Policy gaps, lack of awareness destroying coastal areas of Sindh

HYDERABAD: Experts at an event on Friday agreed that policy gaps and lack of awareness among communities have contributed to the destruction of the coastal areas of Sindh, and forced thousands to migrate to other regions of the province.

Researchers, academia, and environmentalists spoke on poor health indicators in the province and linked them to contaminated water, sanitation, and hygiene issues during a discussion at Sindh Agriculture University (SAU) Tandojam.

The event aimed to sensitise nature conservationists, journalists and students into creating awareness among communities for sustainable use of resources.

Dr Ghulam Ali Jariko, director, Sindh Development Study Centre (SDSC), SAU, sharing his findings said Sindh coastal areas were the richest socially, economically, and culturally. "These rich coastal areas used to produce best quality rice, banana, wheat, vegetables, and dairy products, but now they have no choice but to migrate in search of bread and butter," he said.

Dr Jariko said groundwater in Sindh had become poisonous even in the riverbed. “There is a need to conduct a fresh study to ascertain the status of the people and their health due to using unsafe water,” he added.

He said policy gap and unawareness among communities have contributed a lot in the destruction and displacement in coastal areas, which connect four districts of the province, Badin, Thatta, Sujawal and Karachi.

“Small growers and common men residing along the 350km long coastline are paying a huge cost for this carelessness,” he added.

The fishing industry used to employ more than three million people, and everyone had their specific role, including women, he said. “Now, a majority of these fishermen do not have jobs, because all marine and inland waters seem to be either emptied or facing issues.” 

Dr Jariko said the judicious distribution system of irrigation water has lost its significance because of “political role” in every field.

“Influential landlords get more water, which causes salinity, while in tail-end areas growers are crying for water, leaving their fertile land barren,” he added.

He said if a proper natural resource management approach is undertaken, distribution can be categorised according to the kind and right of stakeholder.

“But here the stakeholders are not even invited for consultation during the policy-making process. That is why soil is losing fertility, and per acre yield is falling. Even landlords are now shifting hands to other alternative sources of earnings,” Dr Jariko said. 

Prof Muhammad Ismail Kumbhar, director, University Advancement and Financial Assistance, said the sea was eroding the fertile lands and many fresh water lakes in Badin and Sujawal districts, some of which were known Ramsar Sites.

To counter this, Prof Kumbhar suggested ensuring downstream water flow to the Indus Delta that would help maintain the marine ecosystems as well as the inland water bodies, on which at least a million people depended for livelihood and sustenance.