Hilal Ahmad Bhat
Kashmir was known for having good climates and good environmental conditions. It was also said about this part of the world that—“if there is paradise on earth, then it is here, it is here and it is here’. These days’ conditions are being experienced totally different. Now we find exhausted glaciers, scarcity of water in water bodies and earthquakes are experienced. Severe environmental crisis are driven by climate change, resulting in rapid glacier melt, shrinking water bodies, and erratic weather, threatening regional ecosystems and livelihoods. Good area of water bodies in Kashmir have shrunk or vanished. Several lakes are losing over half their area. Warmer winters in the last few years are causing water scarcity, and increasing forest fires. What we experience these days
Climatic Changes/Environmental Crisis: Kashmir has been having recorded consecutive winters with below-normal precipitation. Reduced snowfall is weakening natural water storage, affecting rivers and irrigation. Warmer winters are disrupting orchards, crops and increasing pest outbreaks
• We now find exhausting glaciers which threaten water scarcity. 315 lakes have totally disappeared, and 203 are in the process of disappearing, destroying ecological biodiversity, with sites like Dal lake, Wular lake, Hokarsar and Anchar are now showing drastic shrinkage.
• People are engaged in clearing of forest covers and taking advantage of the changing climate .It is forcing a livelihood shift, with many moving from agriculture to tourism-related jobs, which paradoxically increases waste and pollution. This crisis is placing severe pressure on local communities, damaging infrastructure, and threatening long-term sustainability in the region.
• Shrinking snowpack and shifting rainfall threaten the Valley’s rivers, farms and orchards and fields meant for crop razing. Scientists say temperatures in the Valley have steadily risen over recent decades. Experts warn that policy responses have yet to match the pace of environmental change.
“While natural earthquakes in the high-risk Himalayan collision zone of Kashmir cannot be prevented, the region’s recent reclassification to Zone VI (the highest seismic hazard level) underscores a critical shift in risk assessment. Consequently, the priority must shift from prevention to aggressive mitigation and adaptation strategies to minimize potential damage.”
• Environmental Crisis in The Valley: Kashmir is facing a severe environmental crisis, with a 2026 CAG report revealing that 74% of its lakes have shrunk or disappeared due to urbanization and mismanagement, including 315 completely vanished. Key issues include rapid deforestation, reduced snowfall, melting glaciers, and alarming levels of air pollution from biomass burning. The crisis has spurred calls for a high-level inquiry into environmental degradation and stricter enforcement of conservation laws to save the areas ecological integrity.
• Geological Crisis/ Earthquake Happening: Natural Disasters are now increasing. We experience earthquakes very often. In the past we were experiencing earthquakes with large gaps of time.
Kashmir valley is highly vulnerable to earthquakes now, it is a silent crisis which has caused damage in the past too. The future studies with well-defined integrated approaches for seismic hazard assessment are highly needful. Recently happened earthquake was having an reaing of 5.9 on Richter scale. It may have higher reading in the future. We must adopt dynamic response analysis with simulations to earthquake excitations, the lateral loads are evident in residential as well as institutional buildings. The study highlights the earthquake vulnerability in Kashmir Valley and urgent need for risk based design decisions.
What To Do Avoid Damage Causing During Earthquakes: It is not scientifically possible to prevent natural earthquakes, particularly in a high-risk region like Kashmir, which is part of the Himalayan collision system. However, because Kashmir is now officially classified under the highest seismic hazard risk category (Zone VI) but seismic zone of valley may change now .The focus must be on mitigation and adaptation to minimize the damage.
In the valley of Kashmir, We have beauty provided by the nature
It is where we were having snow-capped peaks here and there,
It is where there lies a paradise, where beauty does reside,
It is the haven of peace, where love finds its nest.
(The author is a teacher at Govt High School Brakpora Anantnag. The views, opinions and conclusions expressed in this article are those of the author and aren’t necessarily in accord with the views of “Kashmir Horizon”)
