WETLANDS

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CONTENTS
 Wetlands
 Wetlands types
 Distribution Of Different Types Of Wetlands In Pakistan
 Issues/Threats
 Issues and problems of the wetlands
in Pakistan
 Management of Wetlands
 Wetlands Complexes Management Plans
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 Pakistan Wetlands Program
 WETLANDS
 A land area that is saturated with water, either
permanently or seasonally, such that it takes on the
characteristics of a distinct ecosystem
 Pakistan supports over 780,000 ha of wetlands
covering 9.7% of the total land area

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 WETLANDS
“Areas of marsh, fen, peat land or water,
whether natural or artificial, permanent or
temporary, with water that is static or flowing,
fresh, brackish or salt, including areas of
marine water the depth of which at low tide
does not exceed six metres”

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 WETLAND TYPES

 Five major types

 i) Marine (coastal wetlands including coastal
lagoons, rocky shores, and coral reefs)
 ii) Estuarine (deltas, tidal marshes, and
mangrove swamps)
 iii) Lacustrine (wetlands associated with 5

lakes)
 iv) Riverine (wetlands along rivers and
streams)
 v) Palustrine (meaning “marshy” marshes,
swamps and bogs)

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Wetlands Types of
Pakistan

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GLACIERS

 13,680 km2 area under glaciers

 About 13% of the mountain area of the Upper Indus

Basin

 Siachen largest glacier

 75 km long in the eastern Karakorum

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PEAT LANDS

 Area of partially decayed vegetation

 Around 20 km2
 Most are high altitude peat lands in
 Deosai and Shandur in GB
 Chitral in KPK

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ALPINE LAKES

 25 significant high altitude lakes in Pakistan

 Altitudes between 2,000 m to 4,000 m
 Most are in
 GB and KPk
 3 alpine lakes in AJ&K
 Characterized by cold, oligotrophic conditions with
restricted but often unique flora and fauna
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SPRINGS AND STREAMS

 Occur through out the country

 Streams collect the water from the watersheds
 Feed into the river systems

 IRRIGATION AND DRAINAGE CANALS

 in KPK, Punjab and Sindh
 form wetland complexes
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SMALL DAMS AND LARGE
RESERVOIRS

 Man-made, for hydropower and water supply

 Small water supply and irrigation lakes found in
Balochistan
 Larger lakes formed by dams such as Tarbela dam,
Mangla dam, Warsak dam in KPK
 Larger water supply reservoirs like Khanpur in KPK,
Nammal in Punjab, Haleji in Sindh and Hub dam
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between Sindh and Baluchistan
BARRAGE HEAD PONDS

 Six major barrages built on the Indus River

 Jinnah, Chashma, and Taunsa in Punjab
 Guddu, Sukkur and Kotri in Sindh
 Important for wetland biodiversity

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Guddu Sukkur Kotri Jinnah Chashma Taunsa

RIVERS

 Indus river Pakistan's principal river

 Total length 2,897 km
 5 major tributaries from the east arising in India
(Jhelum, Chenab, Beas, Ravi and Sutlej), make the
Panjnad
 Flows of the latter three rivers are largely controlled
by India
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NATURAL LOWLAND LAKES
 Freshwater and brackish
 In Punjab the major natural lakes in the Salt Range
 Kallar Kahar, Khabbeki, Jahlar, Ucchali and
Nammal Lakes
 Simli and Rawal Lakes near Islamabad
 Manchar Lake (sindh), largest freshwater lake in
Pakistan and one of largest in Asia
 Area fluctuates with the seasons 350 km² to 520 km 16
URBAN WETLANDS

 Water filled depressions caused by

 construction, lakes in parks and golf courses
 Waste water treatment lagoons
 Serve recreational and purification purposes
 Habitat for flora and fauna
 Near the coast around Karachi, salt extraction
creates saline ponds attracting certain bird species
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MARSHES

