What is the Economic Significance and state of Wetlands of Pakistan?

What types of Environmental Management Measures have been applied by the Government of Pakistan to protect Wetlands of Pakistan?

Submitted to: Mr. Zeeshan (Environmental Economics) Submitted by: M. Zohaib Alam 4th Semester, Economics Date: February 17, 2009

APPENDIX
1. Wetlands Map of Pakistan

2. Kachura Skardu Lake

3. Nangar Parker, Thar Desert

Economic Significance of Wetlands Wetlands and their resources make a momentous, though largely unappreciated, contribution to Pakistans economy. Both freshwater and marine fish form a noteworthy portion of fish production and exports. Further, they provide livelihoods for several rural communities such as fishermen, hunters, grazers, forest users who live near wetlands. Average citizens also have a use for wetland products on a daily basis. Fish and fish products, baskets, blinds and reed mats and herbal medicines comprise just a few examples of these products. Rural people, especially poor households, also extract and process wetlands' material for meeting their daily needs.(see Appx. 3) The economic benefits of wetlands are the interaction of physical, biological and chemical components, such as soil, water, plants and animals which enable wetlands to perform multiple vital functions like water storage; flood protection and alleviation; reservoir of biodiversity, recreation and cultural values; shoreline stabilization and erosion control; ground water recharge and discharge; water purification through retention of nutrients; ground water replenishment; sediments; and climate change mitigation, particularly rainfall and temperature. People, domestic livestock, and wildlife depend on them for livelihood and survival. They are also a major source of food staples, livestock grazing and fodder, fuel wood, and irrigation water. Wetlands offer have indirect forms of economic significance as well such as the provision of tourism, outdoor education, and sport and recreation. However, our importance of Wetlands does not equal our appreciation of these permanent or temporary waters.

The state of wetlands The state of wetlands in Pakistan is mentioned below according to the respective provinces. Baluchistan: -Makran Coastal Wetlands Complex extends westwards along Baluchistans Makran Coast from the Basol River to Jiwani on the border with Iran; this Complex supports a range of cetaceans such as Finless Porpoises and Hump-backed Whales as well as the endangered Marsh Crocodile. Local communities are dependent on fishing and port activities that have led to pressures on marine biodiversity through over-harvesting and pollution. A lack of alternate resources for fuel, fodder and timber has led to unsustainable utilization of mangroves in the Dasht estuary. Sindh: - Central Indus Wetlands Complex is home to Pakistans endemic Indus Dolphin, this Complex presents a picture of intensive resource overuse to meet subsistence needs. Over-fishing, harmful fishing techniques, agrochemical, industrial and urban pollution, hunting and extraction of wetlands vegetation pose the main threats to wetlands and their associated biodiversity in this Complex. Punjab: -Salt Range Wetlands Complex comprises of a series of adjacent lakes Kallar Kahar, Khabbeki, Ucchali, Jhalar, and Namal - this Complex provides an important wintering ground for migratory birds and is core habitat for the endemic Punjab Urial. The lakes are degrading in quality and extent due to encroachment of agriculture, over-extraction and pollution of water and a range of other intensive resource-use practices

North West Frontier Province: -North-west Alpine Wetlands Complex is located in the upper Yarkhun River Valley at elevations ranging from 3,000 to 4,200 m; this Complex includes some of the highest biologically active wetlands on earth. (see appx. 1) Its glacial lakes, braided stream beds and extensive peatlands provide a seasonal refuge to Palaearctic bird migrants and Marco Polo sheep. They also support a substantial local population composed essentially of hardy Wakhi people whose semipermanent habitation is established well above the tree line. Measures to preserve the wetlands Pakistan has tried to make several endeavors to preserve its wetlands but failed efforts have not changed much. It has participated in the World Heritage Convention and the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. It has one designated biosphere preserved under the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Program. The Pakistan Wetlands Programme (PWP) strongly intends to promote the sustainable conservation of freshwater and marine wetlands and their associated globally important biodiversity in Pakistan. The program strategy is to provide the required policy, institutional, technical and financial framework and generate positive public support essential for the mainstreaming of wetlands conservation. It includes specific mechanisms to secure financial sustainability and enhanced replication of wetlands. A report based on Ramsar Bureau in 1990 identified priorities for action including surveys, conservation measures, awareness raising, management and applied research. Some community-based biodiversity management initiatives had been supported elsewhere by the appropriate agencies in NWFP and Sindh. Some short-term conservation initiatives had been implemented in recent years in Makran Coastal Wetlands Complex, Central Indus Wetlands Complex (CIWC), and 5

