Indus Ecoregion: WWF-Pakistan asks local communities to help improve livelihood

The WWF-Pakistan on Thursday asked the local communities to help it achieve its goals to improve livelihood and scale back poverty all around the Indus Ecoregion. At a roundtable discussion that the WWF-Pakistan organized at a local hotel under its "Indus Ecoregion Community Livelihood Project" (IECLP) with the support of Japan Social Development Fund (JSDF) and the World Bank, Director General WWF-Pakistan, Hammad Naqi Khan urged the communities to play their role in developing their living and stemming rise in poverty.
"The challenge is so huge that WWF-Pakistan alone cannot tackle it and hence, joint efforts of all stakeholders are required to address the issues of conservation and sustainable livelihood of local communities," he said. He also highlighted the significance of the IECLP.
"The IECLP is aimed at conserving natural resources, enhancing alternative livelihoods and reducing poverty in the Indus Ecoregion," he added. Secretary, Sindh Forest and Wildlife Department, Manzoor Ali Shaikh said that Sindh was faced with a multiple socio-ecological and economic problems, which needed to be addressed on an urgent basis.
He said that the international organisations were here to provide the government with a technical support and guidance but sustainable models were required to be created for long-term benefits of the communities. He also committed to providing a support to the IECLP at the target priority sites.
Senior Rural Development Specialist, Agriculture Global Practice, South Asia Region, World Bank, Melissa Williams in her address via Skype said that the World Bank was committed to collaborate and share knowledge for the implementation of the IECLP.
She said that there was an opportunity to bring together the economic development and poverty reduction agenda for conservation of the critical ecosystems. Acting Consul General, Consulate of Japan, Yasuharu Shinto said that Japan recognised the importance of socio-economic development in local communities through improvements of their livelihood and expected the IECLP would contribute in supporting women, children and people with disabilities. He said that the Japan was committed to continue providing its support to Pakistan.
Senior Director Programmes, WWF-Pakistan, Rab Nawaz said that the Indus Ecoregion supported a rich biodiversity in unique birds and animals. He said that the WWF-Pakistan had made efforts to address the issues of natural resource management, pollution, sea erosion, loss of species, deforestation, hunting of birds and animals, besides poverty through different projects in the ecoregion.
Interim Head WWF-Pakistan for Sindh and Balochistan, Ali Dehlavi said the project would focus on gender empowerment, awareness raising and capacity building of local fisher communities. He said that the project would organize fisher groups/ co-operatives and develop effective and sustainable market linkages. The IECLP will also incorporate climate change adaptation practices, he said.
Executive Director Centre for Environment and Development, Nasir Ali Panhwar said that the mismanagement of natural resources in rural Sindh lowered opportunities for a livelihood diversification. He also highlighted decaying conditions of freshwater wetlands in Sindh.
The IECLP aims to provide alternative livelihood opportunities and improve capacity of fisher communities in four priority sites of the Indus Ecoregion namely Keenjhar Lake(Thatta district), Manchar Lake (Jamshoro district),Chotiari Wetlands Complex(Sanghar district) and Nara Wetlands Complex (Khairpur district).The event was attended by government officials, academia, civil society and local community representatives.