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State ofEnvironment &

Development

SindhSindh

The designation of geographical entities in the book and thepresentation of the material, do not imply the expression of anyopinion whatsoever on the part of IUCN concerning the legal statusof any country, territory, or area, or of its authorities, or concerningthe delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflectthose of IUCN.

Published by: IUCN Pakistan, Sindh Programme.

Copyright:© 2004 IUCN–The World Conservation Union.

Reproduction of this publication for educational or other non-commercial purpose is authorised without prior written permissionfrom the copyright holder provided the source is fully acknowledged.

Reproduction of this resale or other commercial purposes isprohibited without prior written permission of the copyright holder.

Citation:Sindh State of Environment and Development, IUCN, 2004.Sindh Programme Office. xxvii+423 pp.

ISBN:969-8141-64-2

Compiled by:Arif Hasan

Resource persons:Ali Raza Rizvi, Nasir Ali Panhwar, Sana Raza and Tahir Qureshi

Proof reading:Najia Siddiqui and Shahana Jamil

Cover & layout design:Azhar Saeed, IUCN Pakistan Country Office

Cover photos:Jamshyd Masud, Mohammad Anees Shahzad,Nasir Ali Panhwar, M. H. Panhwar, Badar AbroSindhica Publications and Pakistan Steel Mill

Layout:Hasan Abbas

Printed:Rosette Printers, Karachi.

Available from:IUCN-The World Conservation UnionSindh Programme Office 1-Bath Island Road,Karachi-75530 Tel: ++92-21- 5374072/74/75 Fax: ++92-21-5838106 Website: www.sindh.iucnp.org

State ofEnvironment &

Development

SindhSindh

C O N T E N T S

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Abbreviation ivPreface xForeword xiiAcknowledgements xivExecutive Summary xvi

PART I THE CONTEXTChapter 1 Introduction 4Chapter 2 The Natural Environment 14Chapter 3 The Human Factor 22

PART II GREEN SECTORSChapter 4 Water Resources 36Chapter 5 Agriculture 56Chapter 6 Freshwater and Marine Fisheries 76Chapter 7 Livestock and Poultry 86Chapter 8 Arid Zones 96Chapter 9 Forests 108Chapter 10 Wetlands 120Chapter 11 Coastal and Marine Ecosystems 132Chapter 12 Flora 148Chapter 13 Wildlife 156

PART III BROWN SECTORSChapter 14 Minerals and Mining 186Chapter 15 Urbanisation 196Chapter 16 Industrial Development 214Chapter 17 Energy 230

PART IV SOCIAL SECTORSChapter 18 Cultural Heritage and Tourism 248Chapter 19 Environmental Health 262 Chapter 20 Population, Poverty and Environment 270Chapter 21 Education 282Chapter 22 Communications and Knowledge Management 298Chapter 23 Non-Governmental Organizations 310

Appendices 318Maps 390Bibliography 408

A B B R E V I A T I O N S

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ADB Asian Development Bank

ADP Annual Development Plan

AICU Allama Iqbal Open University

AKRSP Aga Khan Rural SupportProgramme

AKUH Aga Khan University Hospital

APM Authority for the Preservationof Mohen-jo-Daro

APM Agricultural Produce Market

APO Agriculture PesticidesOrdinance

APWA All Pakistan Women’sAssociation

ARI Agriculture Research Institute

ATI Agricultural Training Institutes

BBTV Banana Bunchy Top Virus

BDCC Bhit Shah DeclarationCoordinating Council

BOC Burmah Oil Company

BOT Build, Operate and Transfer

CBD Convention on BiologicalDiversity

CBO Community-BasedOrganization

CCB Citizen Community Boards

CDC Centers for Disease Control

CFT Cubic Feet

CITES Convention on InternationalTrade on Endangered Species

CLCV Cotton Leaf Curl Virus

CMS Convention on MigratorySpecies

CNG Compressed Natural Gas

CO Community Organization

CRI Cotton Research Institute

DCHD Democratic Commission forHuman Development *

DHA Defence Housing Authority

DoF Provincial Department ofFisheries

DMIS District ManagementInformation System

DP Digestible Protein

DRC Drainage Research Centre

EEC European EconomicCommunity

EEZ Exclusive Economic Zone

EPA Environmental ProtectionAgency

EPZA Export Processing ZoneAuthority

FAO Food and AgricultureOrganization

FCS Fishermen’s CooperativeSociety

FDI Foreign Direct Investment

FSC Foundation Seed Cell

FSMP Forestry Sector Master Plan

GDP Gross Domestic Product

GIS Geographical InformationSystem

GNP Gross National Product

GOP Government of Pakistan

GRP Gross Regional Product

GRT Gross Registered Tonnage

GSP Geological Survey of Pakistan

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HANDS Health and NutritionDevelopment Society *

HDI Human Development Index

HOPE Health Oriented PreventiveEducation

HRCP Human Rights Commission ofPakistan

HREP Human Rights EducationProgramme *

IBIS Indus Basin Irrigation System

ICZM Improved Coastal ZoneManagement

IRC Indus Resource Centre

IRSA Indus River System Authority

ISO International Organisation forStandardisation

ISP Internet Service Provider

ISPAK Internet Service ProvidersAssociation of Pakistan

IT Information Technology

IUCN International Union forConservation of Nature andNatural Resources *

KAIRP Katchi Abadi Improvement andRegularization Programme

KANUPP Karachi Nuclear Power Plant

KBCA Karachi Building ControlAuthority

KCR Karachi Circular Railway

KDA Karachi DevelopmentAuthority

KESC Karachi Electricity SupplyCorporation

KFH Karachi Fish Harbour

KFHA Karachi Fisheries HarbourAuthority

KoFHA Korangi Fisheries HarbourAuthority

KM Square Kilometer

KMC Karachi Municipal Corporation

KNP Krithar National Park

KPT Karachi Port Trust

KWSB Karachi Water Sewage Board

LBOD Left Bank Outfall Drain

LITE Landhi Industrial TradingEstate

m Million

MM Milimetre

MAF Million Acre Feet

MFD Marine Fisheries Department

MGD Million Gallon Daily

Mha Million hectares

MIFB Mineral Investment FacilitationBoard

MICS Multiple Indicators ClusterSurvey

MMDS Multi-point MicrowaveDistribution System

MPA Master Plan of Action

MSA Maritime Security Agency

MSY Maximum Sustainable Yield

NAP National Access Points

NARC National Agriculture ResearchCentre

NCAE National Commission forAlternative Energy

NCS National ConservationStrategy

NCCW National Council for theConservation of Wildlife

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NEPRA National Electric PowerRegulatory Authority *

