We live in precarious times. As climate crises intensify and inequalities deepen, acts of resistance are emerging in unlikely places. One such movement arose recently in the ancient lands of Sindh, where a broad alliance of citizens mobilized to defend their river, culture, and future.

The trigger was the federal government’s Green Pakistan Initiative (GPI), which included plans to build six new canals from the Indus River to irrigate the Cholistan desert and promote corporate farming. While this was framed as a response to food insecurity and climate resilience, in Sindh it was widely seen as an existential threat-to land, livelihoods, ecology, and autonomy.

For the people of Sindh, the Indus is more than a waterway. It is a lifeline-a source of sustenance, a symbol of identity, and a spiritual and cultural anchor. The river nourished the great Indus Valley Civilization and continues to feed farms, foster biodiversity, and inspire Sindhi literature and rituals. To disrupt its flow is to disturb the roots of South Asian civilization.

The GPI is only the latest chapter in a long history of inequitable water distribution. From colonial-era canal........

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