On the Karakoram Highway near Chilas town, two trucks loaded with solar panels have been parked for 24 hours. A landslide has blocked the road. A few valleys away in Ghizer district, another landslide has crashed into a water channel feeding a hydel powerhouse, one of the sources supplying electricity to Gilgit-Baltistan's capital. One landslide has stopped an alternative source of electricity from arriving; the other has interrupted the main source of electricity production. Both were triggered by intense rains that reportedly caused more than Rs20 billion in losses across seven districts in 2025. Local estimates, which include agricultural losses and damage to power infrastructure, put the figure closer to Rs30 billion. For Muhammad Anwar, the crisis has hit closer to home. He is the driver of one of the stranded trucks and an intended beneficiary of the government's free solar scheme. “I should have been in Gilgit today. The road is closed, the panels are in the truck, and at home we still have no light at night,” he said. Anwar's predicament reflects the energy problem confronting Gilgit-Baltistan. The region depends heavily on hydropower, but electricity demand continues to grow while floods, landslides and glacial lake outburst floods repeatedly damage the channels, intakes and other infrastructure needed to generate electricity. Floods stalling power supply Hydropower has long been central to electricity generation in Gilgit-Baltistan. The region's rivers and streams provide the water required to run small and medium-sized power stations, many of which supply local communities. But the same mountainous terrain that makes hydropower possible exposes its infrastructure to floods, landslides and glacier-related hazards. In May 2022, floodwaters submerged two hydropower projects and damaged a bridge, agricultural land, homes and water channels. Another GLOF from Shishper in 2025 again damaged infrastructure and disrupted electricity supplies in Hassanabad. While the region's hydropower infrastructure has expanded–the combined capacity of the 46 stations rose from 17.18 MW in 2009 to 65.319 MW in 2025–it has also expanded the infrastructure exposed to mountain hazards. According to an Islamabad-based think-tank focusing on sustainable development, decentralised power is particularly critical for Gilgit-Baltistan, where frequent disasters disrupt the central grid. The challenge is ensuring that households can afford complete systems, including batteries, and that solar becomes a reliable source of electricity rather than a panel they cannot use. In March 2026, the federal government allocated 58 MW of solar capacity for Gilgit-Baltistan, including 40 MW for domestic consumers and 18 MW for small businesses and IT-related use. A separate initiative has proposed 100 MW of solarisation, including household systems and solar plants near existing power infrastructure. While the government intended to reach nearly 148,000 households with free solar panels, only 15,733 households were selected through balloting. Of these, 12,008 families collected their units, while 3,725 left the panels in warehouses. Officials acknowledge that the additional costs have discouraged people from collecting or installing the equipment. A panel is only one component of a working solar system. Households must also arrange an inverter, battery, wiring, mounting structure, transport and installation. Depending on the system and location, these expenses can add Rs90,000 to more than Rs180,000 to the cost. For families selected because they cannot afford alternative sources of electricity, that is a substantial amount. “We went to buy the panel. They said it is free, but we have to buy the battery and inverter from the market. They asked for Rs150,000. We came back. How can we pay that?” said one beneficiary in Gilgit who has the solar plates dumped in the lawn. The scheme has therefore left thousands of households facing a choice between paying a considerable sum to make the equipment usable and leaving it uncollected or unused. The distinction between a panel and a complete system is particularly important in Gilgit-Baltistan. Electricity shortages are often most severe during winter, when hydropower generation falls and households need lighting after sunset. A panel without storage can produce electricity during the day, but it cannot meet evening demand on its own. For a household already struggling to pay its bills, the cost of completing the system can defeat the purpose of the subsidy. Beyond a household necessity Shamim Ara described winter outages lasting up to 20 hours a day. Solar allowed her household to use electricity during daylight hours and reduce expenses. Another local, Muhammad Saleem, installed a 3.5-kilowatt system and reported having a more dependable supply of light at home. Irfan Karim said the system meant children could study without waiting for the electricity schedule. Building on this success, AKRSP now targets 130 widow-headed households in Gilgit by focusing