NEQS National EnvironmentalQuality Standards

NFDB National FisheriesDevelopment Board

NFM National Fund to Save Mohen-Jo-Daro

NHDR National Human DevelopmentReport

NIA Nuclear Institute of Agriculture

NIO National Institute ofOceanography *

NIST National Institute of SiliconTechnology

NLC National Logistic Cell

NRSP National Rural SupportProgramme

NWFP North-West Frontier Province

NWMC National Wetland ManagementCommittee

O&M Operation and Maintenance

OGDC Oil and Gas DevelopmentCorporation

OPP Orangi Pilot Project

PARC Pakistan Agricultural ResearchCouncil

PASHA Pakistan Software HousesAssociation

PCAT Pakistan Council forAppropriate Technology

PCRET Pakistan Council forRenewable EnergyTechnology

PCSIR Pakistan Council of ScientificIndustrial Research *

PEMRA Pakistan Electronic MediaRegulatory Authority

PILER Pakistan Institute of LabourEducation and Research

PMRC Pakistan Medical ResearchCouncil

POL Pakistan Oilfield Limited *

PPIB Private Power InfrastructureBoard *

PPRSP Pakistan Poverty ReductionStrategy Paper

PSEB Pakistan Software ExportBoard

PSMA Pakistan Sugar MillsAssociation

PSST Pakistan Society of SugarTechnologists

PTDC Pakistan TourismDevelopment Corporation

QAARI Quaid-e-Awam AgricultureResearch Institute

RBOD Right Bank Outfall Drain

RCC Reinforced Cement Concrete

R&D Research and Development

RE Renewable Energy

RRI Rice Research Institute

RTI Research and TrainingInstitute

SAFWCO Sindh Agriculture and ForestryWorkers’ Cooperation

SAU Sindh Agriculture University

SAZDA Sindh Arid ZonesDevelopment Authority

SCARP Salinity Control andReclamation Project

SCF Save the Children’s Fund

SHRI Sindh Horticulture ResearchInstitute

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SINGOF Sindh NGO Federation

SITE Sindh Industrial Trading Estate

SKAA Sindh Katchi Abadi Authority

SLA Sindh Language Authority

SPDC Social Policy andDevelopment Centre

SPO Strengthening ParticipatoryOrganization

SRSP Sindh Rural SupportProgramme

SSC Sindh Seed Corporation

STDC Sindh Tourism DevelopmentCorporation

SUPARCO Space and Upper AtmosphericResearch Organization

SVOC Stanvoc Oil Company

SWD Social Welfare Department

SWD Sindh Wildlife Department

SZABIST Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali BhuttoInstitute of Science andTechnology

TA Technical Assistance

TED Turtle Excluder Device

TDN Total Digestible Nutrients

TDS Total Dissolved Solids

TOE Tons of Oil Equivalent

ToR Terms of Reference

TRC Teacher’s Resource Centre

TRDP Thardeep Rural DevelopmentProgramme

TVO Trust for VoluntaryOrganizations

USAID United States Agency forInternational Development

VO Village Organization

VOIP Voice Over Internet Protocol

WAF Women Action Forum *

WAPDA Water and PowerDevelopment Authority

WRI Wheat Research Institute

WWF World Wildlife Fund

WES Water Environmental,Sanitation

ZSD Zoological Survey Department

Local Termsalghoza a type of musical instrument

consisting of two flutes whichare paired and played together

arthis middlemen

baiparis businessmen

begar forced labour without payment

bhatta illegal gratification

bitharo a rough kind of prisoner’sbaseball

borindo an ancient musical windinstrument of the Indus Valley

chakkies small flour grinding mills

chang musical instrument made ofiron rods vibrated with player’sfingers

chapri musical instrument consistingof two wooden flanks andsmall ringing bells

chukar blue rock

chowki check post

dambooro a guitar-like musicalinstrument with fine strings

deh smallest unit of land (Deh,Tapa, Taluka, District)

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desi local

dharo mound

dhamal a type of ecstatic dance

dhol drum

dholak a small drum

dhoti wrap-around

dubari a piece of land producing twocrops

dupatta scarf

Eid-ul-Azha Muslim festival

garha an earthen pot played like atabla

gharana family (particularly of singers)

ghee purified butter

gili dakar a game played with sticks

goth village

haris peasants

ho jamalo a Sindhi folk dance/song

jhummir a Sindhi dance performed bymen/women

kabaris waste buyers

kafi a classical verse in Sindhi

kamarband drawstring

kashi glazed pottery tile

katchi abadis squatter settlements

kharif summer crop/season

kutchra kundis garbage dumps

leh rhythm

maddrassahs religious schools

malakahkro wrestling event, typical toSindh

melas local festivals

mohallas neighbourhoods

naib deputy

nain hill torrents

nalas natural drains

nar major creek

nafeel a musical instrument ofmystics made from the hornsof an Ibex

nazims mayor

paras small settlements

patt barren land

Phog plant (alligonum polygonoides)

rabi winter crop/season

sarangi a musical instrument

shaanai a musical instrument similar toa flute

sufi saint

sur musical tune

taluka district

taries a natural deprssion whererainwater gathers

tehsil sub-district

tootoori a flute-like instrument

yaktara a single-stringed musicalinstrument (Urdu)

yaktaro Sindhi version of yaktara

zakat Muslim charity tax

zila district

P R E F A C E

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The increase in interest in environmental issuessuch as the greenhouse effect, global warming,ozone layer depletion, decrease in forest coverand biodiversity loss has brought theimportance of environmental conservation tothe forefront. This is the reason that efforts arenow being made to understand these issuesand resolve them by formulating andimplementing policies for industries andgovernments that minimize environmentaldegradation. It is also now realized thatdevelopment cannot take place at the cost ofour natural environment. If Pakistan is to jointhe ranks of developed countries it must first putitself on the path of sustainable development.

Sindh is a province rich in natural resources andlike the rest of Pakistan, it is also impacted byvarious issues related to the degradation of itsenvironment and unsustainable development.IUCN Pakistan’s Sindh Programme has

developed this report on the State ofEnvironment and Development in Sindh(SoED), the objective of which is to provideinformation on the status of environment anddevelopment in the Province. The idea is thatbefore any action can be undertaken to addressthe various issues prevalent in Sindh, the firststep is to collect and publish all the existing datain one document. This would provide a basis tofurther undertake studies and updateinformation on various sectors. This documentwill be a valuable tool for development plannersas a baseline resource on the state of theenvironment and for the sustainabledevelopment of the Province.

