Melting of glaciers can lead to floods

Islamabad: The experts have said that if melting of glaciers in the country’s north, which are vital to sustainability of country’s agro-based economy, picked up the pace then flow in rivers would swell and could lead to devastating floods in the coming years.
They urged the provincial governments to increase budgetary allocations to strengthen irrigation network across the country and make public infrastructures, transport systems and buildings climate-resilient to avoid or reduce impacts of any possible flood-induced destruction in future similar to that the country suffered during 2010 floods. Published in the international Nature Climate Change Journal in May 2015, a renowned body of scientists from Pakistan, China, US, Canada, UK, Ecuador, Italy, Austria and Kazakhstan concluded in the research study that melting of Pakistan’s glaciers was likely to speed up in coming decades as temperature in mountain valleys in the country’s north escalated at a higher pace.