Ladakh is a cold desert where agriculture is not practised during the winter due to frozen soil and low air temperatures.

[2] In October 2013, Sonam Wangchuk created a prototype 6 metres (20 ft) high ice stupa by freezing 150,000 L (40,000 US gal) in Leh without any shade from the sun.

[1][2][3][4] The Ladakh region experiences water shortage for the needs of agriculture during spring, which restricts even further the cultivation period in a subarctic climate area.

[4] By harnessing a fraction of the abundant wind, hydro and solar power potential of the Ladakh region without the need for energy storage, ice stupas can be made using snow cannons to irrigate all the cultivable land for crops, arcades, plantations, etc.

[5] With the aim of promoting artificial glaciers and saving water for irrigation, an Ice Stupa Competition has been held since 2019.