By Karim Muhammad Khan
Gilgit-Baltistan lies at the junction of the Himalayas, Karakoram and Hindu Kush. Its mountain landscape sustains tourism and thousands of local jobs. Yet this sector, and daily life in the region, depends on fragile basics: safe roads, bridges, electricity, water, internet and security.GB is also on the front line of climate change. Rising temperatures are triggering glacial lake outburst floods, cloudbursts, landslides and flash floods. The frequency and intensity of these disasters are rising, threatening the lives and livelihoods of 1.7 million people.[GLOFs]Erratic weather has become an existential threat. It is claiming lives, displacing families, destroying crops, damaging power, water, road and health infrastructure, interrupting children’s education, and leaving communities traumatised. During and after a disaster, the entire ecosystem comes under stress.
On June 7, 2026, GB elected a new Legislative Assembly. Twenty-four members were returned from across the three divisions on the basis of their manifestos. Yet, as in the past, generic slogans cannot address the region’s most urgent challenge:
climate change.Pakistan is among the ten countries most vulnerable to climate change, despite contributing less than one per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. The floods of 2010, 2022 and 2025 caused widespread devastation, including in GB.
Pakistan is a signatory to the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, which requires a shift from reactive response to proactive risk management. Key elements include: satellite data, AI and digital tools for early warning; localized risk mapping for landslides, GLOFs, drought and cloudbursts; an infrastructure risk atlas to assess vulnerabilities in housing, industry and transport; simulation exercises for district officials; and a National Disaster Risk Management Fund [NDRMF] to support climate-adaptive development. The Paris Agreement also requires a transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy.In practice, however, implementation in GB remains weak and disconnected from vulnerable communities.
The priority for the new Assembly should be to convert manifestos into a credible action plan. The government should adopt a short- and long-term strategy and mobilize technological, financial and human resources in coordination with AKDN, other NGOs and line departments. Plans must specify who will do what, by when, and with what resources.Second, enforce accountability and transparency. GB’s development and non-development projects are federally funded and require rigorous oversight. Media reports last year alleged corruption and misuse of funds under GLOF-II projects. Early warning systems in several GLOF-prone valleys failed to alert communities. In Thali Das, Ghizer, it was local shepherds, not sirens, who warned more than 300 villagers before a flash flood struck.GB must therefore use satellite monitoring and AI to track glacier lake formation and issue timely warnings.
It needs valley-specific risk maps and trained community volunteers for evacuation, rescue and relief. GBDMA, PMD, district administrations and AKDN should be equipped with resources, clear guidelines and timelines.Construction in floodplains and riverbeds must be prohibited. A climate-resilient building code should apply to roads, bridges, hotels and housing. Infrastructure damaged in the 2025 floods should be rebuilt to higher standards, and all projects should be subject to independent audits.Third, tackle deforestation. Forests moderate heat, protect glaciers and soil, and stabilize local climate. GB requires strict enforcement against illegal logging, supported by satellite imagery and drones to monitor remote forests. The forest department must be held accountable, and violations prosecuted without exception.Land tenure in forested areas should be clarified, as communities with secure rights are more likely to protect trees.
Since wood remains the main fuel for cooking and heating, households should be provided with subsidized LPG, biogas and solar panels, and energy-efficient stoves to reduce wood consumption.Finally, expand green cover. Large barren tracts across GB can be rehabilitated through drip, sprinkler and flood irrigation. AKRSP, the provincial Agriculture Department and IFAD are already implementing green projects in several valleys. These efforts should be scaled up.In sum, climate adaptation is not an “environment” issue. It concerns survival, development and dignity. Policy indicators must be monitored systematically, and the GBLA Public Accounts Committee should review internal and external audits of all climate-related projects.The mountains and glaciers that were once a blessing are now a source of risk. The electorate has delivered its verdict. It is time for systematic action.
