapid melting of these glaciers resulting in seasonal water shortage for them.

Local communities in Gilgit-Baltistan perceive and react to environmental problems, incorporating their own indigenous knowledge systems. The changes in rainfall patterns and increase in climate-related disasters like GLOFs, flash floods and extreme weather events have intensified water shortage and disrupted livelihoods. Some of the local communities perceive these changes from a spiritual perspective. Climate change is seen as a disruption of balance between humans and other living things, and not just as a physical phenomenon. Mountains, glaciers, rivers and winds are all regarded as living entities whose behaviour responds to human actions.

In Gilgit-Baltistan, there are two main types of indigenous knowledge systems: shamanic knowledge and ecological knowledge. The shamanic system views climate change as a result of spiritual imbalance, disrespect to spirits or neglecting rituals and taboos. In contrast, ecological knowledge has been cumulated by farmers, pastoralists, herders and shepherds. They use this knowledge to interpret weather patterns and guide agricultural practices. The indigenous methods used for water conservation in Gilgit-Baltistan are influenced by these knowledge systems.

Mountains, glaciers, rivers and winds may be regarded as living entities whose behaviour depends on human actions.

Gilgit-Baltistan is facing the challenge of water accessibility. The constrained access is placing the mountain eco-systems and communities at risk. To ensure a sustainable water supply and adapt to the current climate realities, the locals have adopted indigenous techniques in the form of glacier grafting for water conservation. Glacier grafting, a centuries-old indigenous practice, locally known as Gang Khswa (Glacier Marriage) represents a profound fusion of Balti ecological wisdom, spiritual cosmology and low-cost water engineering. It transforms barren micro-climates into living reservoirs of melt-water. Local communities have, for over 600 years, ritually combined fragments of male and female glaciers in shaded caves at 4,000-5,000 metres above sea level, using traditional additives, prayers and deep generational knowledge of micro-climates to create artificial glaciers that serve as reliable sources of melt-water. The most interesting part is that villagers perform a ritual to marry the two glaciers together. The villagers perform special prayers and sacrifices for this occasion, often sacrificing animals. After 10 to 15 years of a successful graft a new glacier forms and becomes a source of continued water supply that gradually increases and is then able to feed large areas of pastoral and agricultural land. This ritual is practiced in several areas including Skardu, Nasirabad, Gojal and Hunza.

Recently, some NGOs working in these areas have used the indigenous knowledge of glacier grafting to build ice stupas. An ice stupa is another example of fusion of indigenous knowledge and science. It is used to store winter water in the form of conical ice heaps. During summer when water is scarce, the stupa melts to supplement water supply for crops. The conical shape reduces the surface area receiving direct solar radiation, thereby slowing down the melting. This low-tech solution is proving a lifeline, showing how indigenous knowledge can help protect vulnerable mountain lives against a warming world.

It may be argued that artificial glaciers or ice reservoirs created through glacial grafting can be considered a form of technology used to mitigate seasonal shortages of water.

Given the unprecedented speed of glacial melt and shifting weather patterns, glacial grafting cannot remain static. It is not a relic, but a foundation. For long-term resilience, the indigenous practice must be supported by investments, such as strategic river embankments and spillways and integrated with modern hydrological data. The looming crisis of water scarcity and poverty will not pause for miracles. It demands a hybrid path forward that honours the past, acts in the present and empower local communities to lead. The answer is not waiting for innovation, but recognising what works and has always been there.

The author is a student of environmental studies and law at Lahore University of Management Sciences.