It is hoped that this report will influence thedevelopment of the Sindh Strategy forSustainable Development with an emphasis onpoverty reduction and relevant livelihoodsstrategies for the people of the Province.

F O R E W O R D

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The Government of Sindh is aware of theimportance of environmental conservation andacknowledges the fact that for sustainabledevelopment of the Province it is necessary totake immediate action to ensure optimal use ofavailable resources. Many issues such as thesea intrusion into the Indus Delta, air and waterpollution degrade natural resources, ultimatelyaffecting livelihoods. For the prosperity of theprovince of Sindh, equitable and effectivemanagement of our natural environment isrequired.

In this context the Provincial Government hasinitiated and implemented many projectsrelated to sustainable development, with aspecial emphasis on poverty reduction andsustainable livelihoods. As part of the Vision2015, the necessity to formulate a strategy forthe conservation of natural resources has alsobeen realised. There is a dire need for greaterpublic participation in development andenvironmental management.

The first step to achieve these goals was tocollect and collate information on variousenvironment and development issues of theProvince. Therefore, the Planning andDevelopment Department, (P&DD)Government of Sindh is very proud that theState of Environment and Development ofSindh (SoED) has been developed. Thisdocument provides succinct, up to dateinformation about trends, issues and status of

various sectors in the Province. In light of theVision 2015, we hope that this document wouldprove to be a good source of information andserve as a reference guide for all developmentinitiatives. The SoED can also be used as ayardstick to measure future changes in theprovince. We see this document as a first stepto the development of the Sindh Strategy forSustainable Development, which is also beingdeveloped in collaboration with IUCNP SindhProgramme.

It was developed with wide stakeholderparticipation of both government and civilsociety and the P&DD together with IUCN waspart of the whole process of consultativeworkshops and development of sector papers.

We would like to acknowledge the technicalassistance of IUCN Pakistan Sindh Programmein developing this document. We alsoappreciate the work it has undertaken for thesustainable development of Sindh. The P&DDlooks forward to supporting all sustainabledevelopment initiatives in the Province andfurther collaboration with IUCN for a moresustainable Sindh.

Ghulam Sarwar KheroAdditional Chief Secretary (Dev)Government of SindhKarachi

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The State of Environment and Development(SoED) of Sindh has been developed throughwide stakeholder participation and with inputfrom various experts. We extend our profoundthanks to the experts who developed the sectorpapers that were a pre-requisite to developingthe SoED of Sindh.

We are thankful to all the stakeholders who tookthe time to attend the consultative workshopsand provided us with an in-depth analysis of thevarious issues addressed in the sector papers.Without their contribution, it would not havebeen possible to have complete and holisticinformation for all key sectors.

The Sindh Programme Office team, composedof Ali Raza Rizvi, Nasir Ali Panhwar, SaimaPervaiz Baig, Sana Raza, Shahana Jamil, NajiaA. Siddiqui and Tahir Qureshi, coordinated thedevelopment of the papers, workshops andalso undertook the final responsibility of editingand printing this report.

The IUCN “family” members provided immensesupport and guidance at various phases of the

process. Particular thanks are due to Ms. AbanMarker Kabraji, Regional Director for Asia, andother members including Abdul Latif Rao,Mohammed Rafiq, Gul Najam Jamy, DhunmaiCowasjee, Zohra Rehmat Ali and Azhar Saeed.

We are very grateful to Arif Hassan who took onthe gargantuan task of putting together thisreport, for editing various sector papers forinclusion and for also writing some chapters. Hisexpertise and knowledge played a large part ingiving this report its final shape. Thanks are dueto Zofeen Ebrahim and Samina Choonara whoassisted in reviewing and editing. We wouldalso like to extend our particular gratitude to thefollowing:

Mr. Ghulam Sarwar Khero, Additional ChiefSecretary (Dev), Government of Sindh.

Mr. Shams ul Haq Memon, SecretaryEnvironment & Alternate Energy, Governmentof Sindh.

Mr. Mohammed Hashim Leghari, SecretaryEducation, Government of Sindh.

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E X E C U T I V ES U M M A R Y

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Sindh, Pakistan's second largest province,plays an important role in the national economicand development agenda. The country's largestcity, Karachi, which also houses both its ports,is located here. The province contains 23percent of Pakistan's population and 17.7percent of its land area. With 48.9 percent, ithas the highest concentration of urbanpopulation as opposed to an overall average of32.5 percent, making it the most urbanisedprovince in the country. Sindh is also a culturalmelting pot, where migrants from otherprovinces have settled in search ofopportunities and have brought along their owntraditions and languages.

The province contains a mere 23 percent ofPakistan's population; however, its contributionto Pakistan's economy is much higher. Sindhcollects 70 percent of Pakistan's income taxand 62 percent of sales tax. A major share ofPakistan's industry, oil and gas fields, livestockand fisheries are located in Sindh.

Physiographically, Sindh comprises of the LowerIndus Basin. It can be divided into four distinctparts with the Kirthar mountain range in thewest, a central alluvial plain bisected by theRiver Indus in the middle, the desert belt ofTharparkar in the east, and the Indus Delta inthe south. The climate of Sindh is consistentwith the typical weather of tropical regions of lowand dry lands. Temperatures are exceptionallyhigh in summer but comparatively low in winter.Upper Sindh is dry, with considerable variationsof temperature in winter. The climate is relativelymoderate in the lower areas and in themidsection of the province. Rainfall is scarce inthe province as a whole, varying between 100 to200 mm per year.

The diverse population of Sindh consists of thedescendants of various races (Aryans, Sakas,Huns, Arabs, Baloch and more recently migrantsfrom India) who have either invaded or settledhere over the last three thousand years. Sixtypercent of the population of the province

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communicates in Sindhi, 21 percent is Urduspeaking and 7 percent speaks Punjabi as itsmother tongue. Sindhi is spoken widely in therural areas where it is the first language of 92percent of the population. These percentagesvary in the urban areas as 50 percent of the citydwellers speak Urdu. Social and physicalindicators for rural and urban areas diverge aswell. For example, 55.69 percent of rural homeshave no access to latrines. In the urban areas,this figure is 5.7 percent. About 52.62 percent ofrural homes have electricity as opposed to 93percent in the urban areas. Female literacystands at 12.23 percent in the rural areas while56.66 percent females in the urban areas areliterate. Urban population growth is considerablyhigher, 3.5 percent per year, than the staggeringrural growth of 2.2 percent per year.

Karachi, the capital of the province and thecountry's only sea port, contains 30 percent ofSindh's total population and 63 percent of itsurban population. As a result, it exercises astrong influence on the economy andemployment patterns in the province. Industrieshave failed to develop in other parts of Sindhowing to the influx of the skilled and educatedpeople from the rural areas to Karachi foremployment purposes. This migratory processis further impoverishing the rural areas.

