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Final Report of Vegetation Assessment According to Hoekstra et al. (1997), the boat-based fishermen use about 53 to 120 kg wood for each fishing trip that lasts for 1 to five days. Wood collection for domestic use for permanent settlements depends very much on the proximity of the settlement to the mangrove vegetation and the availability of alternate sources of wood fuel or energy. Hoekstra et al. (1997) provided following details for multiple uses of mangrove wood in Indus Delta region. Table 7 - Uses of wood by fishermen communities in Indus Delta Harvest Purpose Shah Kharochan Keti East Port Bundar Bundar Karachi Qasim For sale - - Xxx Xxx Xx During fishing X X X X X For domestic use X Xxx X X Xxx Xxx = significant quantity xx = medium quantity x = small quantity 2.5.1.6 Over Fishing: The inhabitants in Keti Bundar depend mainly on fishing for their livelihood. They are overexploiting the fish resource and using unsustainable methods of fishing. Reduced river flow is also responsible for decrease in fishery resource. This shortage of fishery resource is diverting the people dependence more on mangroves for their livelihood. 2.6 Constraints for Agriculture development in Keti Bundar. Agriculture development in the coastal belt is constrained by different physical, chemical and social factors. • Constraints increase with increasing intensity of salinity. Soil salinity is the most dominant limiting factor in the region, especially during the dry season. It affects certain crops at different levels/ stages of growth, which reduces yield. A substantial area of land is tidally affected by saline water. Appropriate management practices for crop production in this area are not available. • Scarcity of quality irrigation water during dry season limits cultivation of crops. • Variability of rainfall, uncertainty also affects crop production. Drought also restricts cultivation. • Crop choices are limited by salt tolerating ability of crops, narrow technological and Germplasm bases. • Disease and pests. Extensive cultivation of a particular crop year after year makes the crop susceptible to pests and diseases attack. • Soil texture of most of the saline soils varies from silt clay to clay. Land preparation is difficult when soil dries out. Deep and wide cracks develop and surface soil becomes very hard. This necessitates deep and rapid tillage operations. • Water logging in low lands restricts potential land use. • Lack of appropriate extension programmes for diffusion of modern technologies is also a big constraint in development. Indus For All Programme Page 30 of 131
Final Report of Vegetation Assessment • Big land ownership and unfavourable land tenure system and dominance of absentee farmers discourage adoption of modern technologies. • Difficult communication and remote marketing facilities also retard Agriculture development of the area. 2.7 Suggestions for Improvement: • Coordinated Resource Management Approach: For the management of mangroves coordinated resource management approach should be adopted as it is a cooperative method to resolve renewable resource management problems. It is a tool for coordinating planning, management and educational activities with the concerned government agencies like Sindh Forest Department, Coastal Development Authority and District Governments, civil society organisations and local farming and fishermen communities. • Rehabilitation of Mangrove Vegetation: Afforestation should be carried out on blank areas through adopting proper silvicultural practices. This activity may be assigned to Sindh Forest department by providing adequate manpower having expertise in mangroves management. In addition to Avicennia marina other species like Rhizophora mucronata, Ceriops tagal and Aegiceras corniculata should be reintroduced to the area. • Political Will: Awareness regarding importance of mangrove ecosystems towards their role in sheltering the coastline areas, economic development and environmental protection of the country should be created amongst the leadership at various levels. This will help in policy formulation and implementation of improvement works. Another important step is to organise communities through rigorous social organisation. The focus groups should be the people living inside creeks where most of the mangrove forests exist and fishing is practiced. • Alternate Sources of Energy: To reduce the pressure on mangrove forests alternate sources of energy such as electricity, solar energy, wind energy and natural gas may be explored and provided. • Research: Scientific studies on fresh water requirements of mangroves, choice of species, salt tolerance of various plants, etc may be carried out. • Environmental Flows: There is a serious need that concerned federal and provincial government departments, academic institutions and the civil society organisations and those who control water flow in river such as WAPDA, Irrigation Departments along with representatives from the target communities should discuss and agree on a minimum quantity of water to make available to deltaic region year round for sustaining the ecological health. A number of studies have so far been conducted in the past to assess the optimum amount of environmental flows but there seems a serious lack of will to implement such decisions or accords. A further delay to decide and implement the desired amount of water will result in irreversible damage to the ecosystems in the deltaic region. 2.8 Conclusions Keti Bundar ecosystem is in the process of deterioration at a very fast pace. The floral diversity is very low with respect to palatable grasses, trees and shrubs because of reduced supply of fresh water in the River Indus, seawater intrusion, overgrazing and, overexploitation etc. Salinity level in soil is on the increase, indicated by the dominance of halophytic species even in the mainland flora. The degradation of mangrove ecosystem and shrinkage in Indus For All Programme Page 31 of 131
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