Orange Lada in the Tajik Pamirs

Climate change becomes all too real, when many of the streams and lakes on your map turn out to have shrunk, or worse, not exist at all. With only 50 mL left for the two of us, we were about to hike back to the nearest snow field. Luckily though, a little orange Lada came driving our way, out of nowhere. The two men inside kindly gave us a ride to the nearest settlement, where we were welcomed with copious amounts of tea.

Whilst climate change usually makes one think about rising sea levels and drowning coastal communities, the inhabitants of the high Pamirs and similar Alpine environments are under threat of exactly the opposite: diminishing water supplies. Rapidly shrinking water sources due to reduced snowfall are bound to make life in Gorno-Badakhshan even harsher than it is today.