03/08/2026
🏔️🔬🇮🇹🇵🇰
EXTREME WEATHER BRINGS THE SPANTIK LAB 2026 FIELD MISSION TO AN EARLY END
The severe weather conditions affecting and the prolonged disruption of road connections have forced the SPANTIK Lab 2026 team to bring the field mission to an early conclusion.
For four days the team has been stranded in due to torrential rainfall, landslides, flash floods, debris flows and damage to bridges and roads across the region. Several attempts were made to reach , but new landslides and continuing road closures repeatedly forced the team to turn back.
The resulting delays mean that there is no longer enough time reach the and complete the final phase of the scientific programme.
The activities planned in the area—including work on the meteorological and hydrological monitoring network will therefore have to be rescheduled.
Although the mission is ending earlier than planned, almost a month of intensive fieldwork has produced important scientific results.
The Italian-Pakistani team carried out monitoring-station maintenance, downloaded a full year of environmental data, installed new instruments, measured glacier melt and collected samples for microbiological and chemical analyses.
“We are, of course, disappointed that we cannot complete the final part of the programme, but the safety of the team must come first,” said Maurizio Gallo, Expedition Leader of SPANTIK Lab 2026. “The mission has nevertheless achieved important results. I especially want to highlight the exceptional value of our collaboration with our Pakistani colleagues. They have not simply been working partners, but true expedition companions, with whom we shared scientific activities, difficulties and decisions in the field. Their experience, deep knowledge of the territory and constant support were essential to the success of the mission.”
Davide Fugazza, Scientific Coordinator of SPANTIK Lab 2026, also emphasised the value of the work completed: “Despite the early conclusion of the mission and our inability to reach , the scientific outcome remains extremely significant.
We collected a substantial amount of data, carried out new surveys and sampling activities, and strengthened the monitoring network on the Glacier and in the surrounding areas. Results of this scale are only possible through long-term and equal cooperation with Pakistani researchers and institutions.”
The Italia team said goodbye to their Pakistani colleagues before travel to Islamabad and return to Italy.
The field mission is coming to an end, but we still have many stories to tell, scientific activities to explain and spectacular images of the Karakoram to share.
Stay tuned—the story of SPANTIK Lab 2026 is not over.
Spantik Lab – Mountain Laboratory for Climate Research is a project under the Water 4 Development Project, funded by Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale through AICS Islamabad and implemented by EvK2CNR in partnership with UNDP Pakistan
