View source for Earth:Ice stupa

{{Short description|Artificial glacier mound for storing water}}
{{Use Indian English|date=February 2020}}
{{Infobox project
| name = The Ice Stupa project
| logo = 
| image =Ice stupas near Phyang monastery DSCN7587 1.jpg
| caption = Ice stupas near Phyang Monastery in February 2018
| mission_statement = 
| commercial = No
| type = Water conservation
| products = 
| location = Ladakh, {{wipe|India}}
| country = India
| owner = Students' Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (SECMOL) 
| founder = Sonam Wangchuk
| key_people = Sonam Wangchuk
| established = {{Start date and age|2013|10|df=y}}
| disestablished = <!-- {{End date|YYYY|MM|DD|df=y}} -->
| funding = [[Crowdfunding]]
| budget = {{INRConvert|7500000}}
| current_status = Operational
| website = {{URL|http://icestupa.org/}}
}}
'''Ice stupa''' is a form of [[Earth:Glacier growing|glacier grafting]] technique that creates artificial [[Earth:Glacier|glacier]]s, used for storing winter water (which otherwise would go unused) in the form of conical shaped ice heaps. During summer, when water is scarce, the ice melts to increase water supply for crops. Channelling and freezing water for irrigation has existed for hundreds of years. It was adopted, popularised and scaled up by Sonam Wangchuk in Ladakh, {{wipe|India}} as a piece of art and reform. The project is undertaken by the [[Social:Non-governmental organization|NGO]] Students' Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh. Launched in October 2013, the test project started in January 2014 under the project name ''The Ice Stupa Project''. On 15 November 2016, Sonam Wangchuk was awarded the Rolex Awards for Enterprise for his work on ice stupa.
[[File:Aerial view of Ice stupa and Phyang monastery from flight IMG 2411 1.jpg|thumb|Aerial view of Ice stupa and Phyang monastery from flight ]]

Ladakh is a cold desert where [[Earth:Agriculture|agriculture]] is not practiced during the winter due to frozen soil and low air temperatures. During spring season, water requirement for [[Earth:Sowing|sowing]] increases whereas [[Earth:Stream|stream]]s dry up. With annual rainfall of less than {{convert|50|mm|in}}, agriculture  in Ladakh is solely dependent on snow and glacier [[Earth:Meltwater|meltwater]]. Due to [[Earth:Climate change|climate change]], the region experiences hotter summers with increase in melts along with shift in the timing and precipitation of the melts. Subsequently, during the spring season water is more scarce which in turn impacts agriculture and food supplies.<ref name="Ice Stupas: Conserving water the 3 Idiots way">{{cite news|title=Ice Stupas: Conserving water the 3 Idiots way|work=Forbes India|accessdate=21 November 2016|url=http://www.forbesindia.com/article/checkin/ice-stupas-conserving-water-the-3-idiots-way/39265/1}}</ref><ref name="Sonam Wangchuk Wins the Rolex Award ">{{cite news|title=Sonam Wangchuk Wins the Rolex Award |publisher=thewire.in/|accessdate=21 November 2016|url=http://thewire.in/81327/wangchuk-rolex-stupa-secmol/}}</ref><ref name="Ice Stupas: Water conservation in the land of the Buddha">{{cite news|title=Ice Stupas: Water conservation in the land of the Buddha|publisher=indiawaterportal.org|accessdate=21 November 2016|url=http://www.indiawaterportal.org/articles/ice-stupas-water-conservation-land-buddha}}</ref>

In the month of May, Sonam Wangchuk noticed the ice under  a bridge. Despite summer and lowest elevation in Ladakh, the ice had not melted since it was not under direct sunlight. Wangchuk realized ice could last longer in Ladakh if it could be shaded from the sun. Since providing shade to larger water bodies was not possible, Wangchuk thought of freezing and storing water in the shape of a cone that offers minimum surface area to the sun whilst holding high volume of water.<ref name="Sonam Wangchuk Wins the Rolex Award"/>

In October 2013, Sonam Wangchuk created the first [[Engineering:Prototype|prototype]] of {{convert|6|m|ft|0}} ice stupa by freezing {{cvt|150000|L|gal}} in [[Place:Leh|Leh]] without any shade from the sun. Water was piped from upstream using gravity. Electricity or machinery was not used for pumping water. The ice stupa did not melt fully till 18 May 2014, even when the temperature was above {{convert|20|C}}.<ref name="Ice Stupas: Conserving water the 3 Idiots way"/><ref name="Sonam Wangchuk Wins the Rolex Award "/><ref name="Ice Stupas: Water conservation in the land of the Buddha"/><ref name=IceStu>{{cite news|title=Ice Stupa - A Form of Artificial Glacier|publisher=Official website|accessdate=21 November 2016|url=http://icestupa.org/}}</ref>

Ladakh region experiences [[Water scarcity|water shortage]] for the needs of agriculture during spring season which restricts cultivating period further in a [[Earth:Subarctic climate|subarctic climate]] area.<ref name=IceStu/> By harnessing a fraction of the abundant wind, hydro and solar power potential of the Ladakh region without the need of [[Engineering:Energy storage|energy storage]], ice stupas can be made using snow cannons to irrigate all the cultivable land with crops, arcades, plantations, etc.<ref>{{cite web|title=Artificial snow is nothing like the real stuff|accessdate=14 February 2022|url=https://www.vox.com/2022/2/10/22926270/artificial-snow-beijing-2022-olympics-climate-change}}</ref>

With the aim to promote artificial glaciers and save water for irrigation, Ice Stupa Competition is being held since 2019. <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/villages-in-ladakh-compete-for-building-artificial-glaciers-738334|title=Villages in Ladakh compete for building artificial glaciers}}</ref> In 2019, 12 ice stupas were built. In 2020 around 25 stupas are being built.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdVijr10DZ0&index=2&list=FLIZ1T26GQyqCYeilnxljykQ Video about Ice stupa]
* [https://www.pbs.org/video/ice-stupas-of-ladakh-mpvxhx/ Adaptation: Ice stupas of Ladakh] PBS series hosted by climate researcher Alizé Carrère

{{Natural resources}}

[[Category:Glaciers]]

{{Sourceattribution|Ice stupa}}