Pakistan does not conquer land, which is no news. What's news is that it is definitely losing some - to the sea. A small seaside village on the Sonmiani coast lost around two acres of land to sea intrusion last week. "The erosion spell started in the morning during high tide and we saw large chunks of land falling apart in the western side of Damb that exists in the Miani Hor Lagoon," says a local official. In that strike, the sea took away some 200 structures, including houses and shops. Not that the villagers were completely unaware of the phenomenon of land being eroded by the sea, but "we have never seen such an intense wave action before," added another official, who heads the community-based Coastal Association for Research and Development. Not that only the residents of Damb are concerned about the menacing mood of the sea; unless there are effective, and prompt, counter-measures, the sea is out to devour huge chunks of land - not only in that particular area but all along Pakistan's coastal regions. It is believed to have taken away about two million hectares of land on the seafronts of both Sindh and Balochistan. The Indus Delta is fast submerging in the sea, and as it loses its life so do the mangrove forests which breed shrimp and freshwater fish. And Damb is not the only victim of the tides on the Makran coast; there is severe erosion also at Shadi Kaur, Pishukan and Jiwani. The forces that are wreaking this havoc are both man-made - to the extent that flow of freshwater to the Indus Delta has decreased - and nature-made as global temperature is on the rise, threatening coastal cities and towns. In 2015, the National Institute of Oceanography told the Senate committee concerned that three cities, Karachi, Badin and Thatta, will be submerged by 2060 if sea erosion is not stopped. Unchecked global warming tends to negatively impact the ecosystems in a number of ways, the most critical of them being the rise in sea levels and intrusion of salt water into freshwater forcing relocation or elimination of key species.
Are we in Pakistan in a position to give an equal fight to the angry sea and force it to retreat? Not much is in evidence to say yes. The issue of sea intrusion has yet to leave the drawing board, be it in the National Institute of Oceanography, Naval Headquarters or the Senate. Of course, there have been serious discussions on the subject, but the money required is yet to be allocated. The PC-I is pending as per the requirement of the Planning Commission. The Commission has informed the Senate committee concerned that "if SUPARCO further delays the submission of PC-I the budget will not be allocated for the next year to address the issue". SUPARCO may have some reservations, but these need to be made public given the growing threat of land being lost to the sea. One other issue that needs to be settled is the quantity of freshwater reaching the Indus Delta. According to the 1991 Water Accord, the delta must receive 10 MAF freshwater, but that is not being given. Too many barrages on the Indus tend to decrease the flow of freshwater, thereby allowing seawater to intrude into channels and disturb the region's ecological balance. Increase in the number of cyclones rising from the Arabian Sea is yet another challenge and the issue of seawater intrusion should receive prompt attention. Why is it that so far a serious issue such as land being lost to the sea hasn't received the kind of attention it should? Is it because people affected are absent from the mini-screen, because they don't come onto the streets yet?
Copyright Business Recorder, 2017
