Under its Sindh Programme, a scoping study on Haleji Wetland was conducted in 2002 and in collaboration with the Zoological Survey Department, IUCN is preparing a Status Report on the Nurri and Jubho Wetlands in Thatta and Badin districts. It has also undertaken an important wetland study on the Impact of Sea Intrusion on Coastal and Riverine Areas of Thatta and Badin districts and would finalize its report soon.

Reaching out to the stakeholders - Consultations following the World Commission on Dams (WCD) report

The World Commission on Dams (WCD) has recently published and launched its report "Dams and Development: A Framework for Decision Making", after 2 and a half years of research and consultation across the globe.

The Government of Pakistan wishes a public debate on the report in Pakistan with a view to generate considered recommendations for policy reforms, as might be necessary and useful. To this end, considering IUCN involvement in the setting up of the WCD itself and the organisation's several years of work in Pakistan, the Government of Pakistan has asked IUCN to help in organising and facilitating the debate and facilitating the generation of recommendations in partnership between IUCN and the Ministry of Environment.

Pakistan has enormous hydroelectric potential. It is estimated that the current potential is 40,000 MW (WAPDA) which is barely utilised. When Ghazi-Barotha (1,450 MW) goes into production, the installed capacity will increase to almost 6,152 MW. Pakistan only has two large dams: Tarbela (3,478 MW) and Mangla (800 MW). Both are used for electricity production as well as irrigation. Warsak is a smaller dam that is used for both purposes as well with a total generation capacity of 240 MW. Ghazi-Barotha is a run-of-the-river hydroelectric project, without any reservoir, meant only for electricity generation.

At present in Pakistan, 38% of the power is generated using hydro, 60% using thermal and 2% using nuclear power. The large dams in Pakistan have had a largely positive impact on the economy. They provide the much-needed electricity and water to the various sectors and help control floods. Despite the benefits, there were some adverse social and environmental impacts.

In the case of Tarbela alone, 80,000 people required resettlement, 20,000 houses were displaced, and 34,000 hectares of land was taken away by the project. A large percentage of the transposed people are still awaiting compensation. Mangla Dam resulted in the displacement of 20,000 families and only 4,000 have been rehabilitated so far. The construction of Ghazi-Barotha affected the land of 19,875 people but only 110 scattered houses had to be resettled.

The two large dams have effected significant damage to ecosystems. The building of Tarbela Dam resulted in the increase in the water table of the surrounding towns; water logging and salinity also increased, turning fertile agricultural land into waste land; ecosystems such as the Indus Delta suffered due to the decrease of freshwater flow. The Mangla Dam caused an increase in the water table of Mirpur.

The building of many other dams has been proposed but not without dissension. The Kalabagh Dam (3,600 MW) controversy is well known and the proposed hydropower project is the most disputed one in Pakistan. The Bhasha (Diamar) Dam (3,360 MW), another large-scale project is still under consideration, and is being heavily opposed by the people of Chilas, where it may displace around 1,500 households, bring a large portion of Karakoram Highway underwater and destroy the natural habitat of some species. The development of the Allai Khwr, a dam envisaged in NWFP, was shelved due to socio-economic reasons. The common thread linking all three projects mentioned above is steadfast public resistance.

When studying the history of large dam development in Pakistan, it is imperative to look at policies governing these critically and to ask: is this the best way to go about it or can objectives can be achieved through other means? This can be evaluated through a review of existing policies, and also by consulting stakeholders. Based on findings, a revision of policies should be carried out to ensure that development in Pakistan is economically viable, socially equitable and environmentally sustainable.

IUCN - Pakistan is going to disseminate the WCD report and undertake such a consultation.