A Community in Crisis

Salt crusts crackle underfoot as Habibullah Khatti visits his mother’s grave for a final farewell before leaving his drought-stricken island village in Pakistan’s Indus delta. The intrusion of seawater, where the Indus River meets the Arabian Sea, has devastated local farming and fishing communities. “The saline water has surrounded us from all four sides,” Khatti shared from Abdullah Mirbahar village, located about 15 kilometers from the river’s mouth.

Economic and Social Impact

As fish stocks dwindled, Khatti, aged 54, turned to tailoring, but even that became unsustainable with only four of the original 150 households remaining. “In the evening, an eerie silence takes over the area,” he noted, as stray dogs roamed through deserted homes. Once home to around 40 villages, Kharo Chan has seen most of its settlements vanish under rising seawater. The town’s population plummeted from 26,000 in 1981 to just 11,000 in 2023.

Mass Migration and Displacement

Khatti plans to relocate his family to Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city, which is experiencing an influx of economic migrants from the Indus delta. The Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum estimates tens of thousands have been displaced from coastal districts. A study by the Jinnah Institute reveals over 1.2 million people have been displaced from the entire Indus delta region over two decades.

Environmental Challenges

The downstream water flow into the delta has decreased by 80% since the 1950s due to irrigation canals, hydropower dams, and climate change impacts on glacial melt. This has led to severe seawater intrusion and increased salinity by about 70% since 1990, rendering agriculture impossible and affecting marine life.

Efforts for Restoration

The government and United Nations launched the ‘Living Indus Initiative’ in 2021 to combat river basin degradation. Efforts include addressing soil salinity and protecting local ecosystems. The Sindh government is also working on mangrove restoration projects to act as natural barriers against saltwater intrusion.

Cultural Loss

Communities have not only lost their homes but also their way of life tied to the delta. Women who traditionally stitched nets and packed catches struggle to find work in cities. “We haven’t just lost our land; we’ve lost our culture,” said climate activist Fatima Majeed.