Sindh's natural endowments consist mainly ofagriculture, fisheries, livestock and poultry, aridzones, wetlands, coastal and marineecosystems, water resources, flora and wildlife.The natural assets of the province and theenvironment they subsist in are under stressdue to poor management; lack of financial andhuman resources within state institutions;bureaucratic red-tape; a powerful nexusbetween politicians, bureaucratic and feudalinterests; and the non-involvement ofcommunities in the management anddevelopment process. Increasing poverty andunemployment further restrict sustainablenatural resource management.

Indus water is crucial to Sindh's survival as 95percent of its farmland acquires water from theIndus Basin Irrigation System (IBIS) and 97percent of all water is used for agriculture. Thegroundwater available in Sindh accounts to onlythree to five MAF and is potable only in 28percent of Sindh's geographical area.

According to the 1991 Water Accord betweenthe provinces, Sindh was awarded 48.76 MAFyearly from the IBIS. However, it has receivedmuch less than this due to the non-implementation of the Water Accord as well asthe persistence of drought. The most severelyaffected area in the province is the Indus Deltawhich has shrunk to ten percent of its originalsize due to the construction of dams andbarrages on the Indus. Sindh is plagued byacute water insecurity. In 1971-72, whenSindh's population was 14.156 million, wateravailability was 39.3 MAF. In 1998-99, when thepopulation rose to 30 million, water availabilitywas reduced to 48.5 million. The water problemis further aggravated by defective irrigationpractices like flood irrigation, lack of drainagefacilities and the absence of properly organisedmanagement and distribution of this resource.The absence of lining in canals and waterchannels result in leakages that cause water-logging and seepage in the urban watertransmission and distribution system.Meanwhile, sea intrusion in the delta has mademost of the subsoil in the aquifer saline.

Sindh is a major producer of grain, fruit andvegetables. However, crop yields are low andhave been almost stagnant for the last decade.This is due to salinity caused by leakages fromcanals and from sea intrusion in the delta andcoastal districts. Over irrigation and badlymanaged water distribution also contribute topoor crop yield. An increase in the use offertilisers and pesticides has been witnessed,which has led to land degradation and depletionof organic matter in the soil. The application ofpesticides and broad spectrum chemicals hasled to many pest outbreaks, damaging humanhealth and the environment by killing non-targetbio-control agents, environmental friendlyorganisms, and birds. In addition, much of thefertilisers and pesticides are substandard andthe Directorate of Plant Protection andAgriculture Extension have not been able toeffectively control their production and use.

Academic institutions, laboratories andresearch facilities exist in the agricultural sector.In addition, private sector companies also carryout research. Tando Jam Agricultural Universityhas a student population of over four thousandand considerable research facilities. However,budgets for this purpose have been reduced

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drastically since 1994-95. Agriculture extensionbudgets have increased by a mere 22 percentin the last ten years. The foremost issues of thissector are the management of plant viruses,agri-research management, the large yield gapand the high cost of production. The exorbitantcosts of seed, fertiliser and pesticide accountfor elevated production costs. Poverty forcesfarmers to borrow money from arthis andbayparis for production purposes at high ratesof interest or alternatively, to sell their produceat much lower than the market price in exch-ange for credit.

Sindh holds a primary position in Pakistan infisheries. Of Pakistan's 1,050 km coastline,including the Indus Delta, 350 km is in Sindh. Inaddition, almost 100 percent of the brackish, 65percent of the freshwater and 71 percentmarine fish resources of Pakistan are in Sindh.Over sixteen thousand boats of all categoriesare engaged in fishing along the coast.However, the sector faces a number ofconstraints. Attempts for the diversification ofresources to culture fisheries have not beenmade even though these steps would reducedemands on wild stock which is underincreased pressure. A number of developmentprojects for this purpose were executed butthey were unsuccessful and as a result thesector is in debt of over $120 million dollars inforeign loans, borrowed mainly for Sindh. Thereis also an absence of credit facilities for the fishfarming industry and a dearth of trained humanresources.

Many training facilities (such as FishermenMarine Training School, extension centres forupper and lower Sindh) are no longeroperational or have been abandoned.Furthermore, the equipment procured duringthe execution of development projects was notproperly utilised. There is also an acuteshortage of landing facilities along the coast. Allthis points to a major planning, implementationand management problem accompanied by alack of political will. In addition, the absence ofwater in the Indus delta has adversely affectedthe fishing communities and the fish nurseriesin the mangrove swamps. As a result, manyspecies such as the palla, are under threat.Commercial fishing (especially of shrimps) andillegal fishing by foreign trawlers off Pakistan'scoast are further depleting stocks. Coinciding

with these problems is the poverty of fishingcommunities who are in debt to contractors thatpurchase fishing rights from the government. Achange in the contracting system is required tobenefit the ruthlessly exploited fishingcommunities.

Sindh contains a sizeable proportion ofPakistan's livestock and poultry. For example,27 percent cattle, 28 percent buffalo and 40percent of poultry are located in Sindh. Therehas been a considerable increase in thenumber of livestock and poultry in Sindh butthere has been no improvement in theproduction performance of the breeds.Research and extension facilities required forthis need to be set up. A disease preventionnetwork in the form of veterinary hospitals,dispensaries, veterinary centres at district,taluka and union council levels, exists.However, vaccines at these centres areinadequate, disease diagnosis and monitoringsystems are weak, and extension is poor.Annual Development Plan (ADP) funding forthe sector has been steadily declining and is notbeing replaced by other private sectorarrangements.

Sindh's arid zones consist of Thar, Nara andKohistan areas. The majority of the arid zonepopulation is engaged in herding and relies onthe rangelands which provide more than 70percent of the forage for the animals.Agriculture is rain fed and rains are erratic.Previously, the desert populations migrated tothe Indus flood plains during the dry periodsand this helped in the protection of rangelandsfrom over-grazing. It also provided analternative habitat during periods of prolongeddrought. In addition, rangelands were managedand protected by a powerful feudal authoritywhich also arranged for the maintenance andbuilding of water conservation and storageinfrastructure. Due to a change from barter to acash economy, the power of the feudal authorityin fulfilling its environment and developmentrelated functions has almost disappeared andhas not been replaced by community-basedalternatives. The flood plains of the Indus havebeen colonised and no longer provide a safetyvalve for the arid zone communities. Theintroduction of the cash economy has increasedthe number of animals in order to increase theavailability of cash. All these factors have

contributed to an over-exploitation of therangelands and in an increasing number ofcases, their desertification. Due to thesefactors, the desert communities have becomeextremely vulnerable especially during periodsof drought. According to surveys the majority ofhouseholds are in debt to moneylenders. It hasbeen observed that in areas where roadinfrastructure exists, arid zone communities areable to strike a more equitable relationship withthe middlemen who purchase their animals, sellthem fodder, and lend money in times ofdrought. Solutions to these problems havebeen initiated by Thardeep, a local Thari NGO,through community mobilisation for rangelandmanagement, building and maintenance ofwater conservation and storage, alternativelivelihoods, community savings and creditschemes.

