project reports
Scaling up of The Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) Risk Reduction in Northern Pakistan (GLOF-II Project)
Project Brief
Global Warming has tremendous implications on the glaciers of Northern Pakistan, leading to extensive glacial melts which result in Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs), making human lives and habitations highly susceptible to the disastrous impacts of Climate Change. To address the threats posed by Climate Change in the form of climate-induced disasters such as GLOFs, the Ministry of Climate Change & Environmental Coordination, in partnership with UNDP Pakistan is implementing the Scaling up of Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) Risk Reduction (GLOF-II) Project supported by the Green Climate Fund to enhance climate-resilience of the communities in twenty-four (24) valleys of ten (10) districts of Gilgit Baltistan (GB), and eight (08) districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). The Project’s multi-layered approach to cementing climate resilience entails strengthening national and sub-national institutional capacities for climate responsive planning and development; and scaling up of community based Early Warning System(s) and long term climate-adaptation measures through capacity enhancement trainings to reduce GLOF risks, directly benefitting 696,342 people (348,171 men and 348,171 women).
Progress till date
The Project’s progress to date includes the procurement of 292 technologically advanced Early Warning Systems (including Automatic Rain Gauge, Automatic Weather Station (AWS) High Altitude (HA), Automatic Weather Station (AWS) Medium / Low Altitude (M – LA), Lake & River Water Depth Gauge, Water Discharge Gauge, Warning Posts) in the project valleys. Out of these systems, 15 have been installed in Ghulkin and Shisper (GB) and the construction of 143 base-platforms for the installation of the EWS has been completed. The Project has rehabilitated 172 irrigation schemes against a target of 240 (71% complete), while 230 small-scale infrastructures (gabion walls) have been constructed against a target of 250 (92% complete). 692 Hectare (Ha) of Slope Stabilization against a target of 700 Ha (99% complete) has been rolled out. For enhanced and sustainable climate action, 24 Community Based Disaster Risk Management (CBDRM) Committees have been formed (100% complete) in the Project valleys, along with community based Hazard Watch Groups in each valley, while the construction of 07 CBDRM Centres is complete against a target of 25 (28% complete). 02 Climate Change Adaptation Action Plans (CCAAP) for KP and GB have been developed, and 684 community sensitization sessions (CCAAP trainings, mock-drills, stakeholders communication and coordination workshops, GLOFs awareness sessions, and trainings on kitchen gardening) have been rolled out. Alongside the community awareness sessions, 07 community reciprocal visits have been executed. The Project continues to support the demonstration and documentation of indigenous best practices (Ice-Stupa formation, Glacier Grafting, Avalanche Harvesting), while IEC, advocacy, and outreach material for Climate-Change and GLOF awareness has been developed over the course of the Project period. The Project’s infrastructural and EWS interventions have benefitted 157,259 individuals (80,727 women, 76,532 men), with 51% of women having benefitted from the actions.
