Global warming impacts Himalayan glaciers
At nearly 4,000 meters (13,000 feet) altitude and with minimal rainfall, the Himalayan village of Sakti presents a challenging environment for farming.
Ladakh has a brutal, single-cultivation season,
says Gelak Gutme, a 65-year-old farmer who has cultivated wheat, peas, and potatoes for most of his life.
It is a desert with an extreme climate,
he adds.
Conditions have deteriorated during Gutme's lifetime. Due to global warming, the smaller, lower-altitude glaciers that previously supplied water for crops have vanished.
Now there is scarcity of water. Last year I lost everything - my entire field got dried due of lack of water,
Gutme states.
Short growing season challenges farmers
Farmers in the Himalayas face a brief growing season.
For generations, small glaciers sitting right above the valleys acted like frozen water towers, holding onto water all winter and releasing it right when spring farming began,explains Lobzang Fardod, a member of a local water management committee in Ladakh.
Now that those lower glaciers have completely vanished into a desert of dry rock, there is nothing left at the top to melt,
he adds.
The short mountain summer requires farmers to plant crops by May to ensure harvest before winter returns. A dependable water source in early spring is essential.
Early ice reservoir efforts
To secure water, some Ladakh villages began creating artificial ice reservoirs in the early 2010s. The method involved piping water from higher mountain elevations during winter and spraying it into the air to freeze, gradually forming large ice towers known as ice stupas.
These structures successfully provided meltwater in spring but were difficult to manage in harsh winter conditions, according to Fardod.
If temperatures dropped quickly below minus 20C, or sometimes minus 30C, the water in the pipes was liable to freeze, cracking the pipes and ruining the whole system,
he explains.
To prevent damage, teams of four or five farmers camped near the water source during winter, monitoring pipes and clearing blockages with boiling water, often at night when temperatures dropped most sharply.
Enduring those freezing, winter nights high in the mountains could be phased out,
Fardod notes.
Innovative hydraulic engineering in Ladakh
Because traditional water systems are failing, Leh-Ladakh has become a hub for innovative, grassroots hydraulic engineering,says Murtaza Ali, executive engineer in the Irrigation and Flood Control Division at the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council.
Leh, the capital of Ladakh, is a disputed region administered by India, bordered by China to the east and Pakistan to the west.
Limitations of the original ice stupa system
Besides the risk of cracked pipes, the ice stupa system was inefficient. Continuous water flow caused fresh water to melt previously formed ice on warmer days.
Automated Ice Reservoir (AIR) system upgrade
In recent years, the system has been technologically enhanced in partnership with the private company Acres of Ice. The new Automated Ice Reservoir (AIR) system precisely controls ice production.
Similar to the original method, water is piped from higher mountain areas, arriving at the valley floor under pressure and expelled through a vertical nozzle resembling a "massive fountain," according to Dr. Suryanarayanan Balasubramanian, founder of Acres of Ice.
The flow is computer-controlled via a weatherproof control box powered by solar panels and a battery. This control system is linked to a weather station monitoring environmental conditions, including water temperature inside the pipe.
If sensors detect rapid air temperature drops or water temperatures nearing critical levels, the system automatically shuts off the valve at the top of the stream and opens a valve at the bottom to drain standing water, preventing pipe damage.
This automation also improves ice production efficiency. Instead of continuous spraying, AIR emits bursts of mist that coat existing ice, then pauses to allow freezing based on wind and humidity before spraying again.
The system waits precisely long enough for that layer of water droplets to freeze solid based on current wind and humidity, then fires the spray again,
Balasubramanian explains.
He adds that AIR converts nearly all diverted water into ice.
The system operates automatically, connected via a local wireless network to control boxes and valves, with manual override options available to villagers.
Positive impact on village life
The AIR system appears to be improving conditions.
When we speak to the villagers, they are saying the groundwater is getting recharged and spring sources are getting revived. They are getting water in time. We are also planning a scientific study now to see exactly what impact it has made,says Ali.
During the winter of 2025, Acres of Ice and the local government implemented 10 AIR projects across Ladakh.
Our biggest challenge right now is to push the envelope in the technology to see how we can multiply the number of ice reservoirs we are building. With the same system that previously used to build only one ice reservoir, can we build a dozen?
Balasubramanian remarks.
Hope for the future in Sakti
Back in Sakti, farmer Gutme expresses optimism. The single AIR system has provided a more reliable water source, and he hopes the village will construct at least two more artificial glaciers.
I am a farmer, land is all that I have to survive on. I don't know the technology, all that I know today is that I have water to grow my crops.
We live in harsh climate that makes our life difficulty and lack of water was creating more issues. Many of youths in the village wanted to go to cities to work. That would have been a disaster.
