August 7, 2004

According to a research presented at the symposium organised by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and the International Council for Science’s Committee on Oceanic Research, the world’s oceans are absorbing an unprecedented amount of carbon dioxide (CO2), which is increasing their level of acidity and possibly threatening the long-term survival of many marine species, including the corals, shellfish and phytoplankton. This development in turn could disrupt marine food chains and alter ocean biogeochemistry in ways that are not yet understood or predictable.

Nitrogen overload from fertilizers is creating a growing number of oxygen-starved “dead zones” in coastal waters across the globe. According to an estimate the marine litter is killing up to a million seabirds and 100,000 sea mammals and turtles each year around the world.

Keeping these facts in mind the United Nations selected this year’s World Environment Day (WED) theme as “Wanted! Seas and Oceans: Dead or Alive?” Based on this topic the world celebrated the WED and Pakistan was no exception. Pakistan is bestowed with a long coastline stretching between the two provinces: Sindh and Balochistan. The Arabian Sea is Pakistan’s southern boundary with 1,064 km of coastline. Unfortunately, the beaches in Pakistan, which generally are poorly manned, have been facing serious envrironmental disaster. The country has hardly come out of the recent catastrophe of Tasman Spirit, which besides causing serious damage to the coastline and depriving fishing communities of their basic livelihood, also restricted the activities of Karachiites whose only charm are the beaches of the city.

Recently, a training seminar was organized by the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), at its premises in collaboration with the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) for the teachers of schools in Karachi. The seminar was aimed at disseminating basic information about the deterioration at the oceans and seas to the younger generation through teachers.

The workshop was addressed by Dr S H Niaz Rizvi, Principle Scientific Officer/Head Physical Oceanography Section, NIO, Mrs Ghazala Aftab, Director, Environment Department, DHA Karachi, Dr Najam Khursheed, Head Aquatic Ecosystem Programme, IUCN, Tahir Qureshi, Director IUCN, Dr Fahmida Firdaus, Sindh Wildlife Department, Tetso Maximillan Ohno, Director United Nations Information Centre, Islamabad.

Dr S H Niaz Rizvi while speaking on the topic of Marine Environment of the Arabian Sea, highlighted the vital importance of oceans and seas for the mother Earth. “With 7-10 people around the globe living within 80 km of the coastal belt, 80 per cent of all marine pollution originates from municipal waste, industrial and agricultural waste and the run offs from agricultural land while the rest comes from shipping activities and oil drilling (marine-based activities) and the atmosphere. Like other marine zones of the world, the Pakistani ocean is also seriously threatened with hazards of untreated wastewater, air-borne pollution, industrial and agricultural effluent and silt from inadequately managed watersheds. The water of the Arabian sea along the coast in Pakistan is already being depleted with an estimated 300 million gallon untreated waste water dumped here.”

Dr Niaz observed that with change in the climate and rising sea level the world coral reefs specially in Bangladesh are seriously threatened. “Recreation, leisure, over fishing, water degradation and oil contamination are deteriorating wetlands and marine ecosystem,” Dr Niaz asserted. He was distressed about the lack of reclamation activities for the damage done to the environment in Pakistan.

In his comments, Mr Tetso Maximillan Ohno, who came all the way from Islamabad to attend this conference, emphasised the need for a joint action by the public and private sector along with the NGOs in order to protect the marine life in Sindh, which is contributing significantly to the economy of the country.

He said that this year’s theme calls for countries, organisation and individuals to respond positively to the needs of healthy and alive seas and oceans not only for aquatic ecosystems but for the overall benefit of mankind.

Hassan Akhtar Rizvi of IUCN said that the coastline of Sindh and Balochistan touches the Northern Arabian sea, the primary activity of which is 10 times more than the average value of the world’s oceans.

Ghazala Aftab, who was showing the results of her research done at Shirin Jinnah Colony, pointed out that only the Tasman Oil Spillage last year brought severe miseries to the local communities ruining their primary means of survival -fishing. She quoted a verse from the Holy Quran that Allah Almighty has created everything in equilibrium, which keeps the Earth intact. However, through over exploitation of the resources, when we try to disturb this equilibrium, catastrophes hit Mother Earth. “There is a cyclic effect going on, and by altering it, we create pollution.. She pointed out that an estimated 3bn people, living within 200km of coastline, depend on seas and oceans for their survival. The productivity of this area is about 18 trillion dollars. She termed Tasman disaster as being the worst in terms of damage to flora and fauna, besides the spread of volatile hydrocarbon, which affected biotic and abiotic species. She asserted the importance of propagating a sense of communal responsibility and awareness amongst citizens including school children by distributing brochures on the issue. Besides she also asked to adopt the approach of Integrated Coastal Zone Management and collection of pertinent data about pollution.

Dr Najam Khursheed, head of the Aquatic Ecosystem Programme, IUCN outlined the major threats to marine biodiversity that included invasive species, lack of information, habitat loss and degradation, over fishing, aquaculture, land based and sea generated pollution, climate change, oil exploration activities, alteration to hydrology, coastal development activities and dredging. He expressed the need to protect the rich marine biodiversity ranging from phytoplankton, zooplankton, aquatic plants, insects, fish, birds to mammals all contributing to the food chain.

