Islamabad:Expert working on policy, finance and water governance Dr Hameed Jamali has said that freshwater outflows to the sea are not a loss as these are critically essential for sustaining communities, fishing, agriculture and marine ecosystems.
Dr Jamali was presenting a talk on “Contested narratives in the Climate of Change: a case study of the Indus River Delta” hosted here by Institute of Regional Studies (IRS). Dr. Jamali highlighted that the Indus River Delta, once a thriving ecosystem, is now on the brink of collapse. Mangrove cover declined from 600,000 hectares to nearly 100,000 hectares, seawater intrusion advanced 80 kilometers inland and over 80% of the delta was now salinised causing large-scale displacement and economic losses estimated at $2 billion annually. He indicated that the Climate Change is often invoked as a major cause of the delta’s vulnerability, yet governance failures, poor water management, and unregulated development played an equally critical role in worsening losses.
The talk examined how dominant narratives, such as framing water flowing to the sea as “wastage,” reliance on large dam projects and Climate Change as an abstract driver, overshadowed ecological and community realities.
Dr Jamali stressed the need for ecological water flows below Kotri Barrage, climate-resilient basin-level governance and community-led water stewardship. He also called for replacing the outdated irrigation-centric model with Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) and reframing policies to integrate local ecological knowledge alongside scientific expertise.
Dr Rizwan Naseer, Senior Research Fellow, IRS, said that the Indus River Delta represents a critical ecological zone and a lifeline for millions, yet it faces severe degradation driven by climate variability, upstream water management practices and socio-economic challenges.
He noted that Climate Change amplified these vulnerabilities, creating complex policy and governance dilemmas that demand urgent and evidence-based solutions. Dr Anjum Rasheed, IRS, concluded the session with a strong call for policy reforms that prioritise ecological sustainability, community participation, and resilience against future climate and governance challenges.