The Himalayan villages of Ladakh are harnessing the power of ice pyramids to combat severe water scarcity, caused by the retreat of lower-altitude glaciers due to global warming. This ingenious solution has been years in the making, with communities developing systems to store winter water as ice, which is then released as meltwater during their single annual cultivation season in May.
For generations, small glaciers situated above valleys acted as natural frozen reservoirs, providing a vital supply of water for farming. However, climate change has led to the disappearance of these crucial water sources. Gelak Gutme, a 65-year-old farmer from Sakti village, nearly 4,000m up, described last year's devastating crop losses due to lack of water, highlighting the urgent need for alternative solutions in this 'desert with an extreme climate'.
Some Ladakh villages began experimenting with 'ice stupas', a method where water is piped from higher mountain elevations during winter and sprayed into the air to freeze, gradually forming large ice towers. While successful in providing meltwater, these systems proved challenging to manage. Lobzang Fardod, a member of a local water management committee, explained the 'nightmare' of frozen pipes, which could crack at temperatures below minus 20C, sometimes even minus 30C.
However, thanks to advancements in technology, the 'Automated Ice Reservoir' (AIR) system has been developed. This collaboration between the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council and private company Acres of Ice uses computer-controlled ice production, significantly reducing the challenges faced by earlier 'ice stupa' systems. Dr Suryanarayanan Balasubramanian, founder of Acres of Ice, explains how water is shot from a vertical nozzle like a 'massive fountain', with precise management via a solar-powered control box linked to a weather station.
The AIR system also monitors environmental conditions, including water temperature within the pipes. If temperatures drop too rapidly or approach a critical threshold, the system automatically drains the pipes, preventing costly damage from freezing. Murtaza Ali, an executive engineer in the Irrigation and Flood Control Division, notes that this innovation makes the system not only more reliable but also more efficient at ice production, avoiding continuous flow that could melt existing ice on warmer days.