Are Man-Made Glaciers the Answer to the Himalayas’ Melting Ice?
How one man’s plan to irrigate the Ladakh desert is drawing inspiration and critics
LADAKH, INDIA — In a region with scant water — less than 4 inches of annual rainfall — Sonam Wangchuk, a mechanical engineer by trade, has taken it upon himself to irrigate the mountainous desert of Ladakh, a sprawling Himalayan region that borders China and Pakistan. Ladakh translates to “land of high passes,” and with mountains that average about 20,000 feet, it’s no exaggeration. This combination of isolation and hostile environment has made this region imperiled and in many ways a fool’s errand. Wangchuk believes it’s an opportunity for true climate change.
He’s built a dozen man-made glaciers which he says release 2.6 million gallons of runoff to thousands of struggling farmers in the area. His designs collect ice in winter and then slowly melt that ice to hydrate parched summer fields.
Wangchuk’s man-made glaciers are 90-foot high domed structures shaped like traditional Tibetan Buddhist mounds. It’s so cold in Ladakh that when glacial stream water is pumped into the air, it…
