LAHORE: THAAP will hold a session on Pakistan’s last surviving houseboat community, titled “Manchar Lake Mohannas – Safeguarding Culture”, on June 14.

The event, in its THAAP Talk Series, will highlight the endangered heritage of the community on Manchar Lake, Sindh. Renowned scholars Prof Dr Anila Naeem, chairperson of the Department of Architecture and Planning at NED University of Engineering and Technology, Karachi, and Farida Abdul Ghaffar, assistant professor in the same department, will lead the discussion.

Prof Naeem’s groundbreaking research explores the Mohannas, an indigenous fishing community living on intricately crafted wooden houseboats called Galiyo near Sehwan.

As one of South Asia’s last remaining boat-dwelling communities, the Mohannas preserve a vibrant cultural legacy rooted in fishing, boat-building, and river navigation. Yet, their way of life faces existential threats from pollution—primarily the Right Bank Outfall Drain (RBOD)—climate change, and systemic marginalization.

Supported by the UK Government’s Cultural Protection Fund and the British Council, Dr Naeem’s 20-month conservation project, launched in April 2024, aims to restore these historic houseboats while enhancing the community’s quality of life through clean water access, sanitation and sustainable livelihoods, including cultural tourism and skills training.

Pervaiz Vandal, THAAP co-founder, would deliver opening remarks, situating this research within THAAP’s broader exploration of South Asia’s ancient riverine civilizations, such as the Harappan culture, potentially linked to the Mohannas’ boat-building traditions.

Published in Dawn, June 11th, 2025