Kashmiris say climate change is melting glaciers, reducing snowfall and bringing irregular rain. The threat to their water supply is affecting livelihoods and may soon affect drinking water. Experts and government officials say climate change needs to be addressed at the global level before water becomes a source of conflict here.
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SRINAGAR, KASHMIR, INDIA – Nazir Ahmad Dar, 35, belongs to a group of families who have been growing saffron, the famed Kashmiri spice, for generations in Pampore, some 20 kilometers from Srinagar, the summer capital. He talks about hearing the stories of the “good times” from his grandparents and parents, the times when the field turned purple because of the wealth of saffron flowers.
But now the flowers only dot the fields, thanks to climate change, he says.
“We can never expect to have such a harvest as things are getting worse with each passing day,” Dar says. “There is [a] dearth of water, which is going to increase as water increasingly becoming a scarce commodity.”
He attributes the decrease in saffron flowers to decreasing water levels and untimely rainfall.
“The timing of rainfall is very important for a good production of the spice,” he says. “We need it in spells, which is what used to happen earlier. Untimely rainfall can cause havoc.”
Dar says that, for example, they never have rainfall in August anymore, which used to be the norm during his grandfather’s days.
Dar says his community even increased the cultivation area for saffron flowers, but that saffron production is still decreasing, thanks to the effects of climate change.
Experts say climate change is undoubtedly shrinking Kashmir’s glaciers and reducing snowfall, which both provide key water to the region. Kashmiris say that water shortages and irregular rainfall are also forcing them to switch to livelihoods that require less water and may soon affect the drinking water supply. University sources say that the government needs to do more to address climate change. While independent groups strategize, government officials say the state has made efforts but that ultimately climate change has to be addressed at the global level.
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