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Final Report of Vegetation Assessment
2.3 Livelihood/ Social aspects
Majority of population are fishermen and belong to Baloch, Jat, Memon, Shiekh, Dabla,
Solangi, Syed and Gug tribes. Traditionally agriculture, livestock and fishing were three major
sources of livelihood of the community of this area. Due to reduction in freshwater supplies
and seawater intrusion into the land, the agriculture of inland areas is on decline causing high
pressure on fishing, grazing and exploitation of mangroves for fuel and timber. Presently
there are three dominant sources of livelihood which include fishing about 90%, agriculture
and livestock rearing about 8% and services in various sectors about 2%. The women of the
area have more freedom as compared to other agricultural and pastoral communities;
however, they are not involved in livelihood activities and are responsible mainly for
household chores and the livestock. People are mostly illiterate and their economic conditions
look poor. Mostly the population resides on the creek banks or near mainland. The education
level of people is very low and their hygienic conditions are not satisfactory.
Indus for All Programme carried out socio-economic assessment in 34 villages of Keti Bundar
situated inside creeks as well over inland area (Annexures A - VII to A - XV). A quick view of
the village profiles indicates that predominance of fishing and net making occupations are
most obvious of these villages. Village Faqiriani Jat is famous for camel rearing and also has
well known for artisans who undertake boat painting and engine repairing work. Due to outmigration
of households from Hajamro and Chann creeks to mainland areas, a new village
Meero Dablo (36 HH) has come into existence just outside the Keti Bunder protective bund
and in front of the Forest Department’s jetty. Bhoori village is famous for the buffaloes due to
prevalence of pastures occupied by palatable grass species. Dablo is the major caste group,
especially in creek villages followed by Jat; a camel herder tribe and Sholani Baloch; a
farming tribe. Trading community is represented mainly by the Memons of Keti Bunder.
There is only one high school located in Keti Bundar. Electricity is available at Keti Bunder
and two inland villages. It is also available at Tippun (a village in Hajamro creek) mainly
through a wind turbine erected by WWF - Pakistan. The area is totally deprived of any water
supply system, except for Bhoori village which has 10 hand pumps providing sweet water
because the village is located in Khobar creek; which is currently the main course of Indus
River falling in the Arabian Sea. Communities purchase drinking water on comparatively high
prices thus facing an added stress on their subsistent livings.
A recent socio-economic study undertaken by Indus for All Programme revealed that the
average household size of Keti Bundar area has 6.6 members. About one-fifth of households
have only 3 members and such households were predominant at Keti Bundar. The study also
revealed that about 78.4% households are engaged in fishing followed by daily labour,
business and other miscellaneous occupations. In creek areas a fraction of the households (1
– 2%) possess small and large ruminants.
Proportion of family members engaged in different occupations depicts that 3% households
possess poultry birds. The study examined that local population heavily rely on natural
resources such as drinking water (94%), fish (88%), fuel wood (75%), and pastures (37%), a
majority of the households in creeks and inland areas believe that natural resources such as
drinking water, fish and forests have declined over the past five years. About 48% of
respondents agreed that irrigation water resources have depleted during the last five years.
Over 70% of respondents agreed that the fisheries have declined, while 64% agreed that
forest resources have sharply depleted during the last 5 years. Depletion of fisheries, being
the primary source of livelihood, was perceived to be highest at Keti Bundar (87% of
respondents).
Indus For All Programme Page 16 of 131