Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, has long been associated with cool breezes and pleasant temperature for those in the heat-baked thermals of the plains.
The city is now staring at harsh realities-37.4°C, the hottest July temperature since 1953 and third hottest since 1892! This heat episode is not an oddity, but rather an expressive signpost on the climate emergency on which we find ourselves making further descent.
For better or worse, Kashmir had long been known for its temperate climate-an area where summers rarely climbed above mid-30s. Nowadays, looking back to the last couple of years, there are rising temperatures, falling glaciers, unpredictable rains, and prolonged dry periods.
With the record highs in Srinagar for a July date after more than seventy years, one should now infer loud radio warnings: climate change is not an abstraction but something that is currently haunting us.
Farmers who depend on traditional cropping calendars are suddenly facing uncertainty from warm weather disrupting harvesting seasons and water bodies going dry, experiencing acute drops in water levels, such as that of the Jhelum and other streams.
In some ways, the tourism industry is the lifeblood of the Kashmir economy, so it would be injured if the image of Srinagar as a cool summer destination was lost. Too much heat is going to be damaging to the health of the most vulnerable groups.
Although climate change is a crisis faced globally, impacts can only be mitigated through local or regional action. The government must help mitigate reduction of opportunities through water conservation strategies to deal with drought-like conditions.
Afforestation is also encouraged in order to restore Kashmir’s green cover and combat urban heat islands. From climate-change-resistant infrastructure investment to preparation for extreme weather events, all options should be pursued.
The last action for government will be public awareness on sustainable ways, from reducing carbon footprints to preserving wetlands, the government must move towards actions going beyond the individual. By centralizing policy, the government can begin immediate vigorous implementation of adaptation-related actions and take additional steps towards strengthening and implementing environmental regulatory frameworks.
That record heat in Srinagar is not simply an odd observation. It is a signal. If it is ignored, there will be negative and irreversible impacts on Kashmir’s fragile ecosystem, economy, and way of life.
