Sindh SoED.pdf - IUCN - Pakistan

years' data (from 1980-81 to 1997-98)demonstrates that about 95 percent of thefarmland in Sindh obtains its water from theirrigation system, while the rest is cultivatedwith the help of tube wells 2 .The limited groundwater (less than 5 MAF) inthe province is available in only 28 percent of theentire area. Rainfall is only in the range of 100 to200 mm per annum, while the evaporation rateis about 1000 to 2000 mm, depending onclimatic conditions. Thus the whole of Sindh isarid, with the River Indus being the primaryfreshwater source that gives life to the province.With population growth, the average amount ofrenewable freshwater available to each persondeclines. A country is considered to be underserious water stress if it falls below 2000 cubicmeters. It is classified as water deficient if theper capita water availability falls under 1000cubic meters. In such a situation the socioeconomicand environmental development ofthe country is seriously hampered. Theseissues are further discussed in Chapter 4(Water Resources).The per capita water availability in Pakistan was5000 cubic meters in 1947. This had declined toabout 1200 cubic meters in 2002. In Sindh itfalls below the national average, indicating thatthe province has entered a phase of waterinsecurity. This calls for providing it with itslegitimate share of water from the Indus RiverSystem and taking all possible measures toconserve and manage water, ensuring thecontinuity of life and economic development.SoilThe soil in the plains of Sindh is plastic clay thathas been deposited by the Indus. Combinedwith water it develops into a rich mould andwithout water it degenerates into a desert.Nearly the entire Indus valley has soil which isextremely friable and easily disintegrated by theflow of water. Resultantly, the water alwayscontains a large amount of suspended silt.Map-2.3 show the locations of different types ofsoils in Sindh.Tahir QureshiFruit Orchard in Coastal AreaVegetationInformation available on the ecologicaldistribution of vegetation in Sindh, which dealswith the quantitative aspect of floristiccomposition of the region, is sketchy andoutdated. However, the vegetation of Sindh hascertain characteristic features 3indicative of arainless climate, dry atmosphere and sandy soillargely impregnated with salt. The most strikingcharacteristic is the predominance of plantswith small leaves, or none at all, like the leaflesscaper, milkbush and the cactus (Euphorbianereifolia). The large leaved Banyan tree, likethe pipal, was introduced later. Another featureof the vegetation in the province is theprominence and variety of grasses.Except for the irrigated Indus valley, theprovince is arid and with little vegetation. Thedwarf palms, Kher (Acacia rupestris), andLohirro (Tecoma undulata) trees are typical ofthe western hill region. In the central valley, thebabul (known as Babur in Sindhi) tree is themost dominant and occurs in thick forests alongSindh State ofEnvironment &Development192. Government of Pakistan 20003. Aitken, E.H. Gazetteer of the Province of Sindh. Indus Publication, Karachi