Ramsar Advisory Mission Pakistan

29 October – 5 November, 2012

What are wetlands?

Wetlands are areas of marsh, fen,

peatland 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.

Human-made wetlands:

Rice fields, fish ponds, reservoirs,

ditches and canals.

Inland Wetlands

Glaciers, lakes, marshes, rivers,

streams, aquifers.

Coastal Wetlands

Mangroves, tidal flats, sea grass

beds, coral reefs.

© Ms. Ikram Qasim

Wetland ecosystem services

Provisioning: water, food,

biodiversity, and hydroelectricity

Regulating: floods and drought

Supporting: soil formation,

nutrient cycling,

Culture: recreation, spiritual,

education, tourism

Natural infrastructures:

• important part of the water cycle

• stores and delivers water

The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands

Mission

The conservation and wise use of wetlands

through national actions, and international

cooperation as a contribution towards

achieving sustainable development.

• Adopted on 2 February, 1971

• First of the modern intergovernmental

environmental agreements

• 163 Contracting Parties.

• Pakistan joined in 1976

1. “Wise use” of wetland

This is at the heart of the Convention, the

sustainable use of wetlands and their resources for

the benefit of humankind.

The 3 implementation “pillars” of the Convention

© Ms. Ikram Qasim

© Dr. M. Fouda

© Ms. Ikram Qasim

© Ms. M. Kodami

2. Designation of Wetlands of international

Importance

Designation of priority wetlands as Wetlands of

International Importance (Ramsar Sites), and to

ensure their conservation and wise use.

3. International cooperation

International cooperation for shared wetlands and

their resources, e.g. water, migratory species.

1. Tanda Dam

2. Thanedar Wala

3. Chashma Barrage

4. Uchhali Complex

5. Taunsa Barrage

6. Indus Dolphin

Reserve

7. Dright Lake

8. Deh Akro-II Desert

Wetland Complex

9. Runn of Kutch

10. Nurri Lagoon

11. Jubho Lagoon

12. Indus Delta

13. Kinjhar Lake

14. Haleji Lake

15. Hub Dam

16. Miani Hor

17. Ormara Turtle

Beaches

18. Astola Island

19. Jiwani Loastal

Wetland

Ramsar Sites in Pakistan

15

5

1

12

2 3

4

6

7

8

9

17

18

19 10

11

13 14

16

3

5

6

12

Ramsar Advisory Missions

• One of the important and

frequently carried out

activities under Ramsar

Convention

© Ms. Ikram Qasim

• Assist member States

in the management and

conservation of listed

sites whose ecological

character is threatened.

Itinerary of the RAM Team to Pakistan

29 October - Islamabad

Ministry of Climate Change, Federal Flood

Commission, National Disaster Management

Authority, Pakistan Meteorological Authority

30 October - Lahore

Water and Power Development Authority, Punjab

Provincial Disaster Management Authority

31 October – Lahore

Provincial Wildlife, Forest and Fisheries Department,

Irrigation Department

1 November – Lal Suhanra National Park

2 November – Indus Dolphin Reserve Ramsar Site

(Guddu Barrage) Sindh Wildlife Department

3 November – Indus Dolphin Reserve Ramsar Site

(Sukkur Barrage) Sindh Wildlife Department, Irrigation

Department

Objectives of the RAM

Objectives of the RAM

1. To devise a workable and cost

effective strategy for wise-use of

the floods;

2. To make recommendations for

alteration in the prevailing flood

control strategy so as to obtain

maximum benefit from flood

water for the forests, wildlife,

sustainable agriculture, ground

water recharge, flushing of

polluted wetland/lakes;

3. Identification of high priority

wetlands/Ramsar Sites for

restoration by using the floods

as a tool for restoration.

Why has flood risk increased?

Climate change

Pakistan is facing a greater frequency of intense

monsoon rains, and this rainfall is moving

westwards increasing the risk of hill torrents.

Land-use change

Deforestation (including the conversion of

riverine forests to farmland), drainage of arable

land and wetland loss have all contributed to

decreasing the water storage capacity of

catchments. The results are increase runoff, river

discharges and flood peaks.

Socio-economic change

Urbanization of floodplains so increasing the risk

of damage to lives and property.

Floodplains and their value

Groundwater recharge

• Water in the floodplain can return to the river or, can slowly infiltrate into

the ground to recharge aquifers.