Eight percent of Sindh's geographical areaconsists of forests. These forests are of threekinds: riverine forests, mangrove forests andirrigated plantations. The riverine forests havebeen degraded due to the building of dams andbarrages on the Indus and the irrigation system.A recent drought has further thinned them out.The mangrove forests in the Indus Delta are thesixth largest in the world. They have decreasedfrom 263 thousand hectares in 1977 to 160thousand hectares in 1991. This is primarily dueto the lack of freshwater from the Indus flushingthe delta and the resulting sea intrusion.Irrigated plantations, initiated with theassistance of the Asian Development Bank,have been increasing, but at a very slow pace.In any case, they constitute a very smallpercentage (7.25 percent) of the forest area ofSindh and are not an ecological alternative tothe natural forests.

The forestry sector is under threat. There hasbeen gross mismanagement of the sector bythe government's Forest Department. A nexusbetween forest contractors, officials of theforestry department and local feudals has led toillegal exploitation of forest resources and inmany cases illegal occupation. This processhas been aggravated by the poverty andlandlessness of local communities and anunfavourable security situation in the province.The present management system in the forestdepartment does not allow for independent andprofessionally sound work in the interest of

forests and communities. It is centralised andthe revenue generated is not re-invested in theharvested forest area. These issues de-motivate professionals and employees of thedepartment. To make matters worse, longperiods of drought in recent years and reducedinundation coupled with increasingtranspiration, due to rising temperatures, havetaken their toll. The building of the Left and theRight Bank Outfall Drain (LBOD & RBOD) offeropportunities for introducing species (such asthe Australian Acacias) that can grow in salineand waterlogged conditions. Social forestry,both through the Sindh Forest Department andthe private sector, has shown signs of successand needs to be promoted.

The wetlands of Sindh serve as spawning,rearing and nursery grounds for the productionof shrimps, lobsters and fish. During themigration season over one million waterfowlfrom 108 species use these wetlands. Eight ofthe nineteen Ramsar wetland sites in Pakistanare located in Sindh. Wetlands are under stressfor a variety of reasons. Local communitiesharvest their fauna and flora for food andeconomic gain. The population of suchcommunities is rapidly increasing due to highpopulation growth rates. The damming of theIndus has affected these areas adversely sincedischarge of both sediment and water hasreduced considerably. This has also caused seawater intrusion and waterlogging in the coastaldistricts due to which many locations havebecome so saline that they are unable tosupport any bird or plant life. Excessive use ofwater for agriculture also deprives wetlands oftheir share. The water that does reach thewetlands often contains fertiliser and pesticiderunoff. Added to these factors is uncontrolledhunting and the growth of unplanned humansettlements around them which discharge theirsewage and industrial affluent into the wetlands.

Sindh's coastline can be divided into two: theIndus Delta and the Karachi mega-city coastwhich lies between the Hub River and the IndusDelta. Much of the problems of the delta areaare related to a lack of water in the Indus belowKotri and have already been explained. TheLBOD and the RBOD are contributing to theproblems confronting the Indus Delta coast. TheLBOD discharges into the Shah Samdoo Creekand is adversely affecting the coast. The RBOD

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is to discharge near the Gharo Creek which isalready stressed due to Karachi's heavyindustrial and port activities. The dilemmas ofthe Karachi coast are different from that of thedelta. This coast contains two major ports, theKarachi Port and the Mohammad Bin QasimPort. Both these ports are responsible for oilpollution of the coastal region. In addition,Karachi's industrial areas (SITE, Landhi-Korangi, Pakistan Steel Mills) dischargeeffluents that carry heavy metal, organic matterand toxic chemicals, into the sea. There is alsothermal pollution from the Karachi NuclearPower Plant and other heavy industries that usesea water for cooling and discharge it back athigh temperatures after use. Solid waste is alsodumped into the sea and untreated sewage(only 20 percent of Karachi's sewage is treated)finds its way to the sea through the naturaldrainage system. Due to these reasons the floraand fauna of the Karachi coast have beenadversely affected and their recreationalpotential and aesthetic quality has beenundermined. A master plan for Karachi as awhole and for the coast in particular is required,along with the implementation of theEnvironmental Protection Act, to improveconditions. This requires close coordinationbetween the numerous federal, provincial andlocal agencies that operate in the city.

Sindh is also experiencing a depletion of itsfloral resources at an increasingly high ratebecause of a rise in both human and animalpopulation which results in over-exploitation.The absence of affordable energy options is amajor factor along with the decreasingfreshwater to the Indus Delta. As mentioned inthe paragraphs above, the riverine areas,swamps, deserts and the Indus Delta whereflora is located are all under stress. Althoughproper legislations exist, like the Forest Act,NEQS and the Wildlife Protection Act, theirimplementation and enforcement is weak,hampered by political interests and feudalinfluences. The administrative set-up is run onan ad hoc basis, with limited budgets and fewtrained persons.

Sindh's Wildlife is threatened by similaradversities faced by flora resources in theprovince. A number of important NGOs thatwork in close collaboration with governmentagencies and the corporate sector have

initiated pilot projects for the conservation ofwetlands, flora and wildlife.

Sindh is a major producer of oil and gas. Fifty-six percent of Pakistan's daily production of oiland 37 percent of gas is produced in Sindh.Limestone is found all over the province and ismined extensively for cement production. Thereare also large deposits of coal and lignite inupper Rannikot, Meting Jhimpir, Lakhra andThar. The Thar deposits have yet to be minedand are estimated to be the largest in Pakistan.Foreign investment in the mining sector isincreasing and between 1999-2000 and 2001-2002, it increased from $79.7 million to $121.7million dollars.