Salt Range Wetlands Complex with the active involvement of WWF. The Ministry of Environment's $11.8 million Pakistan Wetlands Programme aims to promote the conservation of freshwater, wetlands and the associated globally important biodiversity. The WWF-Pakistans strategy is based on four national level objectives: 1.) To amplify the known information about the coastal and inland wetlands of the country by enhancing ongoing field survey work. 2.) To upgrade the existing Wetlands Action Plan to the level of a National Wetlands Management Strategy. 3.) To start a broad-based, nationwide wetlands awareness and promotion campaign aimed at substantially improving awareness at all levels in the society. 4.) To address the dire need for enhanced capacity for wetlands conservation. A conservation initiative as far reaching and ambitious as the Wetlands Programme requires substantial financial support and this has come in the form of generous assistance from four sources so far: the GEF Programme ($3.33 million), UNDP Pakistan ($1.5 million), WWF- Network ($1.2 million) and the Royal Netherlands Embassy, Islamabad ($4.03million). Criticism Overall, the efforts made by the government of Pakistan have generally been derisory to meet the challenge of conserving globally important biodiversity. The most significant drawback has been the absence of an effective enabling environment that could encourage and sustain initiatives for biodiversity conservation. The lack of efficient and integrated policies; the absence of decision-making tools and reliable information to support effective wetlands conservation planning; technical deficiencies related to skills and equipment; and the lack of general public awareness or political pressure have hindered the process of wetlands conservation. The government immediately needs to develop and implement a comprehensive national wetlands policy. Unfortunately in 6

Pakistan, management of the wetlands does not fall under the administration of any single organization. The regulatory measures taken by the Government of Pakistan have been limited to passing laws and not implementing them properly to being signatorys to the drafts signed with other countries, in the war on Global Preservation of Wetlands. Freshwater ecosystem and several wetlands are facing some common threats such as environmental pollution including pesticides. Moreover, salinity and water-logging have become a severe problem for much of the agricultural lands in the Indus Basin, and many areas have become so saline that they unable to support any biodiversity or plant life. Over the past several years, many wetlands have been degraded and have lost their significance due to unsustainable exploitation, increase level of urban and domestic effluents being discharge into the aquatic ecosystems. (see
Appx 1)

The current position of wetlands has yet to formulate a proper strategy for the

conservation of international importance wetlands. For the very first time has a World Wetlands day been celebrated through news media and communicated the importance of Pakistans moral suasion to the wetlands that inhibit us. The moral measures that the government needs to produce is very lazy and the pressure on spreading this needs to be increased by the government. There is not only need to devise a bona fide policy for the development of these wetlands but also concrete efforts are required to tackle the escalating threats faced by this fragile ecosystem. Thus, proper coordination and a pragmatic approach is required to preserve the precious wetlands of Pakistan which are presently being threatened by poor conservation, over-exploitation, growing salinity, aquatic vegetation, chemical pollution, hunting and shortage of fresh water, land urban and industrial pollution. These assets can only be saved by some hardheaded policies

implemented through major constitutional reforms.

References: 1.) Wetlands Article (June 2, 2009). Wetlands Connect Us All. The News International, Page 8 2.) Article CURRENT STATUS OF INTERNATIONAL IMPORTANT WETLANDS by Muhammad Zaheer Khan 3.) http://www.pakistanwetlands.org/ 4.) http://www.fao.org/docrep/ 5.) www.environment.gov.pk 6.) Map Courtesy [Pakistan Wetlands Organization] 7.) Photos by K. S Bukhari 8.) http://www.unep-wcmc.org/sites/country/pak.htm 9.) http://www.cbd.int/doc/external/countries/pakistan-wetland-cs-2003-en.pdf 10.) 11.) http://www.wildlifeofpakistan.com/wetlands.htm http://wgbis.ces.iisc.ernet.in/energy/lake2006/programme/programme/need_env.htm

12) http://www.iucn.org/about/union/secretariat/offices/asia/asia_where_work/pakistan/publications/pu bs_2005/pubs_env_law_federal.cfm 13) http://www.jbaas.com/articles/