Features

Local communities, for their part, have begun to address some of these issues: they are forming their own trader groups to facilitate legal trade and negotiate better prices.

Pakistan's experience reflects a broader paradox: pioneering legal frameworks coexist with entrenched prejudice, religious pushback, and international aid disruptions.

The holding centres often lack necessities like water and sanitation, and the people held there are lucky if they even receive two meals a day, as food stocks are often too low to supply enough meals. The need for blankets and winter kits is increasing.

One of the starkest examples is Imja Lake in Nepal’s Everest region. Until the 1960s, it was only a relatively small pool of meltwater high in the mountains.

As Kinnaur’s Deodhars stand sentinel, their rings urge action. Reforestation with drought-resilient natives, slope-stabilizing terracing, and AI-driven monitoring could blunt the edge. Community-led early warnings, drawing on local lore, might save lives where tech lags.

Consumer confusion exacerbates the issue. In the US, 6 per cent of waste – 3 billion pounds worth $7 billion – stems from misreading labels like “Sell by” (for retailers) or “Best if used by” (peak quality), prompting premature discards of safe food.

As protests grow, human rights defenders are calling on Pakistan’s new administration to take immediate steps.

Climate researchers warn that Pakistan has little time left. Without decisive action, disasters of the magnitude seen in 2022 and 2025 could become regular events.