Vulnerable populations in disputed territories at grave risk from climate change: Speakers
Vulnerable populations in disputed territories at grave risk from climate change: Speakers
Geneva: Speakers at a seminar highlighting the impacts of climate change on human lives have said that a collective response and concerted action were direly required to save vulnerable populations in disputed territories who were at risk from climate change. The seminar was attended by international experts, human rights activists, diplomats, and academicians, hailing from different parts of the world. The seminar/Webinar was moderated by Sardar Amjad Yousaf Khan Executive Director KIIR, the Speaker include, Dr. Imtiyaz Khan USA, Dr. Syed Waqas Ali Kausar, NUML, Leon Sue American Human Rights Activist, Dr. Saira Farooq Shah MUST, Syed Muhammad Ali strategic expert, Ms Fatima Waheed NDU
Terming climate change as a global problem, the speakers said that climate change posed a serious threat to people living in conflict-hit regions where communities face myriad challenges and vulnerabilities compounded by political conflicts, violence, and heavy militarization.The territory of Jammu and Kashmir occupied by India illegally, they said, was one of the World's worst-hit regions where climate change has affected the lives of Kashmiri people in many different ways.
"Kashmir is one amongst the climate change prone regions", they said, adding that the long-drawn conflict, on the one hand, poses a serious risk to the life, health, food, and living of individuals and communities across the territory while on the other fluctuating temperatures, melting glaciers, incessant rains causing flash floods have wreaked havoc on key sectors of the region's economy.
UN-Designated Disputed Territory
They said that the rising temperatures have led to severe water shortages in Kashmir. "The water scarcity has adversely affected the region's agriculture sector", they said, adding that it has also affected the crop yield besides disrupting the food supply and access to quality food." Like other parts of the world Kashmir has witnessed a significant decrease in groundwater", they said, adding that the wetlands of Kashmir that host hundreds of species of birds round the year have been affected by the climate change.
Referring to a news report on the impacts of climate change in the Himalayan region, they said that the UN-designated disputed territory was also a host to the world’s top snow peaks, glaciers, and riverine system - a dimension that was being deeply neglected amidst intense conflict.
Climate change can be a driver of conflict but in the case of Jammu and Kashmir, the conflict itself has potential and is acting as a driver of climate change", the speakers said. They said that the developed countries who have been directly responsible for global warming must come forward in a big way to help the climate change-prone countries to boost their ability to respond to disasters and cope up with climate challenges.
Referring to the massive troops'concentration in Kashmir, the speakers said that the environmentally fragile region was a host to the highest military concentration major factor causing serious climatic issues to local habitats. "More than nine hundred thousand troops deployed by India in disputed territory armed with heavy artillery is a major destabilizer for local ecology", they said.
Melting Siachin Glacier
"The troops deployed on fast melting Siachin Glacier is disrupting the natural ecosystem and military activity is hugely contributing to rising in temperature", they said. They said that the LoC - itself acts as a driver in disturbing the ecosystem. They said that concerted efforts, a robust initiative, and a broader regional approach were needed to address the climate crisis.
They said that besides collaboration between the communities and state institutions, early warning systems, and data-sharing mechanisms beyond borders were required to minimize losses during natural calamities. They said that trust and relationships among communities can only be forged by resolving conflicts and addressing political issues like the issue of Jammu and Kashmir.
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