Mining in Sindh has caused deforestation anddisplacement of the local poverty strickencommunities. It has also caused large scaleenvironmental degradation. Much of this isbecause the private companies involved inmining have not been concerned about itssocial and environmental repercussions. Ruralcommunities which are affected by miningactivities are poor and disorganised, and do nothave the support of concerned civil societyorganisations. Thardeep, a Thar NGO, hasrecently prepared a report on the environmentalrepercussions of mining in Thar and it is hopedthat the concerns and recommendations of thisreport will be considered by the authorities andthat in the future similar reports will be made forother mining projects as well. Such initiativesare important since both multinationalcompanies and domestic private prospectorsare increasingly showing interest in the miningsector.

There are other daunting threats for the localsas well. Mining processes in Pakistan areobsolete, slow and outdated. Abandoned minespose problems and a number of people havedied due to their collapse. Lack of safety forworkers due to non-implementation of minesafety laws also results in regular deaths. Inaddition, pollution from mines causes changesin the chemistry of groundwater which results inan increase in water-borne diseases.

Urbanisation in Sindh is a major environmentalissue as 48.9 percent of the province resides inurban areas. Karachi alone contains 63percent of Sindh's urban population. A large

housing demand-supply gap has resulted inthe development of katchi abadis. The rapidand uncontrolled growth of the city has resultedin unregulated development and inappropriateland-use changes. In Karachi, more than 50percent of its population lives in informalsettlements. Master plans for Karachi andSindh's secondary cities have been developedbut they have never been implemented orgiven legal cover. In addition, planning andbuilding control institutions have beenineffectual. Building by-laws and zoningregulations are violated due to a powerfulnexus between politicians, bureaucrats anddevelopers. The cities and towns do not havespace for cargo terminals, transport facilities,small scale manufacturing and warehousing.These have developed in the inner citiescreating immense environmental degradation,inappropriate land-use changes and thedemolition of much of Sindh's built-heritagewhich lies within the inner cities.

Water for most of Sindh's cities comes fromriver and canal sources. Acute shortages occurduring periods of drought and per capitaavailability is decreasing. Water sources areincreasingly polluted due to untreated industrialand domestic wastes being disposed into therivers and irrigation systems. Sewage treatmentplants have not been built, and even where theyexist, as in Karachi, Hyderabad and Sukkur,effluent does not reach them due to faultyplanning. Only 30 to 40 percent of all solidwaste is lifted by the municipalities and thereare no properly organised landfill sites in theprovince. Fortunately, Sindh has a largegarbage recycling industry in the informalsector due to which much of the inorganicwaste is recycled. This industry, however,needs support to make it function better.

The absence of a rail based mass transitsystem for Karachi and efficient transportfacilities also poses immense problems for thecommuting public and is the major cause forstress related diseases. The lack of efficientand comfortable transport induces people topurchase cars and motorcycles, creatingcongestion and air pollution. Noise and airpollution in Karachi, and at various locations inSindh's secondary cities, is considerably higherthan acceptable levels. Mega projects, such asthe Lyari Expressway, and illegal land use

conversions, evict a large number of poorcommunities from their homes, in some casesfrom locations they have occupied for over twohundred years. However, Karachi has an activecivil society and a number of NGOs areinvolved in community development and urbanplanning-related advocacy work.

Sindh is a major contributor to industrialproduction in Pakistan as 60 percent ofPakistan's industry is located in Karachi. Inaddition, it has a vast network of agro-basedindustries such as flour, rice, edible oil, cottonginning, brick kilns, and livestock products andheavy industries including sugar, cement,cotton yarn, textiles, cloth, cigarettes, tanning,pharmaceuticals, and steel mills. However,Sindh's industrial units, except those concernedwith consumer products, have been closingdown because of: increases in the cost ofproduction; a deteriorating law and ordersituation; investors having taken advantage ofbank loans and preferring to declare their unitssick; and discontinuation of previously grantedtax holidays. Due to these reasons, there is ashift from manufacturing to trading or serviceindustries. Structural adjustment, privatisationand adjustments due to the WTO regime havealso adversely affected industrialisation.Foreign investments have not materialisedexcept for the oil, gas, fast food and tobaccoindustries. The formal sector industries havealso been adversely affected by smuggledgoods made possible mainly through theAfghan Transit Trade, second quality productsfrom the informal production sector whichcontributes 50 percent of Sindh's productionand inadequate infrastructure. Non-availabilityof credit and cash flow, including foreignexchange, has also resulted in lack ofconfidence in the investment market. As a resultof these factors, an increasing number ofindustries are closing down and unemploymentis rampant. In addition, noise and air emissionsand the discharge of hazardous effluents farexceed allowable NEQS. Industrial solid wastecollection and disposal is also nonexistent andit is not treated as a separate component fromdomestic waste.

Only five percent of monthly income is spent onenergy demonstrating the deplorable livingconditions in Sindh. This is in spite of the factthat Sindh has replaced Balochistan as a major

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producer of gas and that it has the largest coaldeposits in Pakistan. Although its electricitycapacity has been increasing, its consumptionhas been almost static since 1995-96. Two outof five oil refineries in Pakistan are located inSindh. However, their outputs are decliningsince they are old and outdated.

Fifty-two percent of energy utilised in thehousehold sector in Sindh is firewood. Thefigure speaks for itself and the result of thispractice is deforestation. It is difficult to replacefirewood in a sustainable manner withalternatives since both oil and gas are beingdepleted rapidly. There is an urgent need todiversify and such diversification can take placethrough the use of wind and solar energyoptions. However, in spite of good researchcentres in both the private and public sector,alternative energy development has not gonebeyond the development of some very effectivepilot projects. This is because of weakinstitutional arrangements for extension and theabsence of political will.

Sindh has a rich cultural heritage. Its builtheritage consists of some of the most importantarchaeological sites in the world. However, onlya small percentage of these sites are protected,and even these are being adversely affected bythe unregulated growth of human settlementsand/or waterlogging and soil degradation. Theunprotected sites are being lost throughvandalism and their materials are being usedfor building new buildings. The provincialarchaeological department looks after thesemonuments and sites but its funds have notincreased in proportion to inflation anddevaluation of the rupee and it is increasinglyfinance starved. Sindh's old towns containbeautiful examples of both pre-British andcolonial buildings and neighbourhoods.However, due to an absence of urban planning,violation of building by-laws and non-implementation of zoning regulations, the innercities of Sindh, where this cultural heritage islocated, are under stress. Much of their built-heritage has already been lost. The SindhCultural Heritage (Preservation) Act 1994,through which a number of buildings have beenlisted, offers some hope. However, funds andexpertise for setting up the institutionalinfrastructure required for the enactment of theact are not available.

Folk festivals, usually organised around the ursof saints, are becoming increasingly largerevents with participation of the public, private,social sectors and commercial enterprises.These events are accompanied by Sindhimusical functions and traditional sport. Betterorganisation of these events would attract alarger audience and would also go a long wayin the promotion of Sindhi culture and art. Thenewly created television satellite channels,especially the KTN, are also promoting Sindhimusic and dance.

