A dry site visit can give a misleading picture of a landscape. Ground that appears available for a path or planting bed may carry water at another time of year. Landscape design in Kashmir should account for these seasonal differences.
Build a record of changing conditions
Walk the site after rainfall and, where relevant, during snowmelt. Mark ponding, erosion, blocked outlets and the routes water follows into and out of the property. Ask regular users about recurring problems, then distinguish their accounts from observations that have been checked.
UN-Habitat’s guidance for mountainous cities provides a useful planning reference for adapting neighbourhood design to difficult terrain. [1] At site scale, levels and drainage connections still need to be surveyed.
Let the evidence shape the layout
Keep buildings and vulnerable uses away from unresolved flow paths. Assess whether existing damp areas support habitat before proposing to drain or fill them. Provide crossings where access is needed, subject to appropriate hydraulic and structural design.
Where infiltration or water storage is proposed, test the ground and identify an overflow route. Record who will clear obstructions and inspect the system after severe weather. A landscape drawing should show these responsibilities alongside its planting.