Supported by the TEA-LP Rolling Fund under the Transforming Energy Access platform, a three-day workshop was held at the University of Baltistan, Skardu from the 4-6 August 2025. The workshop aimed to empower youth and community members through energy education, citizen engagement, and localised climate learning. The sessions were co-led by Dr. Kiran Siraj (LUMS Energy Institute) and faculty from the University of Baltistan, bringing together over 70+ participants, including students, educators, and local community representatives.

Aims and Objectives

The workshop was designed around a simple but powerful arc: Awareness → Reflection → Action. Its objectives were to:

• Build understanding of how climate change and energy use intersect in high-altitude regions like Skardu.
• Raise awareness of the indoor air quality crisis, often overlooked compared to ambient pollution.
• Train participants in citizen science approaches using air quality monitors and locally relevant clean energy options.
• Spark dialogue between communities, academia, and government stakeholders to support sustainable, place-based solutions.

Day 1 – Understanding Climate Change
Participants reflected on how global climate change is reshaping their valleys. Local voices described the vanishing of nearby glaciers, shifting rainfall, and increasing energy insecurity. Linking these stories to global science made the crisis tangible and immediate.

Day 2 – The Indoor Air Quality Crisis
Skardu’s bowl-shaped geography traps smoke and pollutants, turning indoor cooking and heating into a health and climate emergency. Students explored how reliance on wood, dung, and especially plastic waste not only worsens respiratory health but also accelerates glacier melt via black carbon emissions. Discussions of household energy options, such as improved cookstoves, solar heating, and insulation, showed how small, affordable changes could make homes healthier and safer.

Day 3 – Tools, Insights & Stakeholder Engagement
The final day brought theory into practice. Students learned to use PM2.5 and CO monitors, collecting and interpreting data from homes. This hands-on exercise gave them tangible evidence of what they and their families breathe daily.

The workshop also welcomed Muhammad Naveed, Director (Admin & Finance) of the Skardu Development Authority, who engaged directly with student questions. He emphasised the importance of localised R&D and stronger collaboration between government and academia.

Participant Reception & Feedback

The sessions were lively and interactive. Many participants expressed surprise at how their everyday household practices link directly to health and climate change.

One student shared: “I never realised burning plastic in our stove could affect the glaciers we depend on.”

Another reflected: “Now I can go back and show my family what is really in the air inside our home.”

Participants valued the blend of personal storytelling, scientific insight, and practical demonstrations, which made the learning relatable and actionable. The distribution of certificates at the end marked not just completion, but a transition from learners to clean air ambassadors.

Impact and Outcomes

The workshop achieved its aims by:

• Raising awareness of both global and hyper-local climate and air quality issues.
• Building technical skills in air quality monitoring, enabling participants to engage as citizen scientists.
• Highlighting actionable solutions for households, from fuel switching to better ventilation and insulation.
• Strengthening networks by bringing together students, university faculty, and government stakeholders.

The immediate impact was clear: participants left with practical knowledge, a commitment to share lessons with their peers and families, and a sense of ownership in driving solutions. The event also highlighted the importance of energy education as a tool for both climate adaptation and mitigation in fragile, high-altitude communities.

Looking Ahead

This workshop in Skardu is more than a standalone event; it serves as a template for community-rooted energy education across the Global South. By embedding climate and clean energy education in local universities and linking it with community voices, we ensure that solutions are not only technically sound but socially accepted and scalable.

Since then, students have begun organising their own follow-up workshops and awareness activities, showing how this first gathering has sparked a self-sustaining movement for clean air and climate action in Skardu.

The Transforming Energy Access – Learning Partnership Rolling Fund is a mechanism which supports partner-led energy education initiatives through funding. Our partners have already shown immense success with various faculty exchanges, workshops, conference representation and more. We are delighted to see how Dr Siraj’s workshop leveraged existing local partnerships and the TEA-LP RF support to catalyse an impactful intervention in clean air and climate.

– Written by Dr. Kiran Siraj & Andrea Fitzpatrick