Srinagar, Aug. 30 -- Floods in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) have evolved from episodic disasters into a recurring pattern that disrupts lives, destroys infrastructure, and stalls economic activity across the Union Territory. The Valley-once buffered by a network of wetlands, lakes, and braided rivers-has become increasingly exposed due to a dangerous combination: a fragile Himalayan geography stressed by climate change, and human actions that have narrowed rivers, choked drains, and put concrete where marshes once soaked up stormwater. The outcome is predictable-seasonal rains now tip more easily into emergencies.

This article unpacks the natural and human-made drivers of Kashmir's flood risk, recounts the social and economic consequences, di...