Artificial glacier could help Ladakh villagers adapt to climate change

Engineers are creating giant pyramids of ice in the drought-hit Indian Himalayas to see if the melt water they release can help solve water shortages during the region's dry season

Villagers of the high desert of Ladakh in India's Jammu and Kashmir state used to harvest bountiful crops of barley, wheat, fruits, and vegetables in summer.

But for years the streams have run dry in spring, just when farmers needed water to sow seeds. They had water when it wasn't needed during the rest of the year, such as in winter, when Ladakhis let water gush from taps to prevent pipes from freezing and bursting.