Cascading socio-economic impacts of climate change on Kashmiri apple farmers

In a dimly lit room, Sarfaraz Ahmad sits with a notepad in his hands, making a list of things needed for his sister’s wedding. He slowly turns the pages. With each page, his expression grows heavier.

What began as a simple list has, over three years, turned into a reminder of expenses he can barely afford. “It has been three years since I started writing this list. Every time I look at it, there is something new to add.

But my pockets are still empty. Whatever we earn from our apple orchard goes into maintaining it, from spraying fungicides and insecticides to using chemicals and other…