15 January 2004	Thursday	22 Ziqa'ad 1424

KARACHI, Jan 14: Sea intrusion is affecting the ecosystem, making agricultural lands barren, contaminating aquifers and causing degradation of land and water resources, which has seriously affected fishing and agriculture sectors , says a survey report prepared by the Leader of Environment and Development (LEAD), a UK based NGO working on environment.

The report based on secondary research, literature review, field visits to Keti Bandar and community interviews says the gradual encroachment of the sea into the Indus Delta and up the main course of River Indus in the lower Sindh is one of the worst cases of large-scale environmental degradations causing the delta to shrink to 250 km from 6,000 km only a hundred years ago.

The report terms sea intrusion the main cause of the destruction of several thousand hectares of land in the coastal districts of Thatta and Badin. Other than the listed and unlisted environment-related issues, it has also triggered considerable social and economic problems such as migration to the hinterland and a sharp rise in poverty.

It says the sea has intruded 54 km upstream along the main course of the river, an uncommon phenomenon for a perennial river. The absence of a considerable water flow of the Indus is due to upstream diversion of water. In addition, prolonged drought and water shortages in the country during the recent years have further aggravated the detrimental impacts of the phenomenon.

The ecology and physiology of richly productive but delicately balanced riverine and deltaic ecosystems are undergoing adverse changes due to lack of freshwater flow in the environment. "Hence biodiversity in this region is depleting, productivity is on the decline and, in some cases, extinction of species has occurred."

The mangrove forests of the Indus Delta, one of the most extensive arid coast mangroves in the world, are a case in point. Of the eight species of mangroves recorded to be growing in the Indus Delta in 1950s only three continue to flourish.

In addition a sharp decline in the landing of anadromous fish species, in particular the valuable Pallah (Tenualosa Ilisha) and Barramundi (Lates Calcifer) has been observed.

The volume and quality of shrimp catch that represents a major segment of seafood exports have also fallen. Marine fish such as the Dumbra has been sighted several kilometres up the course of the river, the report points out.

These developments point towards the persistent degradation of the ecosystems, their inevitable collapse, and the associated environmental and economic costs that will consequently be incurred.

The livelihood of the coastal population is mostly dependent on fisheries, agriculture and forestry. With the degradation of the natural resource base, there has been a persistent decline in the economic conditions of the local communities.

"The scarcity of potable and contaminated water is a significant factor that contributes to the increasing incidence of skin, eye and stomach diseases.-PPI