To Improve Climate Resilience in Areas Affected by Conflict

Abstract

Climate change, driven by human activities such as burning fossil fuels and deforestation, is causing significant global warming and leading to profound environmental and human impacts. Key environmental effects include shrinking glaciers, thawing permafrost, and increasingly severe weather events. Human populations are facing increased risks from extreme weather, spreading diseases, declining crop yields, and water shortages. Particularly vulnerable are poorer communities, with climate change now recognized as a major global health threat by the World Health Organization.

Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), due to its geographical location in the Himalayan-Karakoram-Hindu Kush mountain ranges, is especially sensitive to climate change. The region is experiencing rising temperatures, glacial melt, and unpredictable rainfall, which threaten agriculture, water resources, and human livelihoods. AJK faces increased natural disasters such as flash floods, landslides, and Glacier Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs). The region's agriculture, which depends heavily on rainfall, and its biodiversity are also at high risk, necessitating urgent political and diplomatic efforts to mitigate climate change effects.