Geneva forum links Kashmir’s climate crisis to militarisation, urges global action on migration rights

The mounting toll of climate change and heavy militarisation on Indian-Occupied Jammu & Kashmir took center stage on Wednesday at a high-profile seminar in Geneva, held on the sidelines of the 62nd UN Human Rights Council session. Titled _“Climate Migration Rights,”_ the event spotlighted how prolonged military presence, environmental degradation, and forced displacement are fueling a growing human rights emergency in the disputed region

MIRPUR, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 24th Jun, 2026) The mounting toll of climate change and heavy militarisation on Indian-Occupied Jammu & Kashmir took center stage on Wednesday at a high-profile seminar in Geneva, held on the sidelines of the 62nd UN Human Rights Council session. Titled _“Climate Migration Rights,”_ the event spotlighted how prolonged military presence, environmental degradation, and forced displacement are fueling a growing human rights emergency in the disputed region.

Organized by the Kashmir Institute of International Relations (KIIR) in partnership with International Action for Sustainable Development, the seminar drew climate experts, migration activists, and civil society leaders. Delegates examined how deforestation, water stress, and ecosystem damage—exacerbated by decades of militarisation—are uprooting local communities. A dedicated session also scrutinized the ecological fallout of militarised pilgrimage, citing surging waste, resource strain, and curbs on traditional livelihoods that compound climate-driven migration.

<?php /*?> <?php */?>

“Climate change is not just an environmental crisis, it is a human rights crisis that disproportionately hits communities living under occupation,” said a KIIR representative. Speakers called for international recognition of climate migrants from IIOJ&K and demanded accountability, sustainable policies in conflict zones, and inclusion of Kashmir-specific concerns in global human rights frameworks.

Moderated by NuML PhD scholar Ms. Naila Altaf Kayani, the panel featured Dr. Waleed Rasool of IDDS, Dr. Raja Muhammad Sajjad Khan of KPRI, IRS environment researcher Mr. Talha Tufial Bhatti, MUST associate professor Dr. Saira Farooq Shah, and KIIR research director Ms. Mehru Nisa Rehman. Organisers KIIR and International Action for Sustainable Development said the dialogue aims to advance climate justice and peace in Kashmir through sustained international advocacy.

APP/ahr/378