Himalayan Farmers Grew Artificial Glaciers

Since at least the 19th century, isolated farming communities in the Himalayas have created small artificial glaciers to supply their crops with water. Teams carried baskets of natural glacier ice from valleys at 2,000 to 3,000 meters to shaded slopes at 4,000 to 5,000 meters, where they placed it inside small caves with water, salt, sawdust, wheat husks, and charcoal. Snow and avalanches gradually enlarged the ice during winter and spring. The artificial glaciers then released meltwater for irrigation during drier months.

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