Civilisations grow around rivers; they are central to our lives and the survival of life on Earth. But despite their importance, freshwater ecosystems are the most threatened in the world.

Rivers, floodplains, wetlands and water bodies provide a number of key climate and ecosystem services, including protection against flooding, enhancement of water resources, and capturing carbon, to name just a few. The world’s major tropical rivers also support forests that act as critical carbon sinks, although the triple threat of climate-induced droughts, fires and land changes that lead to deforestation threaten to turn some tropical carbon sinks into carbon sources.

Rivers maintain forest ecosystem health by depositing soil along the entire length of a river network, from source to delta. When it reaches the ocean, soil deposition supports marine food chains, contributes to the ability of oceans to absorb carbon dioxide and builds coastal ecosystems that naturally aid in reducing the risks of major storms.

The wealth of ecological services provided by river systems that sustain life on Earth are rarely given much weight in water and energy planning processes, even though they are of critical importance for adapting to climate change. The efforts to reduce rural poverty and eradicate hunger are critically dependent on ecosystem services such as those provided by rivers.

The six-canal controversy continues to worry Sindh as it relies heavily on the Indus River for unimpeded water supplies that........

© Dawn Business