Under the shadow of melting monoliths

Glaciers in the Golen valley of Chitral, Pakistan, are melting rapidly, forming unstable lakes that have triggered catastrophic glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) in 2019 and 2020. These floods destroyed homes, infrastructure, and the Golen Gol hydropower project, displacing residents like Safia Bibi and threatening communities across the Hindu Kush. Data from Pakistan's Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) highlights over 80 dangerous glacial lakes in the region.