There are multiple hazards faced by pastoral transhumance communities in Kashmir in the wake of climate change. As a participant in CRG and Commonwealth Journalists’ Association- India’s collaborative workshop “Climate Change, Disaster, Displacement and Role of Media”, organized in Kolkata, India on 24-25 August, 2022, Pallavi Sareen presented an overview on transhumance pastoralists in J&K.
“My child will not spend his life tied to sheep and goats,” Bilal Ali, a Bakkarwal told me when I asked him why his group had chosen to migrate early. Nomadic communities like Gujjar-Bakarwals are struggling to continue with their centuries-old migratory lifestyle.
In Jammu and Kashmir, the bi-annual migration between the pastures of Kashmir and Ladakh takes place during the summers, and between the plains and Pir-Panjal ranges of the Jammu region during the winters. With Jammu and Kashmir witnessing extreme weather events like the earthquake in 2005, flash floods and landslides in 2010, and the massive floods of 2014; the Bakkerwal population is finding it difficult to continue the centuries-old practice of transhumance pastoralism.
The nomads may not be aware of the jargon of climate change but there is climate consciousness because of their close relationship with nature. These pastoral transhumance communities have been noticing the recent changes in climatic conditions since they are directly impacted by it.
Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) in the northernmost part of India, is one of the most severely affected regions by disasters. It is prone to multiple hazards because of its topography and varying extreme climate. The region has suffered massive floods, devastating earthquakes, as well as avalanches and landslides. In recent decades, urbanization and climate disasters have put pressure on the livestock-based subsistence economy of tribals like never before.
Extreme weather events may cause temporary damage in the form of loss of livestock, delayed migration or irreversible damage such as land collapse, loss of life, and disconnecting higher reaches from pathways.
Unpredictable snowfall or unseasonal snowfall covers the meadows leaving tribals with the shortage of fodder for their livestock. Extreme cold conditions are detrimental to the survival of these nomads since they do not own permanent houses or shelters or sheds for their livestock to protect themselves and their animals.
Another possible consequence of changing climatic conditions is delay in migration. It may be due to snowfall or unseasonal snowfall. The delay leads to a cascading effect on lives of the pastoral transhumance communities. Their business is aligned with seasons and land use patterns. Any delay could mean reduced food availability for their livestock.
Since Gujjar-Bakkarwals were slow to claim private property, their traditional dwellings in the forests are threatened by land-use change. As urbanization increases, patches of forest land which served as temporary homes for the tribals and provided grazing land for their animals are now being diverted towards constructing government buildings and new projects.
Living separate from urban dwellings, Bakarwal communities do not have access to the same kind of public health infrastructure and often complain of neglect in government health institutions. They are also susceptible to the digital divide and lack resources for the disbursal of information during climate disasters.
But mostly, they end up bearing an additional burden of abrupt events and epidemics associated with climate change. Sudden change in temperatures or increased exposure to heat or cold could mean death of their animals. Bakarwals end up bearing the additional expenditure of health costs and loss of income due to the death of their animals.
Tribals are dependent upon livestock for their livelihood and loss of the same, unless certified as being caused by “calamity” is not eligible for compensation. The compensation mechanism is so complex, explained tribal activists, that it must undergo different stages.
These nomadic tribes have historically been resigned to the margins, unable to fit into norms of private property that have been incorporated into contemporary citizenship and state policy. Due to their communitarian ideals of ownership, the Gujjar-Bakarwals are yet to be given dwelling and livelihood rights. As such, despite the extension of Forest Rights Act in Jammu & Kashmir after the abrogation of its special status, there have been various “anti-encroachment” drives that have displaced these nomads from their temporary shelters in the forest, or houses in semi-urban localities.
Though these tribals form one of the largest transhumance communities in the Himalayas, there is a growing sentiment in the next generation regarding giving up the practice of migration and finally settling down. Some blame it on the uneven weather patterns, and others on the apathy of the government regarding implementation of policies that benefit the tribals.
Though government has taken steps to increase access to essential services such as education, the same is found lacking in terms of facilitating migration, taking steps for ensuring sustainability of the practice and improving the process of compensation. The arduous process of migration and the complex range of factors influencing it requires a holistic view of the administration in catering to the needs of tribals. The yardstick remains access to welfare schemes, without consulting the stakeholders while framing the same.
The problem of ensuring the accessibility of health facilities to the transhumant population is also logistically complicated. Bakkerwals face mobility issues as these communities lack resources to travel long distances for treatment. It results in the population getting dependent upon home-remedies or natural herbs for treating illnesses.
Even in case of emergencies, the transhumant pastoralist tribes must walk long distances to reach the nearest healthcare facility resulting in poor outcomes. Movement from highland pastures or isolated forest areas is generally difficult. Therefore, even if low-cost medicines are made available at public healthcare institutions, merely the cost of transportation to the nearest health facility would take up a significant amount.
According to a survey conducted by Tribal Research and Cultural Foundation (TRCF), more than 71 percent of nomads were unaware of state and central government schemes meant for upliftment of people falling in the Scheduled Tribe category. While the government is also of view that animal-rearing communities contribute immensely to society, the departments responsible including Animal Husbandry department and Tribal Affairs department must play a proactive role in ensuring that the transhumance pastoralists of Jammu and Kashmir are facilitated. Whether it is about access to basic facilities such as healthcare or strengthening the subsistence economy by providing safeguards against natural and man-made disasters, the tribals who fall low in human development index should receive adequate support and guidance.
Pallavi Sareen is a journalist based in Jammu and Kashmir, India, who may be reached at pallavisareen99@gmail.com and on twitter at @pallavi_sareen.
