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Experts on Wednesday cast worries over fall in freshwater bodies and fish stocks in the wake of reduction in Indus River flow, discharge of industrial waste, mismanagement of natural resources and climate change.

They said the ecosystem based approach should be adopted in a bid to address the ecological, economic and social issues of Indus Ecoregion which will help achieving the long term development goals and objectives set under Indus Ecoregion Vision, 2005-2055.

Experts at the closing ceremony of 3-year Indus Ecoregion Community Livelihood Project (IECLP) at a local hotel, showed concerns over the depletion in fisheries stocks and other freshwater bodies from the hazardous industrial spillover and decline in flow in Indus River, besides changing climate. The project was implemented by the WWF-Pakistan with a financial support of Japan Social Development Fund (JSDF) and the World Bank at four priority sites namely Keenjhar Lake, Manchar Lake, Chotiari Reservoir and Nara Canal.

Speaking on the occasion, Sindh Secretary Fisheries and Livestock Department, Aijaz Mahesar said revival of fisheries is vital for the sustenance of fishers and economy of country. He appreciated the efforts of WWF-Pakistan and other stakeholders who worked towards improving the fish stocks in freshwater water bodies. He said that the fisheries department has imposed ban on illegal nets and indicted such fishers involved in illegal fishing. He called for joint initiatives to overcome these challenges and move towards success.

WWF-Pakistan senior director program Rab Nawaz said the Indus Ecoregion is rich in biodiversity and is home to a number of endemic species like Indus river dolphin. He said it is a success from Pakistan that the population of this specie has increased as a result of joint efforts of Sindh Wildlife Department, WWF-Pakistan and the local communities. He informed that industrial pollution, deforestation, excessive hunting and other such factors have, however, raised serious concerns about the survival of this ecoregion and populations linked to it. Degrading the freshwater bodies and their ecosystems is having a negative impact on livelihood and health of the local populations. He was of the view that the current project has contributed towards goals of the Indus Ecoregion Vision.

WWF-Pakistan regional head (Sindh and Balochistan) Dr Babar Khan briefed the participants about objectives and achievements of the project. He shared that the project has successfully contributed towards improvement of livelihood of target communities including youth and women. He said the adaptation of better management practices (BMP) in fisheries and agriculture has yielded promising results. Installations of pen and cage cultures in water bodies have helped improve income of the fishers.

To meet the much awaited demand of local communities, the project has installed nets at inlet and out let of Keenjhar Lake and outlet of Chotiari Reservoir that will help control escape of fish-seed from the water bodies. He said that the revival of indigo crop is one of the achievements of the project and considering its success, community is taking it forward.

Further, through capacity development programme, the project has trained more than 5000 people at the project sites. He emphasized on scoping study on ecology of water bodies, vigilant governance and scaling up better management practices in fisheries and agriculture sector.

Officials from relevant government departments, representatives from academia and members of community based organisations appreciated the efforts and initiatives of the project that contributed towards livelihood support and revival of indigo crop in the region. Community members from the sites expressed their determination to ensure the sustainability of the interventions and requested that such activities should be continued in the future. Sindh Agriculture University Tando Jam professor Dr Ismail Kunbhar, Director of US-Pak Centre for Advanced Studies in Water Mehran University Rasool Bux Mahar, Muhammad Moazzam Khan from WWF-Pakistan; Dr Aslam Jarwar, Director Sindh Fisheries; Majeed Mangrio Chairman Chotiari Conservation Forum (CCF) and others spoke on the occasion.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2019


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