Disclaimer note - WWF - Pakistan

Detailed Ecological Assessment Report 2008 – Keenjhar Lake
Figure 13 – Number of species in each conservation status category
Number of species
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
15
29
Rare Less Common Abundant No status
Conservation status
3.5.7 Threats and recommendations
3.5.7.1 Threats
• Reduced inflow of River Indus: Fresh water flow of Indus River has
been reduced from 150 million acre feet (MAF) a year some 60 years ago
to 0.72 MAF last year (2006). For some years, there is virtually no fresh
water flow to the sea. This has compounded the pace of the devastation
effects on the overall environment of the coastal areas. Under the
provisions of the Water Accord, 1991 a quantity of 10 MAF has been
earmarked for outflow to sea. However, there are doubts that 10 MAF is
sufficient and the IUCN has calculated that the annual requirements for
environmental sustenance are 27 MAF. Influx of freshwater from the River
Indus is known to be a major contributor towards the productivity of
estuarine areas of Sindh, as well as in offshore waters. It also has multiple
impacts some of which are as below:
a) Overall reduction in the flow of the River Indus over recent
decades has negatively affected fisheries in estuarine areas of
Pakistan. The production of commercially important species such
as river shad Palla’, barramundi ‘dangri’ and Indian threadfin
‘rawans’ has decreased substantially in the past four decades. The
famous Palla fish has become nearly extinct. The annual
production has reduced from 5000 tons in 1951 to just 500 tons,
besides marked reduction in its size. It has resulted in socioeconomic
hardships in coastal communities;
b) There has been a progressive reduction in the volume of silt from
200 million tons/ year in 1947 to 36 million tons per year in 1991.
This has resulted in the erosion and degradation of the Delta and
consequent seawater intrusion besides the harmful effects on
fisheries, specially shrimp and mangrove forests due to loss of
nutrients;
c) The mangrove forest area has reduced from 263,000 hectares in
1977 to 158,500 hectares in 1990 showing reduction of 38%. Even
this remaining area is being progressively degraded. At least 10
WWF Pakistan – Indus for All Programme Page 76 of 188
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35