Dr Shahid Rasool, Dean, School of Media Studies, Central University of Kashmir, Ganderbal, said that climate change was no longer a theory but a lived reality for him and his region. He observed changing seasons in Kashmir, including harsher winters, early blooms, floods, droughts, and heat waves, noting that rising emissions were reshaping ecosystems, livelihoods, and public health. He stressed that youth must lead by example, pressure governments, embrace sustainable lifestyles, and transform local action into a powerful global climate movement.
He was speaking at the 2nd Yuva Sustainability Conference on “Beyond COP30: Youth for Climate Action”, organised on 13 December 2025 under the Yuva Sustainability Internship Programme by Voices of Bharat: Yuva for Sustainability, a Sustainability Karma initiative, with Lok Samvad Sansthan as the implementation partner, in association with the Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Jamia Millia Islamia.