{"id":47282,"date":"2025-06-05T22:51:18","date_gmt":"2025-06-05T22:51:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pakistanintheworld.pk\/live\/?p=47282"},"modified":"2025-06-05T22:51:18","modified_gmt":"2025-06-05T22:51:18","slug":"glacial-devastation-in-switzerland-and-nepal-reinforced-the-urgency-of-the-preservation-of-glaciers-conference-in-dushanbe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pakistanintheworld.pk\/live\/glacial-devastation-in-switzerland-and-nepal-reinforced-the-urgency-of-the-preservation-of-glaciers-conference-in-dushanbe\/","title":{"rendered":"Glacial Devastation in Switzerland and Nepal Reinforced the Urgency of the Preservation of Glaciers Conference in Dushanbe"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-47299\" src=\"https:\/\/pakistanintheworld.pk\/live\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Dushanbe-Glaciers-Conference-e1749163632274.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"300\" \/>ISLAMABAD: Monitoring Desk &#8211; The High-Level International Conference on Glaciers\u2019 Preservation in Dushanbe, Tajikistan concluded with the adoption of the Dushanbe Glaciers Declaration. The Declaration urges governments and stakeholders to enhance international cooperation and align global efforts to protect the world\u2019s rapidly melting glaciers and cryosphere.<\/p>\n<p>The urgency of the conference was strongly reinforced by unfolding real-world events. <strong>Just a day before the conference began, a glacier collapse in Switzerland buried the Alpine village of Blatten.<\/strong> Fortunately, due to continuous monitoring and early evacuation, the community avoided significant casualties.<\/p>\n<p><strong>A similar event devastated Tilgaun village in Nepal\u2019s remote Limi Valley<\/strong> two weeks earlier by an unseasonal flood caused by the sudden outburst of two glacial lakes located in the high mountains. The flood struck without rainfall or warning displacing the entire village. Displaced people now live in tents with no electricity or clean water. It took a week for relief materials to reach the village \u2014 transported by vehicle, carried by porters, and finally by horse \u2014 highlighting the remoteness and vulnerability of mountain communities.<\/p>\n<p>Held from May 29\u201331, 2025, the conference gathered over 2,500 participants including scientists, policymakers, practitioners, civil society representatives, and other key stakeholders from around 90 countries.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"p0hJ1U4X5F\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/pakistanintheworld.pk\/live\/president-tajikistan-calls-for-global-strategy-to-save-the-glaciers-suggests-7-points-for-the-preservation-of-water-resources-at-international-conference\/\">President Tajikistan Calls for Global Strategy to Save the Glaciers &#8211; Suggests 7 Points for the Preservation of Water Resources at International Conference<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);\" title=\"&#8220;President Tajikistan Calls for Global Strategy to Save the Glaciers &#8211; Suggests 7 Points for the Preservation of Water Resources at International Conference&#8221; &#8212; Pakistan In the World\" src=\"https:\/\/pakistanintheworld.pk\/live\/president-tajikistan-calls-for-global-strategy-to-save-the-glaciers-suggests-7-points-for-the-preservation-of-water-resources-at-international-conference\/embed\/#?secret=EEQoN11OdC#?secret=p0hJ1U4X5F\" data-secret=\"p0hJ1U4X5F\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>In his opening address, the<strong> President of the Republic of Tajikistan, H.E. Emomali Rahmon,<\/strong> emphasized the urgent need for united global action to protect glaciers and the broader cryosphere, which are critical to the planet\u2019s ecological and hydrological balance.<\/p>\n<p>At Forum 4: From the International Year of Glaciers\u2019 Preservation (IYGP 2025) to the Decade of Action for Cryospheric Sciences (2025\u20132034), Dr. Dipesh Chapagain, Senior Research Associate at GLOMOS, presented key insights on strengthening resilience, advancing adaptation strategies, and addressing the socio-economic impacts of cryospheric change.<\/p>\n<p>The forum served as a crucial platform for aligning the momentum of IYGP 2025 with a long-term, strategic approach to cryospheric science and global policy action. Dr. Chapagain highlighted several high-risk cryospheric hazards frequently cited in the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) of mountainous nations, including:<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Glacier retreat and snow cover loss<\/strong><\/em><br \/>\n<em><strong>Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs)<\/strong><\/em><br \/>\n<em><strong>Changing precipitation patterns<\/strong><\/em><br \/>\n<em><strong>Avalanches and snowstorms<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-47301\" src=\"https:\/\/pakistanintheworld.pk\/live\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Tajikistan-Glaciers-Conference.