 Both freshwater and saline marshes in Sindh

 Smaller marshes are associated with barrages and
seepage from irrigation canals
 Through desert, wetlands created by seepage can
be locally important such as drainage ponds
created in Cholistan, Punjab

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COASTAL WETLANDS

 Mangroves
 Estuaries
 Beaches
 Coral reef

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Distribution Of Different Types Of Wetlands In Pakistan

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(Source: PWP/WWF Pakistan)

WETLAND BIODIVERSITY

 Biodiversity at 3 level
 Ecosystem diversity: such as marshes, lakes,
rivers estuaries, mangroves
 Species diversity: such as marsh deer, common

Kingfisher, tiger prawn, green frog, pond lily, damsel

fly
 Genetic diversity: total number of genetic
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characteristics in the genetic makeup of a species
ISSUES/THREATS

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WATER AVAILABILITY

 Reduced and irregular water is major cause of

wetland loss and degradation. Almost all wetlands in
Pakistan face water availability issues that include
 Climate change
 Flood and drought
 Watershed management
 Demand for water
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 Hydropower developments
WATER QUALITY

 Pollution can adversely affect wetlands causing a

loss in biodiversity and productivity
 Several forms of water pollution
 Organic pollution
 Bacterial pollution
 Chemical pollution
 Agricultural chemicals
 Nutrients
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 Salinity
LAND USE CHANGE

 Main cause of loss of large areas of wetland

throughout Pakistan
 Expansion of agricultural area
 Industrial developments

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OVEREXPLOITATION OF NATURAL
RESOURCES

 The natural resources within the wetlands

 vegetation, mammals, birds and fish all are under
pressure
 Floating and emergent vegetation excessively
extracted for fuel and grazing
 Overgrazing degrades the wetlands

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SOCIAL THREATS

 Population increase has put pressure upon land

and water resources
 Raising the demand for
 Water
 Productive land
 All forms of wetland natural resource
 Lack of awareness is biggest issue
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LEGAL AND POLICY SHORTCOMINGS

Analysis of issues and threats leads to the

following shortcomings

1) Legislation and policy issues

2) Absence of decision-making tools and reliable

data base

3) Technical deficiencies related to capacity, skills

and equipment
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4) Lack of general public awareness
ISSUES AND PROBLEMS OF THE WETLANDS
IN PAKISTAN

 Classified into three major groups

1. Unsustainable anthropogenic use of

wetlands

2. Physical changes to wetlands on an

ecosystem level

3. Off-site activities that cause physical and

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chemical changes to wetland

MANAGEMENT OF WETLANDS
 Comprehensive wetland conservation policies
 Co-operation with national and international agencies
 Wetland data management
 Research and Training in Wetland Sciences
 Wetland conservation and management
 Awareness and education of people on the value of
wetlands
 Financial mechanisms for wetland conservation and 30

sustainable use
PAKISTAN WETLANDS PROGRAM

 In 2000 World Wide Fund for Nature Pakistan (WWF –

P), consultation with other organizations
 In 2005 Pakistan Wetlands Program (PWP)
 Aim of the PWP
 Promote wetlands conservation and biodiversity at
federal, provincial and local levels
 Implement sustainable wetlands conservation at four
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representative sites that will serve as replicable models
WETLANDS COMPLEXES
MANAGEMENT PLANS
 Four wetlands complexes

1. Northern Alpine Wetlands Complex (NAWC)

2. Salt Range Wetlands Complex (SRWC)

3. Central Indus Wetlands Complex (CIWC)

4. Makran Coastal Wetlands Complex (MCWC)

 Aim of each of the wetlands complex is to
sustainably conserve wetlands biodiversity
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REFERENCES

 Abdul Aleem Chaudhry. Wetland in Pakistan: What is happing to

them? World Environment Day – June 2010.
 A part of Salt Range Wetlands Complex . April 2011.
 Abdul Latif Rao. Pakistan introduction.
 Management Plan for Uchhali Wetlands Complex – a part of Salt
Range Wetlands Complex. June 2011.

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THANK YOU

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