One-day consultative workshop on "Review of Sindh Coastal Development Authority Act 1994 & Sindh Coastal Development Plan" was held at Centre for Coastal and Deltaic Studies (CCDS), University of Sindh Campus Thatta as the initiative of Pakistan Fisher folk Forum and Malteser International. A number of scholars from Government, academia, and NGO shared valuable information and gave suggestions for the improvement in 1994 Act and Sindh Coastal Development Plan.
Professor Dr Mukhtiar Ahmed Mahar, Director CCDS, highlighted the need for focusing on the amendments in 1994 Act considering the current scenario in context of Climate change, sea intrusions/erosion and degradation of delta. He further suggested that the Sindh Coastal Development Authority is working on all the aspects of coastal belt therefore it is necessary that its role may be reviewed.
Akhtar Hussain Samoo, the focal person of Sindh Coastal Development Authority presented detailed contents of 5 and 20 year coastal development plans prepared in 2013. He pointed out that 20 development projects in various sectors are proposed in plan but so far work on any of the projects could not be started due to funding constraints.
Muhammad Moazzam Khan, former Director General marine Fisheries and currently the Technical Advisor WWF Pakistan, expressed that the current SCDA Act 1994 is adequate to start new projects on any of the emerging issues in coastal areas as the amending act is a very complicated and lengthy process. He suggested that rather SCDA may prepare relevant rules and regulations for effective functioning of the body.
Muhammad Ali Shah, Chairman Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum, pointed out that the Coastal Development Plan is not community focused and without the active participation of local people the plan is not going to yield any positive results. He further said that coastal development Plan does not address real issues like reduced flows of Indus river water and silt which is the main reason behind the degradation of entire ecosystem. Professor Dr Muhammad Ali Manjhi also emphasized that the issue of river water flow may be taken seriously as the area downsteam Kotri including the coastal areas cannot survive any more without allowing round the year river water as suggested in technical reports.
Professor Dr Anila Naz Soomro said that countries in the world are claiming new land from sea whereas we are losing millions of acres of our land to sea. Hence projects be included in the Coastal Development Plan to check out sea intrusion/erosion and reclaim the lost land.
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