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"700\" height=\"276\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pakistanintheworld.pk\/live\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Tajikistan-Glaciers-Conference.jpg 700w, https:\/\/pakistanintheworld.pk\/live\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Tajikistan-Glaciers-Conference-300x118.jpg 300w, https:\/\/pakistanintheworld.pk\/live\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Tajikistan-Glaciers-Conference-696x274.jpg 696w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><strong>These hazards often trigger cascading disasters, resulting in infrastructure damage, loss of livelihoods, displacement, severe health consequences, and, tragically, the loss of life.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>While the Swiss government has already pledged support for long-term recovery in Blatten, the communities in Tilgaun do not know if or when they will be able to return to their homes from the tents. As the monsoon season approaches, fears grow.<\/p>\n<p>Tashi Lhazom, a youth leader from Limi Valley, launched a GoFundMe campaign to support her community and advocated passionately at the Dushanbe conference for a safer future for her village and other mountain communities facing similar threats.<\/p>\n<p>Tilgaun and Blatten are just two examples of countless mountain communities under growing risks due to glacier retreat and cryospheric change. As Dr. Chapagain emphasized, addressing these risks requires immediate and coordinated action, including:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Early Warning Systems:<\/strong> These must be accessible, timely, and understandable \u2014 reaching even the most remote communities before disaster strikes.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Community-Based Adaptation:<\/strong> We need to merge local knowledge with scientific expertise to design location-specific solutions. It&#8217;s vital to avoid maladaptation by ensuring these measures are sustainable and relevant to the community context.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Policy and Financial Support:<\/strong> National and international institutions must commit to targeted funding and inclusive governance. Mountain communities need both resources and representation to build resilience.<\/p>\n<p><em>GLOMOS plays an active role in the IYGP 2025, and is a member of Task Force 2: international conferences, regional workshops, and capacity-building, and Task Force 3: research and monitoring initiatives.<\/em><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"Y2JRLsRgnc\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/pakistanintheworld.pk\/live\/adoption-of-the-dushanbe-declaration-and-the-dushanbe-appeal-call-for-action-on-conservation-of-the-cryosphere-glaciers-are-major-outcomes-of-conference-in-tajikistan\/\">Adoption of the Dushanbe Declaration and the Dushanbe Appeal: Call for Action on Conservation of the Cryosphere &#038; Glaciers are Major Outcomes of  Conference in Tajikistan<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);\" title=\"&#8220;Adoption of the Dushanbe Declaration and the Dushanbe Appeal: Call for Action on Conservation of the Cryosphere &#038; Glaciers are Major Outcomes of  Conference in Tajikistan&#8221; &#8212; Pakistan In the World\" src=\"https:\/\/pakistanintheworld.pk\/live\/adoption-of-the-dushanbe-declaration-and-the-dushanbe-appeal-call-for-action-on-conservation-of-the-cryosphere-glaciers-are-major-outcomes-of-conference-in-tajikistan\/embed\/#?secret=QRogGuGH0l#?secret=Y2JRLsRgnc\" data-secret=\"Y2JRLsRgnc\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>ISLAMABAD: Monitoring Desk &#8211; The High-Level International Conference on Glaciers\u2019 Preservation in Dushanbe, Tajikistan concluded with the adoption of the Dushanbe Glaciers Declaration. The Declaration urges governments and stakeholders to enhance international cooperation and align global efforts to protect the world\u2019s rapidly melting glaciers and cryosphere. The urgency of the conference was strongly reinforced by [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":47299,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5623],"tags":[697,1103,6156,7169,850,7093,735,177],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistanintheworld.pk\/live\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47282"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistanintheworld.pk\/live\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistanintheworld.pk\/live\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistanintheworld.pk\/live\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistanintheworld.pk\/live\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47282"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/pakistanintheworld.pk\/live\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47282\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":47302,"href":"https:\/\/pakistanintheworld.pk\/live\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47282\/revisions\/47302"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistanintheworld.pk\/live\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/47299"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistanintheworld.pk\/live\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47282"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistanintheworld.pk\/live\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47282"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistanintheworld.pk\/live\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47282"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}