Keep Rivers Free

PFF's Camps and Dissemination of Awareness Raising material on International Rivers Day 2014

Two Camps have been installed in Jamshoro and Hyderabad (two districts of Sindh province) where PFF volunteers, associates and members are enthusiastically engaged in spreading the message of love with Rivers.

Sindh Civil Society with PFF leadership paid tribute to mighty Indus Rivers

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This years global theme of International Rivers Day 2014 is 'OUR RIVERS UNITE US'. PFF is celebrating a week long events for peoples mobilization including visits of Manchar and other dying fresh water bodies, policy dialogue on women right to water and public rallies-

To support this week long events Sindh Civil Society has organized an event of 'SINDHU KHEY GULAN JEE BHEETAA' flower showering and candle lit to resolve their commitment and struggle for the rehabilitation of might River Indus-

LEADING CIVIL SOCIETY LEADERS, POLITICAL ACTIVISTS, WRITERS, ACADEMIA, LAWYERS, WATER EXPERTS, STUDENTS AND CONCERNED CITIZENS participated.

Schedule of Activities during week of action to mark International Rivers Day

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Date	District	Activity
07-03-2013	Sujawal	Pay tribute to the River Indus at Thatta --Sujawal Bridge to show strength that tail end people and delta needs water for their life and livelihoods
08-03-2013	Karachi	Pay tribute to creeks through rose petals and organize program
09-03-2013	Kashmore	Pay tribute to the River Indus through rose petals at a mass gathering and organizing programme
10-03-2013	Qambar	Pay tribute to Hamal lake and canals through rose petals at a mass gathering
10-03-2013	Hyderabad	A Seminar on Water and Women
10-03-2013	Sukkur	Pay tribute to the River Indus through rose petals and organizing a programme at Sukkur
11-03-2013	Badin	Pay tribute to the natural lakes with community women, children and elders to show ownership of these resources
12-03-2013	Jamshoro	Pay tribute to the River Indus through rose petals and organizing a programme at Manchar Lake
12-03-2013	Umerkot	Pay tribute to the Kalankar Lake through rose petals with community people to show ownership
13-03-2013	Thatta	Pay tribute to the River Indus through rose petals and organize programme to save Indus delta and save marine ecology
13-03-2013	Sanghar	Pay tribute to the cluster of lakes including Chotiari reservoir through rose petals and organize boat rally to show ownership of these resources
14-03-2014	Almanzar, Jamshoro	Peoples Assembly
07-03-2013 to 14-03-2014	The week-long activities in the entire country, including Punjab, Balochistan, KPK and Sindh of Pakistan	To pay tribute to the River Indus, tributaries, canals and lakes for conservation of the fresh water bodies as hundreds of people depend on the same for their life and livelihoods

International Rivers Day

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14 March

International Rivers Day

A week-long campaign under Keep Rivers Free movement

Entire globe is experiencing water crisis. Asia in general and South Asia in particular is not exceptional to this phenomenon. This region is marred with complex and multidimensional aspects of water crises. Not only the availability of water has declined, but also its health has been badly affected.

A deep probe into the issue reveals that water crisis has been created by the state, i.e. it is not ‘weak’ but deliberate mal-governance. Both incentives and lack of penalties have led to major ecological disasters. These include deforestation, destruction of wetlands, dumping of industrial waste into waterways, construction of dams, overexploitation of the major river systems, corporate control on water resources and unplanned urbanization due to increasing population pressure. All these issues pose serious threats to life and health of people and water systems of South Asian River Systems, including Indus river system.

Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF) represents fishermen, river community and deltaic people. PFF through its mass mobilization has become a social movement for protecting the genuine rights of indigenous communities, depending on water resources and forests for their livelihoods. We strongly believe that it is a universal truth that “water is life and water for life” and this truth has widely been acknowledged and accepted by millions of people, states, organizations and various networks. We also believe that natural sources, including rivers, lakes, coastal and marine resources should be owned and governed by only the communities living there. However due to the policies of government and authorities common people have always been deprived of their rights.

The analysis reveals that anti-human and anti-environment policies were applied and imposed in South Asian countries. These developmental policies are the supporter of privatization and in the favour of corporate sector rather than offering any incentive or benefits for the public.

Among regions around the world, South Asia is the second number in the construction of large dams. Imitating colonial control over natural resources, the ecological consequences remain hazardous to life and livelihood.

Pakistan is also practicing, introducing anti- human and anti-environment policies in the name of development by constructing dams, barrages and canals on the River Indus, affecting its natural flow. Violating the human rights the people have become displaced and disturbed in the wide area, who otherwise depend on the river water for their life and livelihoods through their forefathers. Bearing the worst consequences is the Indus delta in southern Sindh, where the sea is approaching fast, causing migration and depletion of resources.

Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum believes that the Earth’s fresh water belongs to the Earth and all species, and therefore not be treated as a private commodity to be bought, sold and traded for profit. The global fresh water is a shared legacy, a public trust, and fundamental human rights and therefore, a collective responsibility.

In the context of water insecurity we have to be armed with the wide range of potential environmental and human solutions to the fresh water crisis across global, regional and national locations. Some observers argue that the oceans will be a major source of food in the next century. But without fresh water the sea will die.

It is time now to advance a national, regional, and international agenda towards water-secure peoples. Keep Rivers Free is a movement essential to protect water and to defend it from commercial exploitation.

The following needs to be done to protect and conserve our scarce water resources and distribute the same in a fair and ecologically responsible way:

Fight for “Keep Rivers Free.”
Promote “Water Lifeline Constitutions.”
Establish local “Water Governance Councils.”
Fight for “National Water protection Acts.”
Support and strengthen the anti-dam movement.
Oppose the commercial trade in water.
Confront the IMF, World Bank and Asian Development Bank.
Challenge the lords of water.
Address national, regional and global equity.
Promote the “Water Commons Treaty Initiative.”
Support a “Global Water Convention.”
Join movements against anti-nature and anti-people energy projects

Keep River Free Campaign

On 14^th March on the occasion of International Rivers Day, Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF) has declared a week-long campaign with the theme of “Restoration and Freedom of Rivers”, as the rivers unite us globally. The campaign by PFF will start from 7^th March 2014 towards a large assembly on 14^th March 2014.

“Keep Rivers Free” aims towards freedom – from dams, bunds, pollution, privatization, cuts.

Actions

To build and strengthen networks within local, national, regional and international movements working for protection and restoration of rivers in order to keep rivers free, and to protect and promote rights of communities that depend on healthy water bodies;
To build up wide range of resistance on national level, against the destructive dam projects;
To promote alternative ways of meeting people’s needs for water and energy through research, advocacy and lobbying;
To sensitize people for no more dams, no more diversions and no more cuts on Indus River in future;
To strongly demand release at least 35 MAF water downstream Kotri for regeneration of Indus Delta;
To raise voices for adoption of new water paradigm
To strongly demand for reparations for people affected by existing dams in Pakistan;
To mobilize, organize South Asian dams’ affectees and civil society at the South Asian regional level
Mass-mobilization on safe drinking water as fundamental human right.
To connect the riparian communities, civil society with upstream communities and civil society for the sharing of issues each other.