Indigenous communities in Pakistan graft glaciers to combat climate change

Indigenous people in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of northern Pakistan practice a technique called Glacier Marriages to adapt to climate change.

This method involves grafting glaciers together to increase their mass and ensure a steady water supply for the local population. Researchers Daanish Mustafa, Alex Bradley, and Tom Matthews conducted field inquiries into these practices to understand how local knowledge addresses hydrologic variability. The study looked at two sites where these glacier grafts reportedly succeeded.

The researchers argue that a deeper scientific understanding of the physical processes behind these marriages could help communities in other high mountain environments facing similar climate threats. The study also examines how these traditional methods challenge modern scientific frameworks. The authors propose a multiple evidence-based approach to help modern science and Indigenous knowledge work together. This framework aims to integrate different types of information to create more effective climate adaptation strategies.