Freezing winter streams into ice towers to water spring fields
Mountain farmers in northern Pakistan pipe winter stream water into the freezing air to build ice cones that melt in spring, when their fields need water most.
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The small thing
A farmer, Ghulam Haider Hashmi, told AFP that villagers discovered artificial glaciers on YouTube. Residents of Pari village tried the technique in 2019 and have repeated it each winter since.
The problem
In Gilgit-Baltistan's high valleys, farmers rely on snow and glacier melt, which usually arrives from mid-May. Planting time in March and April often has too little water, and warmer winters have reduced snowfall. Farmers had to delay sowing until May or June.
Why the villagers of Gilgit-Baltistan started
Villagers wanted to store winter water for spring planting without building tanks or reservoirs (Arab News). They adapted the 'ice stupa' method developed in nearby Ladakh, India, by engineer Sonam Wangchuk from 2013.
What they did
During December to February, residents pipe water from streams uphill and spray it into the air through a vertical pipe; it freezes as it falls, forming a tall cone of ice called 'Gang Pu' in Balti. The cone melts slowly through spring and feeds the fields.
In Hussainabad, a team of 25 volunteers took turns visiting the site daily to make sure water had not frozen inside the pipes (Arab News, 2021). The University of Baltistan and the UN-supported GLOF-2 climate adaptation project have provided technical and some financial support, but residents describe the idea as their own.
What changed
According to AFP (2025), the first ice stupas in Gilgit-Baltistan were built in 2018, more than 20 villages now build them each winter, and over 16,000 residents have water access without reservoirs or tanks. One farmer told AFP his village's eight stupas held about 20 million litres. Farmers interviewed said they could now plant earlier and, in some cases, two or three times a year. These figures are reported by AFP and have not been independently measured.
What they learned
Farmers told AFP the stupas had saved their fields and ended water shortages at planting time. Researchers caution that the method depends on freezing winter temperatures.
“We decided to make ice stupas to conserve water during winters”Villagers of Hussainabad (Skardu) and Pari (Kharmang), Gilgit-Baltistan, as quoted by Arab News
Copy this idea
Practical guidance written by our editors from the sources below. Adapt it to your place, and check local rules and safety first.
- Problem addressed
- Cold mountain areas where water is plentiful in winter but scarce at spring planting.
- What to do
- Pipe stream water from higher up and spray it upward on freezing nights so it builds a cone of ice that melts slowly in spring.
- Materials and resources
- Long pipe, a vertical spray pipe and nozzle, a reliable stream above the site, simple frame (optional).
- Approximate cost
- Low
- Skills
- Basic plumbing, understanding of local temperatures and gradients, teamwork.
- Time
- Set-up over days; daily checks throughout winter.
- People needed
- A village volunteer team sharing monitoring shifts.
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Risks and limitations
- Frozen or burst pipes, working in severe cold, ice collapse, disputes over water rights.
- How to adapt it
- Only suited to places with sustained sub-zero winter temperatures and a stream at higher elevation; seek advice from local universities or projects already doing it.
- Lessons learned
- Regular monitoring is essential; learning from nearby communities can shorten trial and error.
Why it matters
Ice stupas do not stop glaciers melting or replace long-term water planning. But they show how a mountain community can use simple piping and cold air to shift water from winter to spring, buying time for crops as the climate changes.
Policy connection
International commitments this kind of action contributes to. Listing a framework does not mean the person or group was working towards it.
- Paris Agreement, Article 7: The global goal on adaptation: enhancing adaptive capacity and resilience.
- SDG 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters.
What didn't work
Pipes can freeze, so volunteers must check them constantly. The method only works when temperatures fall below zero, and the ice melts through spring. Warmer winters and recent dry years have reduced snowfall and snowmelt in the region, according to an ICIMOD researcher quoted by AFP.
Editor's note
AFP reported in April 2025 that more than 20 villages build ice stupas each winter.
Sources: how do we know?
Evidence level: Documented. Supported by reliable published sources such as UN agencies, award bodies and reputable journalism. Not yet independently re-verified by our editors. What the person says and what independent sources establish are attributed separately in the text.
- reputable journalism
In Pakistan's Gilgit-Baltistan region, locals build artificial glaciers to freeze, store water — Nisar Ali, Arab News, 29 December 2021Supports: Hussainabad and Pari villages; Pari since 2019; 25-volunteer monitoring team; how ice stupas work; University of Baltistan and GLOF-2 support; resident quote. - reputable journalism
Artificial glaciers boost water supply in northern Pakistan — AFP (via Inquirer.net), 6 April 2025Supports: First stupas 2018; 20+ villages; 16,000+ residents; farmer found technique on YouTube; 20 million litres in one village; earlier planting; warming and dry years.
