International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR) ISSN: 2319-7064 SJIF (2019): 7.583 Volume 9 Issue 12, December 2020 www.ijsr.net Licensed Under Creative Commons Attribution CC BY Diffusion and Dynamics of COVID-19 in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, India: A Geospatial Analysis Mir Sumira 1 , Shamim Ahmad Shah 2 , Dr. M Shafi Bhat 3 1 Research Scholar, Department of Geography and Regional Development, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, India 2 Professor, Department of Geography and Regional Development, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, India 3 Senior Associate Professor Department of Geography and Regional Development, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, India (Corresponding Author) Abstract: Throughout the human history it has been observed the pandemics have immensely affected various civilizations and has altered the demographic pattern of the world. In recent history Ebola, SARS, MERS and Covid 19 have profoundly impacted the epidemiological as well as socioeconomic landscape of the world. Covid 19 outbreak has adversely affected various parts of the world in general & India in particular due to high population density, lack of basic medical infrastructure, overcrowding and several other socioeconomic vulnerabilities. The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir is located in the North-western corner of the country and on account of cold climate, is prone to seasonal flues which makes it more vulnerable to respiratory ailments. The present Study focuses on the Diffusion and Dynamics of COVID 19 in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir using Geospatial Technologies. The study reveals that the outbreak hotspots have changed over the period of time. Initially the districts like Baramulla, Bandipora, Kulgam and Shopian were the hotspots as people from these areas are usually Apple traders who frequently visit various Indian states during the winter and were the first carriers and victims of this disease. Later on, during May-June months when the lockdown was relaxed and the stranded people were allowed in, Srinagar and Budgam became the new hotspots as they act as trans-shipment stations containing both airport and railway station. In the late summer the Jammu region became the hotspot due to lack of proper response and changed people’s perception regarding the COVID 19. The study reveals that the vulnerable age group to the COVID 19 fatality is above 45 years for both men and women in the valley which is in conformity with the global trends also as reported by the global COVID 19 mortality database. Keywords: Covid-19, Geographic Information System, Spatial Distribution, Gender Mortality 1. Introduction Covid-19 has resulted in a worldwide disruption of the functioning of the society leading to global changes and new normal. Geographic Information System enables us to represent the spatial distribution of the physical phenomena and uses attribute information related to the geographic entity by use of different colors (Paul Bolstad). In India, Disaster Management is the state subject and it involves the interaction of new technologies and improved scientific procedures to achieve the goals of reducing the disaster risks and enhancing the resilience. The COVID-19 is spreading exponentially in all parts of the globe and thus there arises a need to generate a baseline data for its monitoring and the administrative planning. The present paper maps the entire UT of Jammu and Kashmir based on the ancillary information provided by the Press Information Bureau, Government of India and the data was also obtained from the Covid Control Room established by the Government of Jammu and Kashmir pertaining to incidences and fatality to understand the dynamic behavior of COVID 19 across the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. There are about 105984 covid positive cases in Jammu and Kashmir, out of which 63871 are from Kashmir division and 35779 are from Jammu division as on 21 st November, 2020. A total of 1624 deaths have been reported of which 1073 belong to Kashmir and 551 to Jammu region. Majority of the cases have been found symptomatic and mainly the district of Srinagar and Jammu region has shown an exponential rise in the number of positive cases since July. 2. Study Area Jammu and Kashmir is a Union Territory in northern India. It lies between 33.7782 o N and 76.5762 0 E with the highest elevation of 7135m and the lowest elevation of 247m.It has a geographical area of about 42241 sq km. It is located in the Himalayan Mountains and the States of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh and the recently formed UT of Ladakh share their borders with it. The UT is divided into two regions - Jammu and Kashmir which is divided into their respective districts which are 20 in total. Jammu and Kashmir is gifted with a number of vallies, meadows and mountains. The climate varies greatly due to its varying topography. The average summer temperature of Kashmir is 24.1 0 C while in Jammu it can go up to 33 0 C. Winters are very cold with a temperature dropping down up to -1 0 C in Kashmir and warmer winters are experienced in most parts of Jammu region. Rivers like Jhelum, Sindh, Tawi, and Chenab provide natural drainage to the area. The annual rainfall ranges between 450-710mm. The Kashmir Region comprises of Srinagar, Budgam, Baramulla, Kupwara, Anantnag, Bandipora, Ganderbal, Pulwama, Shopain and Kulgam whereas Jammu, Reasi, Poonch, Rajouri, Samba, Udhampur, Kathua, Kishtwar, Doda and Ramban fall in Jammu region. Paper ID: SR201202132847 DOI: 10.21275/SR201202132847 143