A massive glacier lake outburst flood (GLOF) swept through Talidas village in Ghizer district on Friday, destroying nearly 80 percent of the settlement. Miraculously, no casualties were reported.

Locals credit the quick thinking of a shepherd, Wasiyat Khan, for preventing a tragedy. Living near the glacier,wasiyat Khan noticed unusual water movement and immediately warned downstream communities through mobile communication, urging them to evacuate before the floodwaters surged. His timely alerts allowed hundreds of villagers to move to safety.

The powerful flood struck Talidas village with full intensity, blocking the Ghizer River for almost eight hours and forming a lake about six to seven kilometers long. Authorities confirmed damage to 330 houses, the Ghizer-Shandur Road, vital infrastructure, livestock, and six nearby villages. Despite the scale of destruction, all residents managed to escape unharmed.

Adding scientific context, Sher Muhammad, Cryosphere & Water Specialist, explained the chain of events behind the disaster:

“In Raushan, Gupis, Gilgit-Baltistan, on 22 August 2025, a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) triggered a debris flow, damaging infrastructure in Raushan and blocking the river, which created a new lake. The upstream glacier, visible until early July, disappeared by August 7 amid significant warming this summer. An upstream debris flow or landslide likely impacted the lake, overtopped or eroded the moraine dam, and triggered the outburst.

The upstream lakes, including one more than three times larger than the lake that burst today, remain potentially dangerous due to the excess inflow from the drained lake. Another severe concern is the blockage of the main Gupis River. If the debris dam, made of loose debris, fails, it could unleash a much larger flood downstream.”

Disputed Narratives on Early Warning

Amid official claims of functioning early warning systems in Gilgit-Baltistan, locals strongly contested the narrative. A resident, Kamran Ali, responded to a tweet by Senator Sherry Rehman, writing:

“With all due respect, this is my place, my childhood, my home. Please don’t say things without proper research. Please don’t mislead people. There is no Early Warning System in Ghizer. In reality, it was the shepherd who saved lives, not any system.

The truth is, GLOF II has been consumed by corruption and backed by powerful family connections. Nothing ever reached the people who actually live on the frontlines. Please don’t turn our pain into a success story for headlines. What we need is honesty and real action, not empty claims.”

In response, Senator Sherry Rehman, who chairs the Senate’s Standing Committee on Climate Change, clarified:

“The early warning in this case was a community alert, which is part of the training offered in all EWS in GB. Four texts from GB shared this news and asked for amplification. My apologies if it ended up misleading. The entire area needs a web of different early warning systems, which is all I have been advocating for. All credit to the human EWS, aka the shepherd. Even in the tech EWS, the main pillar is the community for early warning.”

Expert Perspectives

Adding weight to the debate, Shoaib Khan Marwat, Senior Technology Analyst, observed:

“The whole system and technology on one hand and the shepherd on the other: the shepherd’s indigenous early warning system stood taller. It is a clear indication from nature to prioritise indigenous knowledge, nature-based solutions, and the empowerment of local communities.”

Highlighting deeper governance issues, Khadim Hussain Mowgam, Director (Additional Charge) EPA Gilgit-Baltistan, criticized the failure of international climate projects:
“The failure and mismanagement of the GCF-funded Climate Adaptation Project in Gilgit-Baltistan starkly illustrate the shortcomings of external interventions.

The project’s implementing agency, based in Islamabad, severely compromised its intended goals. During the recent floods, it was the traditional knowledge and swift response of local communities, local governments, and NGOs — especially the shepherds — who saved countless lives from these unprecedented disasters in Gojal and Ghizar.

Moving forward, the government must ensure accountability and prevent external agencies from imposing ineffective leadership and projects with disproportionately high soft components (60–70%) that lack tangible outcomes and without environment and climate vulnerability assessments. Instead, efforts should focus on strengthening local communities by enhancing their adaptive capacities and addressing economic vulnerabilities to build genuine resilience against climate-induced hazards in Gilgit-Baltistan.”

Building on this, Noreen Akhtar, Sustainability Specialist, highlighted the paradox of resilience in Ghizar district:

“A shepherd’s call saved hundreds of lives last night in Ghizar district of Gilgit-Baltistan which was hit by an extremely disastrous flood while an early warning system was nowhere to be found. While we celebrate this incredible act of bravery, it also highlights a painful reality: Where was the early warning system?

In 2025, no community should have to rely solely on human instinct in the face of climate disasters. This is a wake-up call for policymakers, disaster management authorities, and all of us in the development and tech sectors. Resilience cannot wait. Early warning systems are not a luxury—they are a necessity.”

A Region on the Frontlines of Climate Change

Climate experts have long warned that rising temperatures and accelerated glacial melting are intensifying the frequency of GLOF events in Gilgit-Baltistan. The Talidas disaster has once again highlighted the urgent need for stronger early warning systems, transparency in climate adaptation projects, and a recognition that local wisdom, science, and community resilience must stand together at the heart of disaster preparedness.