Central Asia Online publishes my photograph

I have happy to announce that good people inhabit Pakistan in great numbers. And some of them live outside but report on the country with their hearts attached. Here is an example of a piece written in Washington D.C by Central Asia Online, which also used my mangrove photograph for this write-up.

The article titled, 'Climate change fuels sea encroachment on Indus delta', is written by Amjad Bashir Siddiqi, whom I don't know yet and photograph is taken by me, which you can view on the top right hand corner of the article page.

Concern for fast disappearing mangroves is growing amidst cries for protection of wetland areas for the larger benefit of the country itself. The protection of flow of Indus river waters is the key to the survival of these mangroves. Already, only 2 species of the mangroves may be found where previously 8 species were to be seen.

Building of dams has had a key affect on the destruction of an ancient way of life as well as on the thousands who earn their living downstream or from mangroves by fishing in its waters. As our author points out in these words,

'“The process of sea intrusion was first witnessed in the mid-90s”, Akbar said. That was when the Arabian Sea engulfed about 1.2m acres of land, he said. Now, it seems to have expanded to almost 2m acres. “The most dangerous trend is the one happening underground”, Akbar said, adding that the sea is contaminating aquifers and making soil useless.

Wildlife is suffering too. Acacia and prosopis forests don’t thrive in salinated soil, and fishermen find prize species giving way to less desirable ones. The availability of Pallah fish (Tenualosa ilisha), a local delicacy, has shrunk markedly. '

We can only imagine the consequences of our actions today. Do we need a barren coastline with no fresh water, salted lands and infertile soil or do we wish to have a life giving water, should be our matter. And we need to solve it. Today is World Water Day and we must concentrate on using water with much more maturity than we have shown in last 62 years.