For the First Time, Tajikistan’s Scientists Measure Winter Accumulation on Pamir Glaciers

In May 2026, a team of scientists set out for Glacier No 457 in the high-mountain Pamir region of Tajikistan. Their mission was to measure something that had never been directly assessed in the country’s history since independence: how much snow a glacier gains during winter.

The expedition, carried out from 6 to 15 May in the Gunt River Basin, was conducted with specialists from the Mountain Societies Research Institute of the University of Central Asia. Enabled by GEF support through the GEF-UNDP-UNESCO Cryosphere Project, it marks an important step towards building a more complete glacier monitoring system in Tajikistan.

Glacier field studies during the melt season are crucial for understanding the extent of ice and snow loss over the summer. However, it is equally important to assess how much snow these glaciers receive during winter to gain a complete understanding of their overall health. This snow is what helps replenish the glacier before the next melt season begins.

“Winter snow accumulation represents a fundamental component of a glacier’s annual mass balance and serves as a key indicator of its long-term sustainability. These observations allow us to evaluate whether seasonal snowfall is sufficient to offset mass losses during the melt season.”

explains Hofiz Navruzshoev, scientist from the Mountain Societies Research Institute.

For Central Asia, this knowledge is vital. Glaciers are among the region’s most important freshwater reserves, supporting river flows, ecosystems, agriculture, hydropower and livelihoods. As the climate changes, better field data are essential for understanding future water availability and climate-related risks.

On Glacier No 457, the team carried out around 60 snow-probing measurements, excavated and analysed five snow pits across different elevation zones, measured snow depth and density, and studied how snow accumulation varies across the glacier surface.

The results showed that snow accumulation can change significantly even across short distances. One part of the glacier may hold much more snow than another nearby area, and these differences are not always easily visible.

This is why direct field observations remain essential. Satellite data provide valuable information, but some details can only be captured by scientists working directly on the glacier. These differences matter because they influence estimates of glacier mass balance and seasonal water storage. The data collected during the expedition will support long-term glacier monitoring in Tajikistan, strengthen the national cryospheric database and improve projections of future water resource changes.

The expedition also reminded the team how challenging high-mountain research can be, especially as climate change makes weather and mountain conditions more unpredictable.

“Although weather conditions initially appeared favourable, they changed rapidly during the course of the field campaign. This experience emphasised an important lesson for researchers working in glacierized terrain: clear spring weather should not be regarded as a guarantee of stable or safe field conditions.”

says Hofiz Navruzshoev.

This is one of the areas supported through the GEF-UNDP-UNESCO Cryosphere Project, which in 2025 helped organise health and safety trainings for young researchers from Central Asia with Swiss experts.

As the first comprehensive assessment of winter mass balance on Glacier No 457, the expedition marks an important scientific achievement for Tajikistan. With GEF support, the GEF-UNDP-UNESCO Cryosphere Project is helping countries in Central Asia strengthen glacier monitoring, generate science-based knowledge for adaptation and support sustainable water resource management in a changing climate.

The GEF-UNDP-UNESCP Cryosphere project, titled “Strengthening the Resilience of Central Asian Countries by Enabling Regional Cooperation to Assess Glacio-nival Systems to Develop Integrated Methods for Sustainable Development and Adaptation to Climate Change”, is financed by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) through UNDP and executed by UNESCO. The project is implemented in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. It aims to address the region’s critical environmental challenge: the degradation of snow, glacier, and permafrost systems (glacio-nival systems), which are vital water sources for Central Asian countries. For more information on the project, please contact the Project Manager, Larissa Kogutenko (l.kogutenko@unesco.org), and visit the project website at www.cryosphereca.org

For more information, please contact Altyntomiris Baltabayeva: a.baltabayeva@unesco.org

Related content

• https://iwlearn.net/news/exploring-central-asias-glaciers-through-vr-developed-under-the-gefundpunesco-cryosphere-project
• https://iwlearn.net/news/summer-schools-equip-young-professionals-for-cryosphere-fieldwork-in-central-asia
• https://iwlearn.net/news/strengthening-the-resilience-of-central-asia-countries-to-climate-change

Words by Altyntomiris Baltabayeva.

Thumbnail by Pascale Amez/Unsplash