How ice stupas in Ladakh are helping farmers store winter water in a warming climate

Since time immemorial, water has played a vital role for survival in the arid deserts of Ladakh. Previously, farmers used to use snowfall and glacial meltwater to water their crops in spring season. However, the changing climatic conditions have resulted in a shift in this natural process. Snow is melting at an early stage, whereas glacial water is receding to higher altitudes and melting in late seasons. In order to compensate for the water shortage in such conditions, ice stupas in Ladakh have emerged.

How do ice stupas in Ladakh store water for spring?

This concept of ice stupas in Ladakh was first brought forth by Sonam Wangchuk, an engineering expert from Ladakh, in 2013. He got his inspiration from the extreme conditions prevalent there coupled with rising scarcity of water and came up with a way of forming artificial glaciers in the shape of Buddhist Stupas.

While the water is being sprayed into the subzero environment, the water freezes into an enormous ice cone. This is essential since a cone has a smaller surface area in contact with the sun rays; hence, the rate of melting is considerably lower compared to that for snow and other flat ice surfaces. According to scientists, these man-made glaciers have been proven to melt five times slower than naturally occurring ones.

The first version of this structure was constructed in the year 2014 by Sonam Wangchuk and the students of the Students’ Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL). It stood six meters high, had the capacity to store 150,000 litres of water, and froze up till May.

However, success brought further achievements. For instance, in 2015, a bigger stupa was created in Phyang under the patronage of Drikung Kyabgon Chetsang Rinpoche. The construction was financed through crowd-funding that managed to collect more than USD 125,200 within only two months.

The effect was evident right away. When the inauguration took place, approximately 1,000 villagers planted over 5,000 saplings using the meltwater from the building. Bare patches of desert started showing the first signs of vegetation.

Modern ice stupas in Ladakh are capable of storing millions of litres of water and have already been built in many villages. In addition to being highly useful, ice stupas in Ladakh also represent innovation, community effort, and climate adaptation.

For more updates, join/follow our WhatsApp, Telegram and YouTube channels.