Kavita Bhardwaj at The Revelator:
When forests are cleared, wetlands drained, and slopes destabilized, entire ecosystems lose their balance. Floods, landslides, and erosion then hit both communities and wildlife alike.
In August a catastrophic flow of mud and debris buried parts of Dharali village in Uttarkashi. Similar disasters this year brought chaos to regions like Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Jammu and Kashmir. Some of these events brought worldwide headlines, if just for a few moments. Months later residents continue to struggle to recover and rebuild.
These disasters illustrate three converging factors: The mountains are fragile, the weather is getting extreme, and people are making it worse.
More here.
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