The Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum, with the European Union support, is organising a two-day regional conference on 'Integrated water resource management in South Asia' on August 24-25, 2005 in Karachi. Water experts from South Asian countries, including India, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Bangladesh are scheduled to participate in the conference and present their papers.
The conference is aimed at taking a first step towards developing an integrated approach towards the management of this scare natural resource of the sub-continent and linking environmental rights and human rights in the context of developing a regional approach towards the management of shared water resources.
The PFF jointly with its international partners i.e. Architecture and Development (A&D) France, Amorces France, Instituto Sindical deTrabajo Ambientey Slaud (Istas) Spain and Natural Resource Protection Programme Badin has initiated a joint project for the protection and rehabilitation of eco-system and livelihood resources of Indus Delta eco-region.
The project funded by European Commission through its Eco Pro Asia Programme, Sprider (Sustainable Programme for the Rehabilitation of Indus Delta Eco-Region), was initiated to encourage and facilitate the development of an integrated water management strategy for the Indus delta and the region.
Indus delta has been under increasing environmental strain since the 1940's when the construction of major dams and irrigation projects in the upstream reaches lead to a stepping down of the flow in the Indus river.