Recently there was massive flooding along the border of India and Pakistan, especially hard hit was the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. The death toll is near 300 and it is estimated that in some villages as many as 95% of homes have been destroyed. It is a humanitarian crisis of the highest level as these people have limited options for shelter and are running low on food. The fact that heavy rains hit the region is not a surprise as this is an annual event typically lasting from June-September. As students of human geography it is critical to analyze the relationship between the people in this part of the world and the annual rains as well as how the hostile relationship between India and Pakistan has made the situation that much worse.
Agriculture
While in other parts of the world such heavy rains would be seen solely as a threat, in South Asia the downpours are welcomed as a critical part of their existence. Agriculture in much of South Asia depends on the annual monsoons to provide enough water to irrigate crops throughout the year. There are years where the rains fail to provide enough water, and the region, already struggling with extreme poverty, must deal with the crisis of drought and becomes highly vulnerable to famine. As is often the case in the poor world, what they count on to sustain them, may also bring about their demise.
Territorial Dispute
Disaster relief would normally override most political issues, but not when India and Pakistan are involved. Kashmir has long been a disputed territory as a result of the Partition of India in 1947. When India was granted it’s independence by the British, one of the final acts of the European colonizers was to create Pakistan as a Muslim state in an attempt to separate them from the Hindu population. When the British created the new border they kept Kashmir in India despite being predominantly Muslim. This is one of the most militarized borders on the planet and moving in troops to provide aid to victims could be seen as a hostile act. Not even in this extreme crisis can these two governments coordinate in order to help their people.