Nov 21 , 2015
News
Report released on delta ecosystem in Indus River
‘Environmental flows designed to maintain at least some natural flow variability along river’s length’
ISLAMABAD – WWF-Pakistan under its project building capacity on Climate Change Adaptation in Coastal Areas of Pakistan (CCAP) again released a report to review the environmental flows to maintain delta ecosystem in Indus River during a workshop, according to a press release issued here on Saturday.
The report is written by Dr Christopher J Gippel. Senior Project Manager Ali Dehlavi said that environmental flows were designed to maintain at least some natural flow variability along the whole length of a river so that people, animals and plants downstream can continue to survive and make use of river resources.
Based on the Dr Gippel’s findings, Dr Ghulam Nabi, a sediment transport modeler and hydrology/water resources engineer, launched a policy brief in which he recommended conserving natural resources and biodiversity downstream of Kotri Barrage. He also suggested to maintain environmental flows by formulating improvements for the lower Indus Basin.
– Threats to Indus delta –
The study notes that overall demand for water from the Indus River exceeds supply, requiring agreement on the rules for sharing available water among the environment and other users. The main threats to the health of the Indus delta include reduced freshwater flow, construction of dams and various canals, encroachments, clearing mangroves for agriculture, reduced sediment loads, habitat destruction and pollution.
However, the threats do not necessarily impact the delta in isolation, and implementation of any environmental flow initiative would also need to consider mitigating other non-flow related threats to the health of delta. The study also notes that intrusion of seawater inland has presented a surface water problem for people living in the delta and for riparian plants and aquatic organisms that prefer freshwater, some or all of the time.
The report suggests transparent and inclusive process enabling stakeholders to prioritise natural capital assets and agree on their desired future health. “The report is intended to help inform decisions around the use and management of water in the wider Indus River basin,” Dehlavi said. While Dr Nabi said that the report was developed to keep in consideration inconsistencies in reported flow and sediment data.
The workshop was attended by officials from different government institutions, representatives of the non-government organisations, academia and media persons.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk