Jammu and Kashmir, once known for dense temperate forests, clean rivers and fragile alpine ecosystems, is now facing rapid environmental destruction. Forests cover nearly 48 percent of the territory and play a vital role in regulating climate, protecting biodiversity and supporting livelihoods. However, large-scale encroachment, land diversion and degradation are increasing across the region. In Doda, which contains more than a quarter of the forest area, and Kupwara, where forests cover over 70 percent of the land, state-backed projects and BJP-led policies are accelerating forest clearance and occupation of communal lands. Baramulla, Anantnag and Udhampur are also witnessing heavy forest loss, weakening the region’s ecological stability.

Recent government figures expose how forest land in Jammu and Kashmir is being steadily occupied in the name of development. Between April 2021 and October 2025, nearly 925.44 hectares of forest land were diverted for roads, railways, military infrastructure and urban expansion. More than 14,359 hectares of forest land are being encroached upon in the name of developmental projects as of March 2026. Much of this occupation has spread across ecologically fragile zones including the Pir Panjal range, Kupwara forests, Baramulla and several parts of the Kashmir Valley that regulate watersheds, prevent erosion and stabilize mountain slopes. The destruction of these forests weakens soil strength, reduces water retention and increases the risk of landslides across vulnerable districts.

Large infrastructure projects have intensified this ecological damage. The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link involved extensive tunneling, blasting and hill-cutting through Ramban, Reasi and Banihal, destabilizing entire geological formations. Tourism expansion and Amarnath Yatra-related construction have also transformed alpine meadows and wetlands into commercial zones. During the 2025 pilgrimage, more than 600,000 visitors generated up to four tons of waste daily along the Pahalgam and Baltal routes, contaminating the Lidder and Sindh rivers used for drinking water and agriculture.

Illegal logging and timber smuggling further deepen the crisis. Land mafias and commercial networks continue clearing forests across Kupwara, Baramulla and Anantnag, often with administrative complicity. Deodar, kail and fir forests are disappearing rapidly, damaging biodiversity and destroying traditional forest-based livelihoods.

Climate change is accelerating ecological stress across Jammu and Kashmir. Forest fires, once largely restricted to summer, are now appearing even in winter. Between April 2025 and February 2026, about 366 forest fire incidents damaged nearly 972 hectares of forest cover. From December 2025 to February 2026 alone, 48 fires destroyed around 100 hectares. The India Meteorological Department reported a 65 percent precipitation deficit during this period, with February showing an 89 percent shortfall. Srinagar recorded only 5.3 mm rainfall, the lowest since 1960, while Jammu experienced zero rainfall for the second time in over a century. Reduced snow storage and prolonged dry winters are making forests more flammable and unstable.

Militarization adds further pressure on ecosystems. With over 900,000 deployed forces, forested and high-altitude areas are heavily occupied by camps, bunkers and patrol routes. Pollution, habitat fragmentation and restricted wildlife movement are increasing human-wildlife conflict, which rose nearly 30 percent between 2022 and 2026.

The governance framework remains inadequate. Environmental Impact Assessments for major projects are limited or inaccessible. Security restrictions prevent independent monitoring by researchers, journalists and civil society groups. Domestic laws such as the Forest Conservation Act, 1980 and the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, are inconsistently enforced, leaving forest lands vulnerable. International obligations, including the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) and the UN-recognized right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment (2022 UNGA resolution), are routinely violated. Forest-dependent communities, particularly Gujjar-Bakarwal pastoralists, face displacement, loss of livelihood and denial of free, prior and informed consent for land diversion.

The convergence of state encroachment, infrastructure expansion, illegal timber smuggling, deforestation, militarization and climate stress has produced cascading environmental consequences. Soil erosion, landslides, water contamination, biodiversity loss and degradation of high-altitude ecosystems are interconnected, impacting agriculture, livestock and human settlements. The loss of alpine wetlands, margs and forests reduces the regenerative capacity of these ecosystems, threatening long-term ecological stability and human security.

Immediate intervention is necessary. Forest laws must be strictly enforced and encroachment must be reversed. Development and military projects require full Environmental Impact Assessments and independent monitoring. Timber smuggling and illegal logging networks must be dismantled, with accountability for officials complicit in land diversion. Community participation, modern satellite monitoring and climate-responsive forest management must supplement legal frameworks. Protecting forests and alpine ecosystems is not a discretionary environmental goal but is a prerequisite for human survival, economic resilience and long-term sustainability in Jammu and Kashmir.

The author is the head of the research and human rights department of Kashmir Institute of International Relations (KIIR). She can be reached at : mehr_dua@yahoo.com and on X @MHHRsay