Nasir Hussain
For generations, snow has been Kashmir’s silent provider. It has fallen without ceremony, stored itself patiently on mountains and meadows, and released life-giving water exactly when the valley needed it most. Snow has shaped Kashmir’s rivers, orchards, livelihoods, power supply, tourism economy, and cultural memory. Today, that silent provider is retreating—and its absence is beginning to speak louder than any warning.
Winters in Kashmir are no longer what they were. Snowfall arrives late, melts early, or bypasses entire regions. What once covered fields and rooftops for months now disappears in days. This shift is not accidental, nor is it temporary. It is the visible face of a deeper environmental breakdown driven by rising global temperatures, unchecked deforestation, pollution, and climate-blind development.
The Himalayas are warming faster than the global average, and Kashmir sits at the centre of this transformation. As average temperatures rise, snow increasingly falls as rain. Warmer nights prevent accumulation. Shorter winters reduce overall snow cover. Meanwhile, forests—nature’s cooling system—are being cleared for roads, buildings, and commercial expansion. Concrete traps heat, open land disappears, and the local climate is pushed further out of balance.
Air pollution adds another layer of damage. Black carbon from vehicles, generators, and biomass burning settles on snow and glaciers, darkening their surface and accelerating melting. Glaciers that once replenished themselves through steady snowfall are now retreating at alarming rates. This loss is not cosmetic. It is structural.
Water Security Under Threat
Snow is Kashmir’s most dependable water reservoir. Unlike rain, which runs off quickly, snow melts slowly, feeding rivers and springs throughout spring and summer. The Jhelum and its tributaries depend heavily on this gradual release. Reduced snowfall means reduced river flow, drying springs, and shrinking wetlands.
The implications are stark. Summer water shortages will become routine rather than exceptional. Rural and urban areas alike will face increasing pressure on drinking water supplies. Groundwater extraction will rise as surface water declines, leading to falling water tables and long-term depletion. Future generations may inherit a valley where water scarcity defines daily life.
Glaciers: A Vanishing Shield
Glaciers are sustained by snowfall. When that replenishment weakens, glaciers shrink. As they retreat, two dangers emerge. The first is long-term loss of river systems that sustain agriculture, hydropower, and ecosystems. The second is immediate risk: unstable glacial lakes that can burst without warning, triggering devastating floods downstream.
Once lost, glaciers do not regenerate within human lifetimes. Their disappearance would permanently alter Kashmir’s hydrology, making water management exponentially more difficult for future generations.
Agriculture on Shaky Ground
Kashmir’s agricultural success, particularly its horticulture, rests on predictable winters. Apples, walnuts, almonds, and saffron depend on chilling hours to flower and fruit properly. Warmer winters disrupt these cycles, reducing yield and quality.
Snow also protects soil. It insulates the ground, prevents erosion, and releases moisture gradually. Rain cannot replace this function. Instead, it washes topsoil away and leaves fields dry when crops need water most. Warmer winters further allow pests and diseases to survive year-round, increasing costs for farmers and reducing resilience.
Food security, often taken for granted in the valley, will come under strain if these trends continue.
Livelihoods and Economic Stability
The economic consequences of declining snowfall extend far beyond tourism brochures. Winter tourism supports thousands of families—hoteliers, transport operators, guides, shopkeepers, daily-wage workers. Erratic snowfall means unpredictable seasons, cancelled bookings, and lost income. For many young people, this translates into unemployment and forced migration in search of work.
Hydropower faces similar uncertainty. Snow-fed rivers ensure steady electricity generation. Reduced flow threatens power supply, pushing dependence back toward fossil fuels and deepening the climate crisis that caused the problem in the first place.
Culture, Identity, and Social Stress
Snow is not merely weather in Kashmir; it is memory, metaphor, and meaning. Festivals, folklore, language, and daily rhythms are shaped by winter. A future without snow risks cultural erosion alongside environmental loss.
Scarcity also breeds tension. Competition over water, land, and jobs can strain communities and deepen inequality. Climate-driven migration from water-scarce areas could become a reality, adding social and political pressure to an already fragile region.
Disaster as a New Normal
When snow turns to rain, disaster follows. Gradual snowmelt is replaced by sudden runoff. Flash floods become more frequent. Landslides increase as saturated soil gives way. Weather patterns grow unpredictable, making planning and preparedness difficult. The cost is measured not only in damaged infrastructure but in human lives.
What Must Change—Immediately
This crisis cannot be addressed through token gestures or seasonal concern. It demands structural change.
Forests must be protected and restored—not symbolically, but seriously. Illegal logging must face consequences. Wetlands, lakes, and catchment areas need legal and physical protection. Construction on fragile slopes and floodplains must stop, regardless of commercial pressure.
Urban development needs climate logic, not just approvals. Water conservation must include revival of traditional water bodies, rainwater harvesting, and efficient irrigation. Pollution control—especially vehicular emissions—must move from policy documents to streets.
Scientific monitoring of snowfall, glaciers, and weather patterns is essential. Early warning systems for floods and landslides must be expanded and trusted. Farmers need real support: climate-resilient research, crop insurance, and compensation for losses beyond their control.
Above all, environmental laws must be enforced without exception. Development that undermines survival is not development.
The Role of Society
Youth, civil society, and local communities are not spectators. Plantation drives, responsible tourism, environmental monitoring, and climate advocacy are acts of self-preservation. Climate education must move beyond textbooks into daily decision-making.
A Defining Moment
The decline of snowfall in Kashmir is not just a seasonal shift. It is a warning about the future being shaped right now. Ignore it, and the next generation will inherit a valley defined by scarcity, instability, and irreversible loss.
Act decisively, and there is still time to protect what remains.
Snow built Kashmir. Whether Kashmir survives without it depends on the choices made today.
(Nasir Hussain is social activist and President, Helping Hands Care Foundation J&K)
