July
13, 2004
Globally
Significant Areas of Conservation
Identified
Environment experts
identified the areas having global
significance for conservation of
nature, on the second day of the
workshop on "Indus Delta Ecoregion:
Biodiversity, Visioning and Conservation
Planning".
Addressing the five-day
workshop, organised by the World
Wide Fund for Nature, the experts
identified three areas - Indus dolphin
reserve from Guddu Barrage to Sukkur
Barrage; Nara Canal Complex; and
Sindh coastal belt - having global
significance for the conservation
and upgradation of nature.
They said that these
areas had high representation of
endemic taxa, high richness for
multiple taxa, unique phenomena
and rare and intact habitats. The
experts also identified four areas
of ecological importance - Haleji
Lakes i.e. Hadero, Haleji and Keenjhar;
the lakes spread over Badin to Thatta;
Manchhar Lake in Dadu and the fourth
area covers Hamal, Drig and Lung
lakes in Larkana district.
They said that these
areas had a moderate degree of endemism,
moderate richness in taxa, rare
habitats and moderately important
for the maintenance of ecological
processes.
Some of these areas
were also sub-regionally outstanding
and had low degree of endemism and
low richness and support few species
of special concern or other targets.
Giving details of the identified
areas, they said that blind dolphin
was found in large numbers in Indus
section from Guddu to Sukkur barrages.
The Nara Canal Complex
comprises desert wetlands having
many species of birds and crocodiles,
whereas the Sindh coast from Sandspit
to Sir Creek is rich with a wide
range of birds, turtles and mangroves,
they added.
The participants
of the workshop prioritized the
areas and identified the threats
posed to these nature reserves.
According to them, the key threats
are localized pressures i.e. forest
conversion and over-fishing, upstream
pressures - water diversion and
glacial melt.
Besides, they said
that possible international pressures
were trade in endangered species,
international fishing agreements
and market forces from Europe.
Discussing the root
causes of environmental degradation,
the participants of the workshop
stamped the over-harvesting of mangroves
and over exploitation of fish resources
as the two basic factors.
Besides, they said
that the degradation could be attributed
to over population, scarcity of
fresh water, deterioration of water
quality, distribution and management
of water resources.
The Deputy Director
World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-
Pakistan), Dr Ejaz Ahmed, called
for lobbying the government to follow
existing laws on natural resources
and recommended self- regulation
by local communities and communal
management of natural resources
with economic incentives like livelihood
opportunities.
As short-term steps
to address socio-economic issues,
he stressed on lobbying the international
financial institutions to follow
macroeconomic instruments such as
green net national product, and
development of policies for value
addition of such sustainable fish
catch.
"We should calculate
true economic prices of natural
resources and develop strategies
after carrying out studies on linkage
between environment and poverty
as well as on related subjects,"
he asserted.
He also underlined
the need to create awareness of
integrated water resources-water
for nature, sustainable water management
among ministries, politicians, policy-makers,
local communities and fisherfolk.
As the mid-term steps
to address the issue, Dr Ejaz Ahmed
emphasised to establish tenure and
access rights to natural resources,
besides passing on the true economic
prices to the users.
He said the major
socio-economic problem was the low-key
approach to existing laws on fishing
and forests while giving extraordinary
concessions to foreign fishing trawlers.
The natural resource
use being considered as free goods;
the defined property rights and
exploitation of resources without
cost and replenishment or substitute
were some other issues needed to
be resolved soon, he said.
Besides, he continued,
no wealth accounting of natural
resource base at different levels;
and insufficient knowledge of linkage
between poverty and environment
were other major socio-economic
issues.
On third day of the
workshop, the experts would articulate
a vision statement touching key
and unique characteristics of the
IDER about motivation of people
both inside and outside the eco-region.
Finally, the participants of the
workshop would set conservation
targets.
Courtesy: Dawn
For further information:
Shameer Ali Prasla
Environmental Education & Communication
Officer
WWF - Pakistan
Regional Conservation Office
Room 606-607, Fortune Centre
Floor 6, Block 6, PECHS
Shahrae Faisal
Karachi
Ph: 92-21-4544 791/92
Fax: 92-21-4544790
shameerwwf@yahoo.com
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