“The sun burns longer, the seasons shift their pace,
The rains grow scarce, leaving cracks on the earth’s face.
What once was certain now fades into debate,
A changing climate quietly rewrites our fate.”
In a government school on the outskirts of Jammu, a teacher recently posed a simple question to her students: Why do summers feel harsher now than before? The room went quiet. The children spoke about the scorching heat, the drying fields, and the absence of timely rains—but they struggled to explain why it was happening. That silence says a lot. Climate change is being felt everywhere, yet it is still not fully understood.
“Human activities are unequivocally causing global warming,” cautions the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change—a reminder that the crisis is real, present, and demands urgent attention.
Jammu, once known for its relatively balanced climate, is now undergoing visible change. In recent years, temperatures have crossed 42°C, while average temperatures have climbed by nearly 3°C over the last decade and a half. Summers seem to stretch endlessly, bringing with them an intensity that feels unfamiliar and unsettling.
Rainfall, too, has become erratic. A sharp decline of nearly 64.7 per cent in annual rainfall, along with a significant drop in the number of rainy days, has created growing uncertainty. For farmers, this unpredictability is not just an inconvenience—it directly affects crops, income, and survival. Water sources are becoming less reliable, and the rhythm of seasons is no longer easy to trust.
The situation is further complicated by worsening air quality. PM2.5 levels have risen sharply, raising concerns about long-term health impacts, especially for children and the elderly. Alongside this, the rise in heatwave days is making everyday life more difficult, putting pressure on both people and infrastructure.
All these signs point to a region under increasing environmental stress. Jammu now falls into a high-risk climate category, reflecting how rapidly conditions are changing. But beyond the data and statistics lies a more pressing concern—are people truly prepared to deal with these changes?
As UNESCO rightly points out, education has the power to equip individuals with the knowledge, skills, and values needed to respond to climate challenges in meaningful ways.
Climate change is not just a scientific or environmental issue—it is something that must be understood at a personal and social level. When students learn about it in a way that connects with their daily experiences, it becomes more real. The heat they endure, the water shortages they witness, and the changes in seasons around them can all become part of that learning.
Awareness can lead to action. When young people understand what is happening and why, they are more likely to adopt responsible habits, influence those around them, and contribute to solutions in their own communities. In a place like Jammu, where the impact of climate change is already visible, this awareness becomes even more important.
Education also builds the ability to adapt. It encourages people to think ahead, use resources wisely, and respond to environmental challenges with resilience and creativity. It is not just about knowing the problem, but about being prepared to face it.
The climate crisis here is not only about rising temperatures or declining rainfall—it is about readiness. Without awareness, communities are left reacting to problems as they arise. With education, they can begin to anticipate and manage these challenges more effectively.
As the saying goes, “We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.” The responsibility, therefore, lies with us.
As Jammu continues to experience environmental changes, the way forward must go beyond policies and technology. It must include classrooms, conversations, and a conscious effort to make climate understanding a part of everyday learning.
Because in the end, the future of this region will depend not just on how the climate changes—but on how well its people are prepared to respond to it. And that preparation begins, quite simply, in the classroom.
Divya Sharma is a Ph.D. Research Scholar from the University of Jammu
Views expressed are the author’s own and don’t necessarily reflect those of Down To Earth