Climate change presents huge challenges in Kashmir

Greetings from Kashmir!

We are really excited about Mercy Corps' “Say It’s Possible” Climate Change Concert here in Srinagar, Kashmir on December 7, 2009. The headliner is YouTube sensation Terra Naomi, and we couldn't be happier to have her perform here.

When we first approached Terra with the idea of doing this awareness-raising event on climate change in Srinagar as part of her 2009 India Tour, Terra immediately signed up for the cause. So I want to start by thanking Terra for being so committed to this important issue.

The timing of Terra’s concert couldn’t be more appropriate. World leaders will be meeting in Copenhagen to discuss climate change from December 7 to December 18.

We are already seeing the effects climate change across the globe. It’s a big challenge — an environmentally, economically and socially stable future for the planet is at stake. The world has a diminishing window in which to tackle this challenge and it’s going to require international cooperation on an unprecedented scale to achieve that goal. The current agreement, the Kyoto Protocol, expires in 2012. Many believe that Copenhagen is the best chance at securing a global deal, one that is ambitious enough with its commitments to avert catastrophic climate change.

Given all the competing interests involved, is such a global agreement on climate change possible?

That’s the big question on everybody’s mind, and many people are pessimistic about what will be achieved. So on December 7, we’re hoping Terra’s concert in Kashmir will, in a small way, send a more optimistic message to all the representatives meeting in Copenhagen — that it's possible for the world to come together and tackle this problem in a meaningful way.

In other words — to quote Terra herself — “Say it’s Possible!”

A view of the mountains in Kashmir. Photo: Usmaan Ahmad

The location of Terra’s concert, the Kashmir Valley, also couldn’t be more relevant. The Himalaya and its glaciers are one of the places immediately threatened by the impacts of climate change. The populations living in the Himalaya are the least responsible for creating this problem, but they are already beginning to bear the brunt of its impacts.

While many people living in the developed world are still wondering what climate change might mean for them in the future, Kashmiris are already dealing with this challenge. Climate change threatens to cause glacial melt across the globe and many of the small glaciers in Kashmir are already on the verge of disappearing altogether. These glaciers are a life-support system for all the people who live downstream. Climate change is also causing the weather patterns to change, which is threatening farmers’ crops. This presents huge challenge here in Kashmir, since the majority of the population depends on agriculture to survive.

People in developing societies, like communities in Kashmir, are going to need help overcoming all of these challenges. That’s what Mercy Corps is hoping to do through our climate change programmes. And making a donation is a great way to help Mercy Corps extend a helping hand to those already affected by climate change.

Before the concert, Terra will be visiting the glaciers and meeting with members of the community here in Kashmir. We’re hoping that Terra’s visit and concert in Kashmir can help shine a spotlight on the challenges that climate change poses for developing societies — as well as why it's important for the developed countries to take responsibility in Copenhagen for dedicating resources to help.

To learn more about the upcoming meeting in Copenhagen check out the official website for the conference. We'll also be posting updates from Mercy Corps own climate change expert, Jim Jarvie, who will be attending the talks in Copenhagen.

I’ll be posting a lot more about the effects of climate change in Kashmir, photos and video of Terra’s visit, and suggestions for how to help.

- Usmaan