A gigantic section of the glacier broke off from Mount Ismoil Somoni, in the Tajikabad district of Tajikistan, on October 25th. An enormous mass of ice measuring approximately two kilometers long, 25 meters high and 150-200 meters wide.
It slid down a nearby gorge, causing no casualties or significant damage, but officials warned that ongoing rains and the risk of further collapse of the glacier could endanger agriculture in the nearby Gulrez area.
The Ismoil Somoni glacier, one of Tajikistan’s largest high-altitude ice masses, is critical to regional water systems. Which is why experts are convinced that this latest collapse markedly indicates the accelerating impact of climate change in the Pamir mountains.
The continued retreat of glaciers could have serious long-term environmental and economic consequences, particularly for the availability of water used in irrigation and hydroelectric energy production.
A recent study by the Austrian Institute of Science and Technology (ISTA) found that the once-stable Pamir-Karakoram glaciers have been rapidly losing mass since 2018. The researchers, led by Francesca Pelliccotti, observed a 40-centimetre reduction in snow depth and a one-third drop in annual precipitation, conditions they described as a “tipping point”.
The Pamir and Karakoram glaciers feed the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers, which support agriculture and energy production for millions of people across Central Asia. As glacier melt has accelerated, inflow into these rivers has dropped dramatically, threatening food and water security across the region.
The Times of Central Asia he had already told about the farmers of the Vahdat district, in Tajikistan, who have been grappling for some time with the melting of glaciers and the growing demand for irrigation.
Now, this devastating new event on Mount Ismoil Somoni reinforces the urgency of addressing climate-related risks, which now directly impact both ecosystems and livelihoods across the region.
Sources: Asia Plus / Emergency Situations Committee