Dr Fehmida Firdaus from Sindh Wildlife Department showed a documentary on the conservation of green turtles. While highlighting the basic facts she said: “Hawksbay and Sandspit point along the Karachi coast are among the 11 beaches in the world where green turtles come and the female turtle lays eggs. However, these species have been greatly threatened due to overexploitation by poachers and pollution on the coast. Due to Tasman oil spillage last year, these turtles either died or left Clifton beach. Sindh Wildlife department has been preserving the eggs of these turtles (a female turtle gives 100 eggs at a time) till their hatching and then they tag these baby turtles for further studies before putting them back into deep water. In 1982, according to a study, out of 6000 tagged turtles, 600 came back to lay eggs on our shores, which also had attached messages from India, Africa and Oman. The department has also been raising awareness about green turtles through conducting guided tours for students and teachers and distributing printed shirts, mugs and showing documentaries and publishing soveniers.”

Although local laws including the Pakistan Penal Code 1860, Port Act 1905 and Factories Act 1934 and international conventions related to the sea are theoretically in action to preserve the ecosystem, these laws require commitment and sincere implementation to achieve the required results. Population control is also a major concern since more than 150,000 people living along Sindh and Balochistan coasts consume 36,000 tonnes of mangroves per month as firewood, while 160,000 camels, 4000 cows, 6000 water buffaloes, and 3000 cattle heads feed on mangroves.

The director IUCN Coastal Ecosystem Programme M.Tahir Qureishi stressed on the importance of rehabilitating mangroves in the Indus Delta that were diminishing due to a shortage in fresh water supply which was threatening the fishing sector and was also causing sandy tracks /desertification. He pointed out that as much as 140 million gallon per day municipal waste, 157 million gallon per day industrial waste, and 1.5 million gallon per years oil pollution is dumped into the River Indus, which is the main source of pollution. Mangroves which serve as the natural breeding ground for fish and crabs also provide shelter against cyclones. Pakistan is bestowed with the largest number of arid climate mangroves. But due to the govt’s indifferent attitude towards these forests who consider them as waste lands these mangroves are dying. Usually termed as the “Lungs of Karachi city,” mangrove forest are facing serious threat to their survival due to marine pollution. He also showed his concern on the intrusion of River Indus which has gone 54 km upstream till Chashma Barrage and has badly affected the coastal agriculture. “This intrusion has deprived many communities of their basic livelihood, besides creating many social and economic problems for them,” he asserted.

Recently, the then Advisor to Chief Minister for Environment and Alternate Energy, Faisal Malik, had outlined the need for establishment of environment Courts to help control growing environmental pollution and ensure strict implementation of Environmental Laws of 1997. He also felt the need for the Environment department to appoint Environmental Tribunal Magistrates and Inspectors in all the 18 Towns of Karachi so that violators of environmental laws could be effectively dealt with. However, the decision in this regard is still awaited, while the portfolio of the Advisor to Chief Minster for Environment and Alternate Energy has now gone to Noman Saigol and one can simply hope that the new Advisor would bring some relief for the citizens of Karachi.

To sum it up, one can only say that the damage done so far to the environment cannot be undone, but one must agree that some thing can be done to stop further deteriorating it.

The writer is a freelance science journalist

A guided visit to mangrove forests along Karachi coast
At the end of the seminar, the teachers for whom this workshop was conducted were taken to a guided tour of Mangrove areas in the specially arranged boats by the IUCN.

Tahir Qureshi, who made arrangements for this trip, informed the teachers that by actively seeking the help of community, the IUCN has managed to rehabilitate 16000 acres of mangroves through re-plantation, re-generation and mangrove management.

“The funding agencies for this project are M/o Foreign Affairs, M/o Post and Telecommunication, Japan, Norvegian agency NORAD and International Society for Mangrove Ecosystem. The basic purpose behind this project was to reintroduce some species of mangroves which have been totally depleted during the course of time and also plant the naturally grown species through assisted natural regenration programme. The reintroduced species are Rhizophora mucronata (locally called Kumri) and Ceriops tagal while Avecena is found naturally here. All these species were grown at different islands. Between 1985-2000, replanting and reforestation of mangroves along Indus Delta and the coast of Balochistan was at 25000 hectares by Sindh Forest Department with the collaboration of IUCN. Of this total area, on 6000 hectares IUCN has done small-scale plantation on experimentation basis by setting up nurseries of mangroves species, through their own technology. This technology, which proved quite successful in Pakistan, has now been also transferred to other countries including Dubai (Persian Gulf) and Saudi Arabia. The purpose behind involving local communities in this project was to make them aware of the importance of mangroves for their livelihood and fishing activity. We educated them and asked them to take care of these areas for their own benefits. When we started working in 1982, it was a close society, with strict tribal system. Since mangroves were their major source of firewood and fodder they were destroying them unabated. We provided the communities with alternate fuel by distributing stoves among them. IUCN selected some islands, made water canals for irrigation purposes and then grew these species with the help of the community. With rotational activities, they were allowed to use some part of the forests as fuel and fodder. Besides, they are now allowed to generate some money through guided tours to the foreigners who have started coming in great number here to see these forest. These communities now have understood the importance of mangroves since the quantity and quality of fish and crabs catch has also increased due to these plantations.” Tahir Qureshi further said: “The mangroves plants grown naturally in Pakistan are arid saline and have one of the best outlooks in the world due to their symmetrical growth. However, due to the industrial waste from Steel Mill and Port Qasim coming directly to the sea and the sludge and waste coming from the slaughter houses of Landhi area, the water on these shores is highly contaminated.”

The teachers present on the occasion showed their deep interest in the project and vowed to convey this knowledge to their students through formal and informal lectures. — SBH

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