Asim Ali, a 55-year-old resident of Oshu village in Upper Kalam, stood powerless as floodwaters from the rising River Swat surged into his stone-built home. The recent floods, intensified by glacier melt and erratic monsoon rains, have left communities scrambling to protect their homes and way of life.
With limited resources, villagers like Asim rely on donkeys to transport stones from nearby mountains to rebuild their homes. Many placed sandbags in haste, hoping to slow the destructive advance of the water. “Each summer, the river swells more than the last,” Asim said. “Our streams used to flow gently, now they either run dry or flood without warning.”
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He blamed illegal construction, deforestation, and encroachments for accelerating the river’s destructive force. Swat’s villages, once dependent on glacier-fed irrigation for crops like wheat, peaches, and apricots, now face an increasingly erratic water supply. “We can no longer rely on glacial streams alone. Rain is our only hope, and it’s often too little or too late,” Asim added.
Environmental experts warn that Swat’s glaciers, which feed the Indus River system, are retreating rapidly. Dr. Shafiqur Rehman noted that Pakistan, home to over 7,200 glaciers, is seeing some ice masses thin by up to five meters annually. This threatens not only local ecosystems but also national water and food security.
With climate change accelerating and population growth continuing, experts stress the urgent need for adaptation strategies. If current trends persist, Pakistan may soon face an unprecedented water crisis, with ripple effects across agriculture and rural livelihoods.
