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World Soil Day 2025: A Call to Reimagine Housing, Soil Stewardship, and Climate Resilience in Gilgit-Baltistan


World Soil Day 2025: A Call to Protect the Land That Sustains Gilgit-Baltistan

As the world marks World Soil Day on December 5, 2025, its message echoes with exceptional urgency across Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B)—a region perched on the frontline of climate change. Here, the fragile mountain soils, limited in extent and vital for both life and livelihood, are degrading rapidly. Accelerated glacier melt, erratic weather patterns, frequent landslides, and unsustainable land-use practices are all eroding the very foundation upon which the region’s survival depends.

In G-B, only a sliver of land is arable. Soil is not merely earth—it is food security, cultural continuity, and the basis of settlement stability. Once damaged, it cannot be easily restored. This World Soil Day reminds us that protecting the soil is essential for protecting the people.

Yet this year’s observance coincides with a timely development in Pakistan: a three-day international architectural conference, reported today by Geo News, where world-renowned architects, designers, and over 30 global institutions have gathered. Their discussions on materials, design innovations, and climate-adaptive construction place them in a perfect position to rethink architectural norms in an era of extreme climatic volatility.


Why This Conference Matters Deeply for Gilgit-Baltistan

For the people of G-B, the hope is simple yet profound:
Let this gathering inspire a reimagining of mountain housing.

Traditional homes—built with stone, timber, and mud—were natural insulators perfectly suited to the climate. They maintained thermal balance, respected the environment, stabilized slopes, and consumed minimal energy.

Modern RCC (Reinforced Cement Concrete) structures, however, have disrupted this harmony:

  • They heat like furnaces in summer and freeze like ice chambers in winter.

  • They trap discomfort rather than ease it.

  • They intensify energy consumption.

  • They exert pressure on scarce land and disturb soil stability.

  • They increase dependence on firewood, harming forests and accelerating erosion.

Thus, World Soil Day is not merely symbolic—it is a reminder that soil health, climate-resilient architecture, and sustainable living are inseparable. Protecting land requires that we build in ways that respect it.


A Vision for Climate-Resilient Homes: Geothermal Airflow Systems

Against this backdrop, a forward-thinking proposal—first highlighted by Yasir Arfat Lashari and later expanded in the article “Harnessing the Earth’s Energy” (Sept 4, 2025)—offers a transformative opportunity:
Geothermal or Earth–Air Heat Exchange (EAHE) systems.

Why Geothermal Airflow Makes Scientific and Economic Sense

Just a few meters underground, the soil maintains a stable temperature of 15°C to 25°C throughout the year. EAHE systems make use of this natural thermal consistency through a simple mechanism:

  • Underground pipes are laid 1–3 meters deep.

  • One end draws in external air; the other releases tempered air indoors.

  • A small fan circulates this conditioned air.

The result:
Cooling during summer
 Heating during winter
 Drastic reduction in energy needs
 Almost zero operational cost

Countries like Canada and Germany report 60–80% lower heating and cooling requirements using such systems.

Why Gilgit-Baltistan Is Perfectly Suited for This Innovation

  • Dense settlements can use centralized airflow systems for multiple homes.

  • RCC homes can be retrofitted; new homes can integrate pipes from the start.

  • Firewood dependence drops sharply—protecting forests and soils.

  • Indoor comfort improves drastically in weather extremes.


The Economic Reality: A Burden Too Heavy to Bear

An average household in G-B burns 70 maunds (≈2,800 kg) of firewood each winter, costing:

70 × Rs. 1,300 = Rs. 91,000 per household per season.

For families already struggling under climate-induced hardship, this is a crushing burden.

The environmental cost is even more alarming:
Deforestation → Soil erosion → Landslides → Glacier destabilization → Water insecurity for Pakistan.

Geothermal airflow systems can interrupt this chain of destruction.


Why This Matters Right Now

Gilgit-Baltistan is witnessing:

  • Hotter summers than ever before

  • Colder, more unpredictable winters

  • Increased landslides, glacial lake outbursts, and soil erosion

  • More RCC construction that magnifies thermal discomfort and energy needs

The region is caught between climate extremes and economic distress.

Geothermal systems offer a sustainable escape:

  • Lower heating/cooling costs

  • Less firewood consumption

  • Healthier indoor environments

  • Reduced carbon emissions

  • Protection of forests and soil stability

This is not a luxury—it is a lifeline.


Challenges Exist—But They Are Far from Insurmountable

  • Installation requires initial excavation and planning.

  • But the system lasts for decades.

  • Maintenance is minimal.

  • Long-term economic and ecological benefits far outweigh the initial cost.

Countries with colder climates and harsher terrain have already adopted this.
Gilgit-Baltistan must now summon the vision to innovate and the policy support to implement.


The Way Forward: Let Architecture Serve the Land

As the architectural conference unfolds, the expectations from the people of G-B are clear:

  • Adopt designs that cooperate with nature—not compete with it.

  • Favor materials and layouts suited to high-altitude climates.

  • Reduce the architectural pressure on fragile soils.

  • Integrate geothermal airflow where feasible.

  • Modernize traditional architecture rather than replacing it.

The wisdom of the past must meet the science of the present.


Conclusion: On World Soil Day, Let the Earth Guide Us

Gilgit-Baltistan stands at a critical juncture. Soil health, architecture, energy, climate, and livelihoods are parts of a single, interconnected reality. The earth beneath us—quiet, stable, and dependable—offers a sustainable path forward:

  • A stable underground temperature.

  • A renewable source of thermal comfort.

  • A chance to protect forests and soils.

  • A way to ease economic pressures on struggling families.

If architects, engineers, planners, and communities embrace geothermal airflow and nature-aligned housing, homes in Gilgit-Baltistan can once again become sanctuaries—warm in winter, cool in summer, and harmonious with the land.

On this World Soil Day, the message is clear:
It is time to build with wisdom, with science, and with reverence for the soil that sustains us.
The future of Gilgit-Baltistan depends on it.





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