Conserving our wetlands

The government's plan to promote conservation of the country's fresh water resources and coastal wetlands is primed to address a sector that has so far received only marginal attention, though its contribution to the economy has been quite substantial.
Hinged on a participatory approach, the strategy firmed up by the government, is designed to drum up increased public, institutional and policy support for the conservation of wetlands that constitute the mainstay of our ecosystem. Pakistan has as many as 225 man-made and natural wetlands spread over about 10 percent of its landmass.
Natural wetlands, whether permanent or seasonal, exist as peatlands, rivers, streams, lakes, marches, estuaries, mudflats and inter-tidal areas, while lakes, canals, dams and lagoons are often broadly categorised as man-made wetlands. Unfortunately, the pivotal role the wetlands play in the country's economy has remained largely unrecognised because of lack of adequate public awareness. Wetlands give sustenance to agriculture and fisheries, provide habitats for a vast diversity of wildlife and marine life and also help fight environmental pollution, and soil erosion. In addition, they help in the maintenance of surface and underground water supplies.
The Ramsar Convention, signed in 1971 by 130 countries, defines "wetland" as an area of marsh, peatland or water, whether natural or man-made, the depth of which at low tide does not exceed six meters. This definition encompasses a vast variety of inland, coastal and marine habitats in Pakistan that share a number of common features. Under the Ramsar Convention, wetlands are divided into 39 categories, of which 30 are natural and nine are man-made.
The complex interaction of the wetlands' basic components - soil, water, animals and plants - fulfil many functions and produce numerous products that have sustained human habitation over the centuries.
Fish and fish products, baskets, blinds, reed mats and herbal medicines are only a few of the things wetlands provide to us. However, vital linkages have weakened over time in most parts of the world, destabilising the ecosystems.
Wetlands have breathtaking diversity, whether they are ponds, marches, coral reefs, peatlands, lakes or mangroves. Neglect of wetlands and loss of traditional management practices means not only the loss of more prominent wetland values such as flood control, groundwater replenishment, nutrient cycling etc, but also the loss of wetland cultural heritage. Wetlands are not only biologically diverse; they constitute a part of the cultural heritage of a country.
They also have a great ecological, economic, commercial and socio-economic importance. The main threats to the ecosystem today emanate from creeping salinity, aquatic vegetation, chemical pollution, hunting and shortage of fresh water. All these factors have made wetlands more vulnerable. Fortunately, there are still a number of wetlands in the country that meet the Ramsar criterion, such as Manchar, Hamal and Langh lakes.
A major cause of neglect of wetlands in Pakistan is that their management has not been made the responsibility of a single organisation. This lack of co-ordination among agencies, responsible for management of the wetlands, has often resulted in mismanagement of these priceless gifts of nature.
This policy of neglect needs to be replaced with a pragmatic and holistic approach, and this can only be possible through major institutional reforms.
The fact is that rural economy and the well being of coastal population is directly or indirectly linked to the wetland resources. It is almost the longstanding issue of restoring unhindered fishing access to the indigenous people.
The livelihood of millions of inhabitants of coastal regions depends on ensuring proper care of the wetlands. The government has done well to address an issue that has been silently eroding our ecosystem.