Srinagar, June 25 -- how do we live with this new normal? And how do we make these months meaningful, without being confined to our homes, waiting for the weather to turn kinder?

Kashmir's average summer temperatures used to hover around 28degC to 30degC. But this year, parts of the valley touched highs of 35degC and beyond, according to data from the India Meteorological Department. The rise is not a passing phase. A 2022 study published in Nature Communications predicts that the Himalayan region, including Kashmir, will continue to experience more frequent and intense heat waves in the coming decades.

Other parts of the world have already faced this challenge and found ways to cope. In the Middle East, where summer temperatures often ...