Floodwater retention

• Floodplains temporarily store floodwaters

and slowly releases it as the water level

recedes.

• They therefore help to reduce the peak flow of water during floods and

the velocity of the flow, thus reducing downstream damage.

Floodplains cover the land on either side of rivers

that are normally inundated during seasonal floods.

They provide multiple uses and benefits, e.g.

Farming

• Floodplains are fertile and are of high productivity, e.g. crops, fisheries

Biodiversity

• Help to support important biodiversity, e.g. flooded forests, Hog deer, etc.

Natural flood management

Natural floodplain management

There are many techniques for doing this and most aims to

enlarge the floodplain area and its storage capacity, such as by:

• Constructing flood bypasses, including new floodplains;

• Removal/ lowering of minor embankments;

• Setting-back of embankments;

• (Re)construction of meanders and flowing side channels;

• Removal of flow restrictions.

The best way however, is to protect the existing natural

rivers and floodplain systems!

Issues with technical flood control measures

Channel normalization

• Includes channel straightening, lining,

narrowing and deepening. Islands and sand

bars may be removed and meanders cut off;

• Locally, there will be a local increase in the

discharge capacity of the main river channel;

• Downstream, there will be higher discharge

peaks and raised water levels, resulting in

higher flood risks.

Constricting waterways

• Embankments protect the land behind but

confine the river floodplains. This decreases

the floodplain’s water storage capacity leading

to an increase in discharge peaks.

• Embankments also encourage developments

behind them which leads to an increase in

flood damage if embankments are breached.

Yangtze River Example

• WWF China in collaboration with

Chinese Government started Yangtze

Focal Project ;

• to restore the Dongting lake and

Poyang lake, and to enhance the

management of the Yangtze as a

Living River

• Dongting Lake and its wetlands are

restored to their size of 1950s (4350

km2) in 10 years and are managed in

a sustainable way to provide good

quality of habitats to wetland’s wildlife

(waterfowls, fish etc.) and livelihoods

to its people

Recommendations of RAM

Objectives of the RAM

1. To devise a workable and cost effective strategy for

wise-use of the floods;

Recommendations

• Process of drafting the 4th Flood Control Management

Plan to include open consultation and consider

comments from relevant stakeholders (e.g. WAPDA,

Irrigation, MoCC, Fisheries, Planning and Development,

NGOs and local communities), so as to ensure that the

final Plan adopts a truly integrated approach. (FFC).

• Include the issue of maintaining ‘environmental flows’

along the Indus River in future water management

policy. (All stakeholders).

• Organize regular (e.g. biennial) ‘Indus River Basin

Dialogue’ meetings involving all the relevant

stakeholders. (NGOs)

Recommendations of RAM

Objectives of the RAM

3. Identification of high priority wetlands/Ramsar Sites for

restoration by using the floods as a tool for restoration.

TB

IDR

• (TB) Taunsa Barrage Ramsar Site

• (IDR) Indus Dolphin Reserve

Ramsar Site

• (LS) Lal Suhanra

• (CR) Chotiari Reservoir

LS

CR

Recommendations

• The sites identified from this study were:

- Taunsa Barrage Ramsar Site

- Indus Dolphin Reserve Ramsar Site

- Lal Suhanra

- Chotiari Reservoir

• To visit these sites and hold discussions with the local

stakeholders to identify at which of these sites it would

be most feasible to conduct a pilot wetland restoration

projects to benefit flood control, local livelihoods and

environmental conservation. (NGOs, CCD, etc.)

• After identifying the project site, to arrange a visit for

key stakeholders to China to study the experience

along the Yellow and Yangtze Rivers in maintaining

environmental flows and floodplain restoration (NGOs,

CCD etc.)

Recommendations of RAM

Objectives of the RAM

2. To make recommendations for alteration in the prevailing flood

control strategy so as to obtain maximum benefit from the flood

water;

a) alterations in the prevailing flood control strategy

• Restoration of silted river courses, channels, ponds and lakes

connected to the rivers;

• Remodel existing dikes and constrictions;

• Remove all illegal structures, e.g. private dykes;

• Remodel existing channels and construct new one, to increase

the capacity to divert flood water to (new) wetlands and so

reduce damages. (NGOs, CCD etc)

b) maximizing benefits from the flood water

• Investigate new opportunities for public private partnership with

the local stakeholders in managing the wetlands so as to

increase incomes and improve livelihoods. (NGOs, CCD etc)

Thank You