Daily Times

A seminar was held apropos to World Environment Day on Saturday, which stressed the need for an adequate supply of fresh water in the Kotri downstream to save the coastal region from environmental degradation and other hazards related to climate change, at Keti Bunder.

During the seminar, the participants were of the view that an adequate inflow of freshwater would make the revival of the Indus delta possible that was on the verge of disaster.

Director Sindh-Balochistan WWF-Pakistan, Dr. Tahir Rasheed said that the deltaic region and the Indus delta were facing the threat of extinction following inadequate supply of water and abrupt change in the climate that had left an adverse impact on the environment globally.

He further said that local communities living in this part of the country were facing challenges from all ends and were forced to migrate to different areas of the country but currently, the only solution to this issue resides in an adequate supply of water.

Arif Ali Khokhar, conservator of mangroves management circle Karachi expressed satisfaction over the preservation of mangroves and said that it was a great move that would prevent environmental hazards in the future adding that more efforts were needed to keep the country safe from the peril of climate change.

Dr. Mukhtar Mahar, director of coastal research at the University of Sindh, said that freshwater flows were essential for the survival of the deltaic ecosystem and associated biodiversity.

He urged stakeholders, environmentalists, and representatives of WWF to join hands for the revival of the Indus delta and making the coastal region an environment-friendly part of the country. At the end of the event Students of TCS school presented a Tableau to create awareness regarding the importance of mangroves plantation.