Pak govt to launch multi-billion-dollars initiative to protect Indus River

The Pakistan government is set to launch a mega multi-billion-dollar climate initiative to protect the mighty Indus River, the cradle of the great civilisations of Harappa and Mohenjodaro, from environmental degradation and anthropogenic activities, a senior minister announced on Thursday.The Living Indus Initiative will protect the river, its marine ecology, and the communities dependent on it, Sherry Rehman, the Minister for Climate Change, said.The Living Indus Initiative will cost USD 11-17 billion.

The Pakistan government is set to launch a mega multi-billion-dollar climate initiative to protect the mighty Indus River, the cradle of the great civilisations of Harappa and Mohenjodaro, from environmental degradation and anthropogenic activities, a senior minister announced on Thursday.

The ‘Living Indus Initiative’ will protect the river, its marine ecology, and the communities dependent on it, Sherry Rehman, the Minister for Climate Change, said.

“The Living Indus Initiative will cost USD 11-17 billion. We will try to manage it through the fiscal facilities available,” she said at a press conference.

She underlined that the Indus River was the world’s second most polluted river.

Replying to queries, the minister said it was the biggest adaptation project that should be promoted for the benefit of the country.

Rehman said the project would protect the cradle of civilisations which was under serious threat due to environmental degradation and anthropogenic activities.

She said that the project was conceived after thorough consultations with academia, experts, stakeholders, and provincial governments.

The project will be launched at UN Climate Change Conference 2022 in Egypt in November.

While elaborating on the Living Indus Initiative, the minister informed that 25 initial interventions that were the priority areas would be focused on as part of the project.

While elaborating on the key interventions, Rehman said that the project would operate in the length and breadth of the country whereas the private sector would be required to chip in the finances as there was a lack of resources.

The priority interventions were nature-based resilience agriculture, salinity control in lower Indus, Indus delta protection, Indus cleanup from industrial effluent, green infrastructure, and ground recharge, groundwater governance and others.

She said the Indus River was the “mother of the nation” as it watered the entire agriculture system and humanity living around it from the north to the south.

“We will have to ensure development in harmony with nature, not against nature,” she said.

The minister said the UN had assisted the Ministry of Climate Change to develop a detailed report on the Indus River to devise a well-thought strategy to initiate its conservation and restoration as a living river.

Pakistan’s contribution to environmental pollution is less than one per cent but it is among the eight top most vulnerable countries. The Indus River is the lifeline of Pakistan’s agriculture and the latest project may help to protect the river from environmental degradation.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)