on lighting, cooking, and heating solutions through solar, and also extends support to 300 local enterprises and institutions, enabling broader economic and social benefits at the community level. Solar is also being used beyond household lighting. In mountain communities, glacier-fed irrigation channels are vulnerable to floods, landslides and changing water flows. Solar-powered lifting systems can help farmers move water where conventional channels are damaged or where water must be lifted to fields. Research on solar irrigation in Hunza has examined the potential of these systems in cold, arid mountain environments. UNDP and WWF-supported initiatives have also expanded solar pumping to additional sites. Another such intervention is solar-powered lift irrigation, which enables farming communities to draw water from rivers located far below their fields without relying on expensive and polluting diesel pumps. AKRSP has installed more than 60 solar lift irrigation systems in Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral. Solar innovation has also reshaped how households cope with harsh climatic conditions. More than 500 passive solar greenhouses now allow families to grow vegetables year-round, even during extreme weather. By harnessing solar heat to maintain stable internal temperatures, these structures have improved nutrition, increased household incomes, and reduced vulnerability during prolonged cold spells. A women-led fitness studio in Skardu operates on a 4-kilowatt solar system with battery storage installed with support from AKRSP. Before the installation, evening classes were often cancelled during power outages. “Most of my clients come after 5 pm. Without light I had to send them back. After the solar system with battery, we don't cancel.,” the owner said. The battery allows the business to use stored electricity after daylight hours. The system therefore addresses the specific period when the studio needs power most. AKRSP says its solar installations are designed around the actual load of a household or business, with storage and maintenance included. Its work in the region has also covered community hydropower. Since 1982, the organisation has supported 169 micro and mini hydropower projects across Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral, with a combined functional capacity of 18.6 MW. More recently, it has expanded solar interventions to households and community facilities where existing electricity supplies are inadequate. “A panel without a battery is not a solution for GB, especially in winter evenings. We always provide a complete system based on the household or business need,” an AKRSP programme officer said. Transportation delays Even when funding and equipment packages are secured, the region’s geography presents another bottleneck. The stalled trucks near Chilas demonstrate this obstacle. Gilgit-Baltistan's supply chain depends heavily on the Karakoram Highway. A landslide in Kohistan or Diamer can sever road access for days, delaying food, fuel, construction material and other supplies. Much of Solar equipment arrives through supply routes connected to Rawalpindi and then travels north along the highway. In winter, the closure of Babusar Top removes an alternative seasonal route. Remote settlements face an additional expense once the equipment arrives in Gilgit or another regional centre. Moving a system to a village in Astore, upper Hunza or Ghanche can require more transport, and installation may depend on technicians travelling to the site. These costs add to the price of the battery, inverter and other components. A scheme may cover the panel cost while leaving the recipient responsible for costs that are difficult to meet and potentially higher in remote areas. That makes storage, transport, installation and maintenance central parts of an energy policy for Gilgit-Baltistan, rather than optional additions to a panel-distribution programme. A wider outreach A broader development effort is also addressing climate resilience. The €54.24 million Gilgit-Baltistan Rural Development and Climate Resilience Project, involving the regional government, the European Union, Agence Française de Développement and the Aga Khan Foundation, aims to improve access to clean water, renewable energy and climate-resilient infrastructure. It is expected to cover all districts, benefit around 43,200 households and ensure that women account for at least 40 per cent of beneficiaries. However, the success of such initiatives will depend on execution–whether they reach every targeted household across all districts while offering subsidies to make essential components like batteries and inverters affordable for remote communities. Solar cannot replace hydropower across Gilgit-Baltistan, nor can it prevent landslides or GLOFs. Hydropower will remain an important part of the region's electricity supply. But household and community solar systems with storage can provide a second source of power when local generation or distribution fails.