Water bodies in Kashmir have declined in extent between 1960 and 2020, while built-up areas saw a marked expansion, especially after the 1990s. A study assessing land use and land cover change in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir highlights this trend.
The research indicated that socioeconomic factors such as urbanization, population growth, literacy, per capita income, and traffic were more strongly associated with these changes than examined climatic variables including precipitation and temperature. The findings prompt questions about whether conservation efforts and land use planning are keeping pace with the pressures on the region’s water bodies amidst ongoing development.
The authors cautioned that the study was not based on primary field surveys and used interpolated data, suggesting the results should be interpreted as associations rather than precise predictions. However, the general direction of change is clear.
Source: Mongabay