Sindh's arts and crafts, famous in history,consist of textiles, embroidery, glazed tiles andpottery in floral and geometric designs, andtimber carvings. Much of these were usedtraditionally for household items, to embellishboats and animal drawn carts and also inarchitecture. Although textile production hasincreased and become commercially viable,Sindh's crafts are no longer used in architecturewhere there is immense scope for them.Embroidery and weaving of shawls andblankets is also becoming a commercial activitybut is financed and marketed by an exploitativesystem controlled by middlemen.

Given declining environmental conditions,environmental health is also deteriorating inSindh. In 1997, only 16 percent of the watersamples in a survey carried out in Karachi, wereconsidered fit for drinking, and in a survey in theThatta, Badin and Tharparkar districts, 100percent of the samples were contaminated.Such severe water pollution results in variousenteric diseases which are common in Sindh,especially among children. Studies haverevealed that 94 percent children develop IgGantibodies against hepatitis A virus by the timethey are three years old. In Karachi, more than6,000 industrial units accounting for 60 percentof the country's industries are located along thecoastal belt and the Indus Delta. With theexception of a few, most industrial unitsdischarge their untreated effluent containingheavy metals and their compounds directly intothe water bodies that release them into the sea.Surveys have established that the marineenvironment around Karachi is highly toxic andthat fish and shrimps accumulate a high degreeof lead from heavy metals. Studies have alsorevealed that vegetable samples from farmslocated along the Lyari and Malir rivers have

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high levels of zinc and copper. Polluted air,contaminated water, living conditions inovercrowded and underserviced settlements,as well as an inadequate diet, are all factorsthat deteriorate the overall health situation ofpeople living in the province. The developmentof appropriate infrastructure and theimplementation of institutional arrangements topromote planning and implementation of NEQSis required to improve environmental healthconditions.

In terms of the Human Development Index(HDI) ranking within Pakistan, the urban areasof Sindh have the highest ranking with a HDI of0.659, greater than for Pakistan as a whole. Butthe rural areas of Sindh have an HDI of 0.456,which is the lowest in Pakistan. This suggests alarger urban-rural disparity than in any otherprovince of Pakistan. There are indications thatover two-thirds of the households in rural Sindhmay be classified as vulnerable in spite of thefact that Sindh has the highest per capitaincome in Pakistan. There is a correlationbetween high incomes and urbanisation,especially in Karachi. Moreover, more than 11million men and women in Sindh areunemployed and around 15 million live belowthe poverty line. The unemployment ratio inSindh was 25 percent during the 1980's but hasincreased to 33 percent in the 1990's. Theprivatisation of public owned enterprises andinstitutions has contributed to unemployment.Persisting drought conditions, crippling taxstructures imposed under the influence of IMFand World Bank reforms, fluctuations in theexchange value of the rupee, a breakdown ofinfrastructure, and a failure to controllawlessness have all caused a major economicrecession. It has also adversely affected publicspending on social and physical infrastructurerelated to sanitation, water supply, health andeducation. Sindh's child mortality rate is 109 per1,000 live births as compared to a nationalaverage of 103. It is unlikely that the targets setby the Poverty Alleviation Programme and thePakistan Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper willbe achieved in the absence of effectiveinstitutions and governance systems.Meanwhile, Sindh's population is growing notonly due to natural growth but, unlike the rest ofPakistan, due to migration from other provincesand also from other countries such asBangladesh, Burma and Afghanistan.

The state of education in Sindh is best reflectedin its literacy figures and in the serious disparitybetween rural and urban areas. The provincialliteracy average in Sindh is 65.2 percent asopposed to the national average of 46.7percent. Karachi today has literacy figures of71.7 percent for men and 71.4 percent forwomen whereas rural literacy, according to the1998 Census, is 37.89 percent for men and12.23 percent for women. The public educationsector at the school level is facing majorconstraints because from the 1990's onwards,there has been a continual decrease in publicspending on school education. In 2001-02, theallocation of Rs. 1,150 million for public sectorschool education was reduced to Rs. 643million by the provincial government. Thirtypercent of public sector schools are withoutbuildings, 34 percent without electricity, 15percent without water, and 33 percent withouttoilets. Sindh has the largest number of ghostschools in the country and at least 700 ghostteachers draw government salaries. In 1992, at47.2 percent, Sindh had the lowest enrollmentratio for primary schooling in all the provinces.In addition, the student-teacher ratio for Sindhin 1999 was also the worst, falling behind byover 10 points as compared to all the otherprovinces. This has led to overcrowdedclassrooms, falling standards of instruction andevaluation, and greater drop out rates inprimary and secondary schools. This gap inschool education is filled increasingly by theprivate sector. Only 10 percent of private sectorschools have science and computerlaboratories, libraries, auditoriums and hostelfacilities. Since they are not regulated, many oftheir teachers are simply matriculates, paid aslittle as Rs.1,000 per month and have no jobsecurity. The demand-supply gap is also filledby madrassahs, the number of which has risenfrom 2,801 in 1988 to 9,880 in 2002. With anincrease in levels of poverty over the lastdecade, more children drop out of school tohelp their families by engaging in economicactivity. Many children, especially girls, do notattend school for lack of parental permissionand/or an inability to afford schooling.

In terms of graduate degree awarding colleges,professional colleges, technical institutions andpostgraduate colleges, there has been adecrease in the number of functional institutionsand in enrollment figures of students. The major

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reason for this is the emphasis on primary andsecondary level education at the expense of thetertiary level. In addition, the government hasbeen moving towards privatisation of highereducation upon the recommendations of a taskforce set up in early 2002 to study the problemsand suggest higher education reforms. Theremoval of subsidies was also suggested by thetask force.

If these measures are implemented, highereducation will become unaffordable for thepoorer echelons of society and make social andeconomic mobility difficult, if not impossible. Thedemand-supply gap in higher education is beingsupplemented by expensive private universitieswhich are beyond the means of a majority ofSindh's population. These government policiesare increasing the rich-poor divide.

