A recent study examines 60 years of land use change in Jammu and Kashir and finds a decline in the area’s water bodies while built-up areas expanded markedly.The research found that socioeconomic factors were more strongly associated with many of the changes than climatic variables examined.The findings raise a broader question: As development continues to reshape the landscape, are conservation initiatives and land use planning keeping pace with the pressures on the region’s water bodies?Experts say that while development is necessary for economic growth, it needs to be balanced against ecological conservation, while individual water bodies need to be examined according to their specific pressures.
For generations, Kashmir’s wetlands, lakes and rivers have been woven into the landscape around its towns and villages. Paddy fields once stretched across parts of the valley, while canals and springs were familiar features of everyday life.
But much of that landscape has changed.
A new study published in Water Science assessing six decades of land use and land cover change in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir in the northernmost part of India finds that the extent of water bodies declined between 1960 and 2020, while built-up areas expanded markedly, particularly after the 1990s. The researchers found that socioeconomic factors including urbanization, population growth, literacy, per capita income and passenger and freight traffic were more strongly associated with many of these changes than the climatic variables they examined, including annual precipitation and mean maximum and minimum temperatures.
