Editorial photo #13788056 Human Interest

World Environment Day 2026 Observed In Kashmir, India

A scrap collector pushes a tricycle cart loaded with recyclable plastic waste at an open recycling yard in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, on June 5, 2026. World Environment Day is observed on June 5 each year to raise awareness and encourage action for environmental protection, with the 2026 theme being ''Climate Action'' (NowForClimate). According to the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, about 74% of Kashmir's lakes and water bodies have either disappeared or become smaller. Of 697 water bodies studied, 315 had vanished and 203 had reduced in size, resulting in a loss of about 2,851 hectares since 1967. Climate change and encroachment are among the main causes. Glaciers in the Kashmir Himalayas have been shrinking due to rising temperatures, less snowfall, and changing weather patterns. Studies indicate that some glaciers, such as the Thajiwas Glacier in Sonamarg, have lost most of their ice, and the region may have lost roughly a quarter to a third of its glacier cover over the past 60 years. (Photo by Firdous Nazir/NurPhoto)