Back to news
25 Jun 2018 | SERVIR-HKH

Capacity building on Earth observation leads to Afghanistan’s first glacier inventory

Glaciers are a key indicator of climate change. Understanding past and present glacier behavior and analyzing possible changes help us understand the impacts of climate change on water resources. Cryosphere research across the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) indicates that most glaciers are shrinking and retreating. Only a few of the 50,000 glaciers in the HKH are consistently monitored. Inaccessibility and physically challenging terrain make field investigations and the mapping and monitoring of glaciers and glacial lakes impractical.

2 mins Read

70% Complete
Glaciated area in the Wakhan valley, Landsat 8 satellite image - false-color (653), acquired 2015 (Source: USGS)

In Afghanistan, glaciers serve as the headwaters of the Amu Darya River Basin and contribute to the Indus River Basin. A lack of baseline data makes it difficult to observe periodic changes in glaciers and to understand its impact on water resources.

The SERVIR Hindu Kush Himalaya (SERVIR-HKH) initiative at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) is collaborating with the Ministry of Energy and Water (MEW), Afghanistan to develop an inventory of glaciers and glacial lakes in Afghanistan. The inventory is possibly the first of its kind. ICIMOD is also working to train staff at MEW in using remotely sensed data to map and monitor glaciers. The data generated will serve as a baseline for reliable scientific information to support on water resource management in Afghanistan.

Daud Qazizada, Afghanistan’s Deputy Minister of Energy and Water, says that mapping and monitoring glaciers in Afghanistan using geographic information system (GIS) and remote sensing (RS) techniques has been a breakthrough in terms of collecting reliable data. “Prior to ICIMOD’s study, we only had some historical data and were not aware of changing glacier trends in Afghanistan. Today, we have an exact number and an estimated volume of glacier reserves,” he says.

To further support the inventory process and change analysis, ICIMOD has organized multiple on-the-job trainings for MEW staff at its headquarters in Kathmandu, Nepal. Experts at ICIMOD take MEW trainees through the process of mapping and monitoring glaciers using GIS tools and remote sensing techniques, and carry out quality assurance for the generated datasets. In addition, four Afghan research assistants work closely with MEW staff in Afghanistan to develop the inventory. The team is developing a database of glaciers from the years 1990, 2000, 2005, 2010 and 2015 to study decadal changes in glaciated areas.

The Afghan Ministry of Energy and Water is now equipped better to map and monitor glaciers. Once completed, the data will be freely accessible to researchers, planners, and decision makers through an online system. Ali Ahmad Usmani, the Afghan Minister of Energy and Water, says that he is elated to see young professionals engaged in technology. He adds, “GIS and RS are essential to assessing and monitoring glaciers, to understanding water availability and forecasting disasters, and to improving awareness and increasing access to information.”

SERVIR-HKH is a joint initiative of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). SERVIR-HKH has prioritized its activities on the themes of Agriculture and Food Security; Water Resources and Hydro-climatic Disasters; Land Cover, Land Use Change, and Ecosystems; and Weather and Climate Services with focused initiatives in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan.

SERVIR-HKH in Afghanistan aims to support the Government of Afghanistan’s efforts in capacity development, data accessibility and availability, and enhancement of provisions of user-tailored data and tools for informed decision-making.

Stay current

Stay up to date on what’s happening around the HKH with our most recent publications and find out how you can help by subscribing to our mailing list.

Sign Up

Related content

Continue exploring this topic

3 Dec 2015 News
Policymakers Instrumental in Mitigating Pollution and Climate Change in the HKH Region

Experts from the HKH region discussed efforts to integrate air pollution and climate change mitigation activities in Asia during a ...

25 May 2016 News
Developing Nepal’s Hydropower Potential

Significant contributions in drafting and presenting ‘Hydropower Environmental Impact Assessment Guidelines (HP-EIA) of Nepal’ to the Government of Nepal (GoN) ...

19 Jun 2018 Cryosphere
Institutional Recognition for Promoting Women in Glaciology Research in the HKH

Since its inception in 2011, the Cryosphere Initiative at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) has made a ...

30 Sep 2019 HI-LIFE
Adopting a flagship species approach to conserve biodiversity and habitats in the Hindu Kush Himalaya

An international workshop on the conservation of flagship species and their habitats in the HKH region was held from 28 ...

15 Sep 2016 News
HI-AWARE at the ’33rd International Geographical Congress’, 2016

Amina Maharjan, agricultural economist, and migration specialist with HI-AWARE, participated in the 33rd , held in Beijing between 21-25th August ...

25 Dec 2015 News
‘Serdhak – The Golden Hill’ Receives ICIMOD Mountain Film Award 2015

  On 14 December 2015, ‘Serdhak – The Golden Hill’, a Chapproma production, received the ICIMOD Mountain Film Award 2015. The ...

8 Apr 2015 News
Ramkumari Kumal’s story

How poor families with farmlands that are at risk of floods and animals’ foraying into them can barely eke out ...

11 Dec 2015 News
UAV Research in Khumbu Valley

Against the unparalleled backdrop of Everest and Nuptse, the late November sun warms the glaciologist slightly as he prepares for ...