There is also an acute shortage of technical andvocational training institutes. Only two suchinstitutes have been added over a period of fouryears and the enrollment actually went downbetween 1996-97 and 1998-99. Teachertraining schools also show a similar trend.Meanwhile, with a systematic degradation ofpublic sector universities since the mid-1980s,all research institutions have lost theirindependence and thereby the quality ofresearch being undertaken has faltered. Thisvacuum has been filled to some extent byprivate sector research and developmentinstitutions often affiliated with NGOs but theyare increasingly narrowly focused and thematic.Donor agencies such as the World Bank, ADB,Canadian CIDA, DFID and others, havestepped in to promote public-privatepartnerships in public sector education andancillary programmes. However, owing to a lackof government planning, donors tend to work totheir own agendas with little or no coordinationwith local government or each other. Owing tothe absence of vision; proper curriculum;effective teaching and research institutions; anda lack of coordination between policymakers,education providers and funders, this dismalpicture of the education sector in Sindh isunlikely to change. If it continues, it will result infurther inequity, poverty and environmentaldegradation.

Sindh is at the forefront of the communicationssector in Pakistan. This sector consists of the

print and electronic (television and cable)media, radio and information technology (IT).Sindh is home to the most influential print mediaestablishments in Pakistan. The largest andmost highly circulated English and Urdulanguage publications are based in Karachi.Unlike the rest of Pakistan, the province has aflourishing regional language print media whichholds a near monopoly over circulation inInterior Sindh. The degree of freedom ofexpression available to the print media today isunprecedented in Pakistan's history. However,within the publishing circle there is a perceptionthat a process of self censorship throughadministrative pressure exists. Militant, political,social and religious groups also tend to exertpressure on journalists and publishing houses.In recent years, there has been a rise ofvigilantism which has been encouraged by alack of security within the province.The focus ofthe print media has been on political reportageand this leaves little space for social andenvironment-related issues although theircoverage has been increasing, especiallyaround issues related to large dams,particularly the controversy surrounding theKalabagh Dam.

Television viewership has increased tremen-dously in Sindh over the last few years.Pakistan Television has a major station inKarachi that provides coverage to almost theentire province. Satellite dishes and formal andinformal cable networks allow access to avariety of regional channels even in theremotest parts of the province. Surveys indicatethat television dramas and public servicemessages have been extremely useful in theshaping of public opinion on social issues. With24 hour television channels, the appetite forprogramming is increasing. Nurturing andfeeding off this demand, the numbers ofindependent investors, production houses, andtelevision producers are escalating. However,institutions for training these professionals donot exist and this adversely affects the quality ofthe programming. Most of the televisionproducts are branded since they rely onadvertising revenue. Hence, corporateadvertisers often dictate programming. As aresult, social and environmental issues are nota priority as compared to revenue earningfamily soaps, sitcoms, and celebrity laden galashows. Radio, meanwhile, has been a

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neglected medium since the advent oftelevision in Pakistan. However, it has receivedmore attention since the liberalisation ofpolicies regarding private ownership of radiostations and the advent of FM in the urbanareas. Cinema too has been on a death spiral inthe country as a whole and in Sindh inparticular. Much of this is due to the official anti-culture policies of the eighties and nineties.Many of Sindh's secondary cities no longerhave cinema houses and 107 cinemasthroughout the province had been convertedinto commercial centres or apartment blockssince May 2000.

There are no definite statistics regarding the ITsector in the province. The number of computerliterate persons, number of professionals, oreven the number of existing software houses isnot known. However, internet service is nowavailable in 138 towns and cities in Sindh due tothe government's effort to make dial-upnetworking available. According to the internetservice providers, there are 165 companiesnationwide that have been issued licences tooperate internet services and the majority ofthem are based in Sindh. Formal sectorinstitutions providing IT education areexpensive and have a limited number of seats.As a result, private and informal educationalinstitutions have mushroomed in all the urbanareas of Sindh. In addition, there are 235software development houses of all sizes inSindh. Almost all of them are in Karachi andHyderabad. The biggest problem facing the ITsector in Sindh is the lack of availability ofquality software engineers and projectmanagers. This is due to the quality of ITeducation in Sindh and the brain drain whichtakes away the best talent to more lucrativeassignments outside the country. An ITrevolution cannot take place withoutinfrastructure such as an uninterruptedelectricity supply, an efficient telecommuni-cation system, and stability and continuity ingovernment policy. Unfortunately, all these pre-requisites are missing. However, the role of ITespecially the internet is being noticed in thedevelopment sector.

The Government institutional framework is vitalfor any development related activity in theprovince. The Local Government Ordinance,2001 has been revolutionary; however,

substantial changes in the system are yet to berealised. Under this Ordinance the structure ofLocal Areas and Local Governments wasrevamped. Local Areas now consist of Unions,Talukas, Towns, Districts and a City District. Theadministrative structure, including the Executiveand Revenue System, and the Police force hasalso undergone significant changes.

NGOs are playing an increasing role ingovernance related issues. As intermediariesthey have helped build bridges and establishedchannels of communication and cooperationbetween communities, governments,development institutions and funding agencies.Through the establishment of CitizenCommunity Boards, in the Local GovernmentOrdinance 2001, the state has found aconstitutional way of including NGOs in localgovernance and as partners in development.Internationally too there has been a growingrecognition of NGO efforts evident from the shiftin donor policies. However, there is an absenceof a comprehensive database listing of NGOsand especially CBOs that exist in thousands inthe province.

There is a major difference between NGOsworking in urban and rural Sindh. Urban NGOsare initiating policy changes through advocacyand by developing models of service deliverythrough community participation. Rural NGOson the other hand are primarily involved inservice provision. Both urban and rural NGOshave brought about awareness in societyregarding the rights of citizens, the need fortransparency and accountability, and problemsof development related concepts andprogrammes. However, the government-NGOrelationship has not yet evolved to one of trustand interdependence. NGO recommendationsfor public hearings around governmentpolicies and projects have not yet beenformalised. The Sindhi press has promotedenvironmental issues in a big way and as aresult a close liaison has developed betweenthe media and NGOs and CBOs. NGOs alsoproduce a large volume of literature in the formof monographs, books, journals andnewsletters, regarding their concerns on debt,WTO, government and global economicpolicies, environment and human rights. Thishas created further awareness amongactivists, academia and CBO members and

encourages more writers to delve into thesesubjects.

Over the years, the NGO sector has shiftedfrom its purely altruistic nature to a donor drivenbusiness. Many NGOs have large budgets anddepend on erratic and whimsical donor funding.In addition, skilled personnel for communitymobilisation, technical expertise, documen-tation and monitoring for operating NGOprogrammes are not easily available. There is a

lack of effective and affordable traininginstitutions for NGO staff, community leadersand activists. Individual NGOs cannot be aseffective as NGO networks. A number of suchcollaborations have been established in Sindhwhich include the Sindh NGO Federation(SINGOF) and SINDHNET at the provinciallevel whereas Peoples Voice and the Water andSanitation Network have emerged from andoperate within Karachi.

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