The Indus River Soha Nadeem
About the Indus River The Indus River is a major south-flowing river in South Asia. The total length of the river is 3,180 km (1,980 mi) which makes it one of longest rivers in Asia. The river runs briefly through Tibet, technically part of China, through a few states of India and the disputed territory of Kashmir, before making its way into the mountains of Northern Pakistan. It is the longest river of Pakistan. The river has a total drainage area exceeding 1,165,000 km2 (450,000 sq mi). Its estimated annual flow stands at around 207 km3 (50 cu mi)
About the Indus River It is the longest river of Pakistan. The river has a total drainage area exceeding 1,165,000 km2 (450,000 sq mi). Its estimated annual flow stands at around 207 km3 (50 cu mi) Beginning in a mountain spring and fed with glaciers and rivers in the Himalayas, the river supports ecosystems of temperate forests, plains and arid countryside.
About the Indus River The ultimate source of the Indus is on the Tibetan plateau in the vicinity of Lake Mansarovar; it begins at the confluence of the Sengge and Gar rivers that drain the Nganglong Kangri and Gangdise Shan mountain ranges. The Indus provides the key water resources for the economy of Pakistan, especially the breadbasket of Punjab province, which accounts for most of the nation's agricultural production, and Sindh. It also supports many heavy industries and provides the main supply of potable water in Pakistan.
Issues Due to human population explosion the supply of water from this river is very low. More people means more demand for water to irrigate crops, cool machinery, and power cities. Agriculture has also stressed the Indus. Some endangered species are also found in this river especially Indus Dolphin.
Changes Over Time The Indus River is supplying Pakistan with less water than it did 50 years ago, particularly in the spring and summer, researchers have found. The news comes as demand for water is projected to rise sharply. The total water supply fell by 5% between 1962, when the hydrological stations were built, and 2014. Because demand is set to rise by 30% by 2025, “water shortage will be the single most destabilizing factor, not only for Pakistan but the entire region.
Changes Over Time Research by several groups even suggested that climate change might provide some relief in the short or medium term, thanks to faster melting of the glaciers that supply the river, and increased precipitation. Right now, its reservoirs can hold only 30 days’ worth of the country’s water needs — compared with 800 days in Australia and 150 days in India. “It’s an extremely dangerous situation, especially now, when severe droughts are increasingly common,” he says.
Changes Over Time Other issues: Extensive deforestation Industrial pollution Global warming affecting vegetation and wildlife of the Indus delta, as well as agricultural production. Concerns that the Indus River may be shifting its course westwards, although over a period of several centuries. On numerous occasions, canals have become clogged with sediment owing to poor maintenance, affecting agricultural production and vegetation. Extreme heat has caused water to evaporate, leaving salt deposits that render lands useless for cultivation.
Government’s Role In the past few months, the situation has improved, according to Michael Kugelman. "We've been hearing nearly unprecedented statements from very high-level Pakistani officials who have essentially acknowledged that India is not stealing Pakistan's water, and that Pakistan's water problems are essentially a function of internal mismanagement issues," he said. Militants are still griping, he said, "but not as shrilly." This may be because Pakistan and India are cooperating on water and other issues better than before, and because militants are now focusing less on their archenemy in India and more on coalition forces in Afghanistan.
Human Contributions to the Problem Pakistan’s struggle to save its biodiversity is bearing fruit with an ecotourism project in Punjab that is conserving the endangered Indus river dolphin and also giving a boost to the local economy Involvement of WWF Implementing a proper pricing system will raise revenue for maintenance and repair of irrigation infrastructure, and make large landowners think twice before they waste water. The introduction of better technologies to small farmers. Increasing the use of inputs such as fertilizers, hybrid seeds, and modern farming equipment can raise crop yields while making the most out of each drop of water used (“crop-per-drop” structure)
Possible Solutions Pakistan can boost its water-storage capacity, efficiency of water usage, and recycle water instead of trying to extract water from the ground. In a country that has the largest contiguous irrigation system in the world, the main obstacle is not that the system is not large enough, but that it has not been streamlined for efficiency.
Conflicts Between Countries Access to the waters of the Indus has been a subject of contention between India and Pakistan, who signed the Indus Waters Treaty in 1960. Both countries are also racing to complete large hydroelectric dams along their respective stretches of the Kashmir river system, elevating tensions.
Works Cited http://www.nature.com/news/stressed-indus-river-threatens-pakistan-s-water-supplies-1.20180 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indus_River https://global.britannica.com/place/Indus-River http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Indus_River http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/10/111012-india-pakistan-indus-river-water/ http://www.americanpakistan.org/pakistans-biggest-challenge http://wwf.panda.org/who_we_are/wwf_offices/pakistan/?uProjectID=PK0064 http://study.com/academy/lesson/indus-river-definition-location-facts.html