Gilgit-Baltistan farmer made Ice stupas to cut down water shortage by a YouTube video.

In the frost-covered valleys of Gilgit-Baltistan, local farmers are building artificial glaciers—known as “ice stupas”—to combat water shortages during the early growing season.

These towering ice cones are crafted by spraying water into sub-zero air, allowing it to freeze into massive structures that melt gradually in spring, providing essential irrigation when natural glacier melt is still weeks away.The inspiration behind these ice towers came from across the border in Ladakh, India, where environmentalist Sonam Wangchuk pioneered the concept. Ghulam Haider Hashmi, a farmer from Hussainabad, shared how they discovered the technique through a YouTube tutorial.

Despite political tensions, the idea crossed digital borders and offered a lifeline to communities facing climate-driven water challenges.Zakir Hussain Zakir, a professor at the University of Baltistan, shed light on the science, explaining that water must be sprayed vertically to freeze mid-air in sub-zero temperatures.

With innovation, determination, and a little help from online learning, these communities are turning technology into a tool for survival.