2008-06-09T03:21:00.000-07:00

A Short Report on Training Workshops on "Consequences of Sea Water Intrusion in Sindh"

Introduction/ Background
A three one day training workshops were conducted at office of the Rural Women Welfare Organization (RWWO) Sanghar Sindh on 29th, 30th , 31st May, sponsored by Indus NGOs Network (INN) Hyderabad. RWWO is highly grateful to INN for providing financial and technical contribution in making this happened.

Training
RWWO conducted three training workshops on the above mentioned dates. The community of the organization is uneducated and majority of the organizational constiuenency represents girls and women. For them getting training in English language could not fruitful act. After a proper and relevant translation of the presentation developed by INN in Sindhi language the trainings were given to rural girls and women of the targeted areas of the organization.

The training material contents and presentation were developed in such a way that could mobilize the girls and women, so they could fully participate by providing their inputs on the basis of learning and life long experience. RWWO has already imparted environmental education as part of its non formal education program. Further the training on "Consequences of Sea Water Intrusion in Sindh" developed new critical ideas especially with regard to sea water intrusion from the perspective of social and environmental catastrophes.

Time has come to know that how much individually we can do to save us our future generations and Mother Nature from further degradation. We women constitute more than half share of the population of the world there fore our right is at least half in issues, challenges and opportunities laying a head. If today we become fail to provide our input in resolution of the environmental issues, tomorrow we will not for give ourselves. A participant of the training workshop Ms. Sakina shared her views

The training workshops were conducted in the following ways which are as follows:

Mr., Shahzaman, the resource person stated that in the last centuries, there was immense water into the rivers and canals but slowly and gradually the water shortage came into being due to construction of dams , new barrages and link canals which halted the water flow. Among other factors social, economic, environmental and political factors can be regarded important ones. Unfortunately every regime of past ages and present times have not provided due attention over the issue of shortage of water ,sea water intrusion and LBOD projects and their consequences due to which 16 million people of the country are suffering among them the people and area of the district Thatta and Badin are emerged as highly suffered people.

All those fields at these district couple of decades back were the lash green and fertile, producing high yields of crops, vegetables and fruits of scores of the kinds are now turned into flooded and barren lands on the face of earth.

He further added that average annual water flow to sea was 73 MAF until 1961 which reduced to 50 MAF to 1991 than 8.4 MAF till 1999 and than kept on further decreasing tendency;

The main cause was the construction of irrigation canals which up to 1955 did not seem to have done much harm. But after construction of Kotri Barrage in 1955 and Guddu Barrage1962 in Sindh province and number of link canals and barrages in Punjab and Sindh made the situation worse:

Present salinity of the Arabian Sea is 3600 ppm against 35000 of 25 years back. This is highly alarming. Sea doesn’t belong to any country, it is world heritage:

Sea water intrusion is result of retardation of delta building. Until 1960 land was advancing into the sea at rate of 4kms a century, but now tides and waves are eroding the delta day by day:

Costal districts namely Thatta and Badin are the poorest in Pakistan in 1960 they were regarded prosperous:

Water flow below the Kotri Barrage is considered as waste by government as release of water is principled agreed according to research.

Sea intrusion has completely destroyed Shah Bundar and Kati Banadar and turned them into an island. These tow ghost were not destroyed by earthquake, tornados or floods but by sea intrusion:

Sindh government says 1.2 million acres have been intruded by sea water in two districts and other sources say that 2.0 million acres have been flooded /destroyed completely:

It has been predicted that all glaciers will be melt with next 30 to 40 years there will be more water since ever we had , and after that there will only one source of water it is the rain which is already very rare and scare in Sindh province.

After each training session through participatory approach to know the level of awareness and messages conveyed , the resource person asked participants for the suggestions and inputs how to deal with the alarming situation and what role they (grass roots level stake holders ) can play in drawing the attention of concerned authorities. The participants were of the view:

Grass roots level people should be further mobilized so the children, women, men and elderly people have the clear picture in their minds.

Local, district, divisional and national level networks should be for advocacy and collaboration.

Women should have more access to education and information to fill the existing gaps and provide their leadership role.

Communication with government and concerned authorities to be established for resolving this issue of huge importance related with survival of the people.

Media support should be sought to galvanize the moment of understanding and cooperation.

Production of case studies and documentaries should be made into action orientated way.

Federal government and Council of common interests should be approached.

Pressure groups with in the country should be developed, if the issue does not resolved than United Nations, European Union and other funding institutions including environmental INGOs should play a role to stop the situation.

Exposure visits must organize for the community leaders with regard to peer education.

Further research and data collection should be made to present the case actively and efficiently to the national and international forums.

The training were very effective in drawing the attention of grass roots level stake holders especially the women folks and in development of suggestions and perspective of the grass roots level stake holders. The photo graphs are attached.

woemen empowerement

2008-04-26T08:07:00.000-07:00

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2008-04-26T08:00:00.000-07:00

hi firends how are you

shahzaman

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