July
13, 2004
“Poor
flow of water making Indus delta
thirsty"
William Reidhead,
Conservation Programme Manager of
the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF),
said here on Tuesday, that the Indus
Delta was drying up due to the inadequate
flow of water from the Himalayas
and its inefficient use.
Talking to journalists,
he said, "Most important is
the inadequate flow of water from
the Himalayas, due to which the
biodiversity of the delta, the river
dolphin and the mangroves are threatened."
He also said it was not easy to
resolve the crisis at the Indus
Delta eco-region, exacerbated by
a scarcity of fresh water. "We
have to find a way to manage the
use of water and improve agricultural
practices so that we do not depend
so much on water," he said.
Mr Reidhead said
it was necessary to manage the flow
of water so that it reaches the
ecosystem at "appropriate times
and quantities".
He agreed that in
some cases the crop pattern had
to be changed. He said people living
upstream had the first opportunity
to make use of the water from one
of the mightiest rivers in the world.
"It has a lot to do with technology.
There are more efficient methods
to cope with the ever-growing needs
of freshwater," he said.
The Indus Delta is
the sixth largest delta in the world,
with a total area of about 600,000
hectares.
The Indus River extends
from the Himalayas to the Arabian
Sea, with a unique range of geographical
features and biodiversity, covering
mountain, plain and deltaic environments.
Seventeen major creeks and innumerable
minor creeks and extensive mud flats
feed off it.
The Indus River,
with its headwaters, tributaries,
flood plains, deltaic regions and
marine coastal zone represents a
complete range of ecosystems and
unique geographical features.
The river and its
surrounding land are important for
the living standards of the entire
population of Pakistan.
Economic developments,
which include agriculture, forestry,
fisheries, oil and gas extraction
and hydroelectricity, are all dependent
on the river, according to Dr. Ejaz
Ahmad, Deputy Director General,
WWF-Pakistan.
"The Indus is
also of global importance from an
archaeological perspective. Moenjodaro,
one of the earliest civilizations
in the world discovered in the early
1920s, is situated along the river."
In the past, the region was an important
pass for armies invading India,
such as Alexander and the Arabs.
The delta region
is home to about 100,000 people,
who have traditionally depended
on agriculture, forestry and fishing.
The scarcity of freshwater and mechanisation
have made fishing the dominant industry.
Most of the inhabitants of this
area are now fishermen.
The Forestry sector,
however, continues to play a role
in the life of the coastal communities.
"Currently, the dominant occupation
in the delta is fishing and related
activities that employ an estimated
90 percent of the population. In
agriculture and forestry about 8
percent of the population is involved.
The services sector engages 2 percent
of the population," according
to Dr Ahmad.
Sindh holds a premier
position in the Fisheries sector
of Pakistan. It commands 100 percent
of brackish water and 71 percent
of the marine resources of Pakistan.
Export of fish products constitutes
2 percent of national exports. The
average annual income from exports
amounts to Rs 2.2 billion, of which
60 percent is attributable to shrimp
and 40 percent to fish.
"I think that
the Sindh government is quite engaged
in the dialogue on the Indus Delta.
I am impressed by the quality of
the government people here. They
are engaged in delivering the strategy
and vision of the Indus Delta,"
said Mr Reidhead.
He said the earth
was covered by 850 eco regions and
the Indus Delta was in the top 50
eco regions and that is why the
WWF was working here. He said the
WWF was making a 50-year strategy
for the delta. He said the mangroves
in the delta were the sixth largest
in the world and the Indus was among
only four Asian rivers that housed
river dolphins. All of Pakistan
and parts of India depend on the
Indus economically, he said.
Courtesy: Daily Times
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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