Decolonizing Environmental Peacebuilding: Lessons from Kashmir’s Conflict Landscapes

Mir Wafa Rasheeq, Jamia Millia Islamia (India)

Kashmir, a region marked by prolonged conflict and militarization, provides a critical lens to examine environmental peacebuilding through a decolonial perspective. Traditional approaches often overlook historical legacies, structural inequalities, and asymmetrical power dynamics that shape access to natural resources and environmental governance. Drawing on qualitative field research in Bandipora and surrounding districts, this paper investigates how militarization, policy interventions, and governance structures affect ecological integrity, biodiversity, and local livelihoods. It highlights the agency of local actors—including civil society, Indigenous knowledge holders, and marginalized communities—in mediating environmental change amidst conflict. By centering decolonial insights and inclusive methodologies, the study argues that sustainable peace requires acknowledging historical injustices and integrating local voices into environmental decision-making. Lessons from Kashmir offer guidance for designing context-sensitive, justice-oriented environmental peacebuilding strategies in other conflict-affected regions.