The Changes in Regional Structure and Land Use Related to External Factors in Hussaini Village, Northern Pakistan

Abstract

This study describes changes to regional structure and the use of farmlands in Hussaini village, Pakistan, caused by two events. The first event was the opening of the Karakoram Highway in 1978 that introduced commodities and a money market economy. The enhanced transportation increased access to markets, which spurred a transition from subsistence wheat cultivation and vegetable crops to potato cash crops. The second event was the catastrophic landslide in Atabad which occurred on 4 January 2010 that submerged part of the Karakoram Highway and created a dammed lake. The loss of the highway halted the village’s engagement in the wider agricultural market, and farmlands in the village reverted to traditional agriculture. The changes caused by these outside factors created confusion and disturbance and challenged the villagers to quickly adapt for survival.