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| Image via indusdeltaredd |
Where is Indus Delta located?
Located on the Arabian Sea coast of Sindh Province, Pakistan, and the Gujarat Gulfs of Kutch and Khambhat, the Indus River Delta-Arabian Sea mangroves are a massive ecoregion.
Indus Delta - an amazing ecosystem
Several species of commercially significant wild flora and wildlife rely on the Indus delta's mangrove forest environment for food, shelter, and reproduction. It acts as a barrier along the shore to stop damage from typhoons, tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, soil erosion, and other natural disasters.
An enormous repository of natural ecology
Almost two hundred thousand people rely on the Indus Delta for annual sustenance. Roughly half of these people live in the Korangi neighborhood in Karachi's southeastern suburbs. The rest of the people are spread out along the coast, all the way to the border with India.
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Mangroves of Indus Delta
Mangroves in the Indus delta can only be found in estuaries that experience both low and high tide conditions throughout the spring. It is possible that the mangroves will be submerged up to their roots and lower stems during high tides, while they may be exposed for many hours at low tides. Their flooding, however, is not constant; it changes with the tides. It is not uncommon for just the lowest parts of the mangrove swamp to be submerged during high tides.
Water may even approach the outer edges of higher terrain during spring tides. The environment is always shifting due to the tides. At times of excessive salt content, the roots are submerged. In the monsoon, the salinity of the water is greatly reduced by the influx of fresh water loaded with silt and rain. Water flow also affects changes in the temperature of the soil and water, the amount of nutrients in the water, and the amount of oxygen in the water.
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| Image via Wikipedia Commons |
Indus Delta - a heaven for wildlife
Mangroves in the Indus delta are vital to the economy because they serve as a breeding ground for numerous species of marine fish, shrimp, lobsters, and crabs that are highly sought after for their meat and shells. These species are exported for over US $100 million each year, bringing in much-needed foreign currency for the country.
At least 90% of economically valuable tropical marine fish species, particularly shrimp, are thought to spend some of their lives in mangroves. Up to 250,000 tons of fish harvested off the Sindh Coast might be at danger if the mangroves are destroyed by 2020 (IUCN, 1998). Approximately 2.24 trillion Pakistani rupees were gained through the sale of fish.
Wildlife of all shapes and sizes may be found in the Indus delta mangrove environment. The mangroves in the Indus delta are home to 98 different fish species, as documented by the Zoological Survey of Pakistan. Most fish will congregate there to feed during high tide. The overlap between terrestrial and aquatic wildlife is well shown by the presence of three lizard species and fourteen snake species. Many species of ducks call the evergreen mangrove woods of the Indus delta home.
There is a massive annual influx of migratory birds into the Indus delta from the months of November to February. These species, including flamingos, pelicans, cranes, and cormorants, come in large numbers to eat, roost, and nest. Migratory bird populations have been seen to have decreased over the last decade owing to habitat deterioration. The number of dolphins that live in mangroves has also gone down because of pollution in the ocean.
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Mangroves of Indus Delta are disappearing fast
Overexploitation of coastal resources, pollution, and a severe shortage of freshwater from the river Indus as a result of the diversion of water for inland agriculture, coastal development, and industrialization have all had a negative impact on the Indus delta's mangrove environment in recent years. Communities, policymakers, and implementers all suffer from an insufficient understanding of the importance of sustainable usage. The mangroves of the Indus delta rely on the influx of freshwater from the rivers and streams that flow into the delta.
Mangroves of Indus Delta - essential for Pakistan's coastal ecosystem
The historical presence of mangrove forests was likely due to the favorable conditions created by the plentiful freshwater flow and nutrient-rich sediment load. The availability of freshwater to Indus delta mangroves has been drastically reduced as a result of the Indus' gradual and continuing reduction of discharge, which has reduced not only the transport of sediments to Indus delta mangroves but also the average annual rainfall, which is extremely low (221mm) and, in some years, virtually nonexistent. The mangrove ecosystem has been severely stressed by the sum of these individual events. The way fresh water is sent to the Indus Delta right now isn't enough, which causes the salinity to rise, biodiversity to decrease, and ecological balance to be upset.
These mangroves in the Indus delta have been farmed to extinction. According to Flora of Pakistan, just one plant species, Avicenna marina, is still doing well in the Indus delta, while seven others have either become extinct or are in danger of extinction along the coast of Pakistan. So these diminishing trees are not protecting us as much as they might from cyclones because they are not as thick. Losses in life and property were particularly high in the Keti Bander and Shah Bander regions of the Indus delta, where the A-2 cyclone hit in 1999. Keti Bander and Shah Bander are situated in the southeastern section of the Indus delta, close to the Indian border.
Indus Delta Mangroves at service of the local community
Communities that rely on the resources created and maintained by mangroves are helping to ensure the ecosystem's continued health and vitality. They play an important role as natural nurseries for several marine creatures and are recognized for their high levels of biological production. Mangroves defend the shoreline from storm surges and cyclones by preventing erosion and storing sediment in their root systems. Mangroves are important to the local economy because they provide food (fish) and other resources (firewood) that locals may use to keep warm and cook their food.
Indus River Delta - Facts and Figures
- There are more mangrove trees per square mile along the Indus than any other river, making it the seventh biggest delta system overall.
- When the Indus River finally reaches its endpoint in the Indus Delta, it will have travelled a total of 3,000 kilometers.
- Near its mouth on the ocean, the delta stretches for roughly 210 kilometers in width, giving it a total size of around 41,440 square kilometers.
- In a typical year, it rains anywhere between 25 and 50 centimeters there.
- On November 5, 2002, the Indus Delta was officially recognized as a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance.
