Disasters Compound Kashmir's Economic Woes in 2025

The year 2025 has tested Jammu and Kashmir in ways few could have imagined. A region already dependent on tourism and horticulture now faces a string of shocks that have shaken livelihoods and threatened economic stability. From violent attacks to floods, each disaster has piled onto the last, leaving communities struggling to recover. But, amid the chaos, people continue to hold on to hope: after every night comes a dawn.

- Navaid Runyal Ramban

Tourism, the backbone of the valley's economy, suffered first. The April attack in Pahalgam brought a sudden halt to the spring season. Hotels, guesthouses, shikaras, taxis, and small traders faced empty bookings and unpaid loans. Families who depended on daily earnings found themselves without work, and businesses that had expanded in anticipation of the season now faced mounting debts. The collapse was both economic and deeply personal, a loss of dignity for thousands of breadwinners.