Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-vdxz6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-29T15:12:25.009Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Competing for Water on the Indus Plain: Is There a Future for Pakistan's River Dolphins?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 August 2009

Randall R. Reeves ,
Abdul Aleem Chaudhry  and
Umeed Khalid
Randall R. Reeves
Affiliation:
Department of Geography, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2K6, Canada
Umeed Khalid
Affiliation:
Punjab Wild Life Research Centre, PO Box 1513, Nishatabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

The total population of Indus Dolphins, numbering perhaps 500 individuals, is subdivided by barrages into five or six subpopulations. At least two of these are so small (fewer than 20 animals) that they have little chance of survival past the next few decades. If dispersal occurs at all, because of barrages it will apparently only be downstream, causing a net loss to upstream subpopulations. The subpopulation in Sindh Dolphin Reserve, between Sukkur and Guddu barrages, is relatively large and apparently well-protected. However, the small size of the Reserve, its geographical position near the downstream end of the species range, and the political and economic instability of the area, taken together, mean that this subpopulation is at considerable risk. The need for additional reserves upstream of Guddu Barrage, to improve the prospects of the species' survival, is clear.

The subpopulation downstream of Taunsa and Panjnad barrages is unquestionably the largest in Punjab, and its protection should be a high priority of the Punjab Government. Apart from the obvious need to prevent both direct capturing and accidental killing, the Dolphins' aquatic habitat must be carefully safeguarded. Any additional withdrawal of water from the Indus and its tributaries, whether for agriculture or industry, would be inimical to Dolphin conservation. Moreover, any project involving changes to the river system's hydrography and water-quality, even if expected to have no net effect on discharge levels in the main channels, should be evaluated critically for the potential impact on Dolphins.

It is important to emphasize that responsibility for the fate of Indus Dolphins and the many other organisms affected by major water-development schemes, is shared by a number of countries in addition to Pakistan. We hope that foreign governments, in their efforts to support Pakistan's economic development and relieve poverty in the subcontinent by assisting in the planning and financing of water megaprojects, do not in the process contribute to the impoverishment of the client country's, and in turn the world's, ecological heritage.

Type
Main Papers
Information
Environmental Conservation , Volume 18 , Issue 4 , Winter 1991 , pp. 341 - 350
Copyright
Copyright © Foundation for Environmental Conservation 1991

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Ahmad, M. & Ahmad, S. (1961). Fish ladders or fish ways. West Pakistan Engineering Congress Proceedings, 45(1), pp. 1–22 + 10 figs.Google Scholar
Ahmad, N. (1966). West Pakistan Fisheries Manual. Government Printing, Lahore, Pakistan: 129 pp., illustr.Google Scholar
Anderson, J. (1879). Anatomical and Zoological Researches: Comprising an Account of the Zoological Results of the Two Expeditions to Western Yunnan in 1868 and 1875; and a Monograph of the Two Cetacean Genera, Platanista and Orcella. B. Quaritch, London, England, UK: vol. 1, xxv + 967 pp., illustr. vol. 2, 29 pp.+ 81 plates.Google Scholar
Anon. (1986). Ferozsons Atlas for Pakistan. Ferozsons Ltd, Lahore, Pakistan: 64 pp., illustr.Google Scholar
Arain, I.A. (1978). Report of the Indus Dolphin Project. No. 1221 of World Wildlife Fund, Gland, Switzerland: 6 pp. (typescr.).Google Scholar
Baiji Research Group (1989). A proposal for establishment of a semi-natural reserve at Shishou for conservation and management of the Baiji (Lipotes vexillifer). Pp. 21–2 in Biology and Conservation of the River Dolphins (Eds Perrin, W.F., Brownell, R.L. Jr., Kaiya, Z. & Jiankang, L.). Occasional Papers of the IUCN Species Survival Commission, No. 3, IUCN, Gland, Switzerland: 173 pp., illustr.Google Scholar
Berger, J. (1990). Persistence of different-sized populations: an empirical assessment of rapid extinctions in Bighorn Sheep. Conservation Biology, 4(1), pp. 91–8.Google Scholar
Bhatti, M.U. & Pilleri, G. (1982). Status of the Indus Dolphin population (Platanista indi Blyth 1859) between Sukkur and Guddu barrages in 1979–1980. Investigations on Cetacea, 13, pp. 245–52.Google Scholar
Billig, K. (1959). Recent irrigation projects in the Indus Basin. Proceedings, Institution of Civil Engineers 1959, 13, pp. 1–22.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Biswas, A.K. (1987). Environmental concerns in Pakistan, with special reference to water and forests. Environmental Conservation, 14(4), pp. 319–28.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brown, J.H. & Kodric-Brown, A. (1977). Turnover rates in insular biogeography: effect of immigration on extinction. Ecology, 58, pp. 445–9.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Burnes, A. (1835). Travels into Bokhara, 2nd edn.John Murray, London, England, UK: Vol. I: 328 pp., illustr.; Vol. II: 304 pp.; Vol. III: 384 pp., illustr.Google Scholar
Butt, J.A. (1977). Food of the freshwater Dolphin (Platanista minor Owen) from the River Indus, Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan. Biologia, 23(1), pp. 91–4.Google Scholar
Carwardine, M. (Ed.) (1986). The Nature of Pakistan: A Guide to Conservation and Development Issues, No. 1. Conservation for Development Centre, IUCN, Gland, Switzerland, and WWF-Pakistan, Lahore, Pakistan: 72 pp., illustr.Google Scholar
Chaudhry, A.A. & Chaudhry, S.A. (1988). Indus Dolphin population on the increase in Punjab. Proceedings, Pakistan Congress of Zoology, 8, pp. 209–14.Google Scholar
Chaudhry, A.A. & Khalid, U. (in press). Indus Dolphin population in the Punjab. Proceedings, Pakistan Congress of Zoology, 9.Google Scholar
Duffield, D.A. & Miller, K.W. (1988). Demographic features of Killer Whales in oceanaria in the United States and Canada, 1965–1987. Rit Fiskideildar, 11, pp. 297–306.Google Scholar
Evans, W.E. (1973). Echolocation by marine delphinids and one species of freshwater dolphin. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 54, pp. 191–9.Google Scholar
Government of Pakistan (1989). Environmental Profile of Pakistan. Environment and Urban Affairs Division, Islamabad, Pakistan: 248 pp.Google Scholar
Herald, E.S. (1969). Field and Aquarium Study of the Blind River Dolphin, Platanista gangetica. California Academy of Sciences, Steinhart Aquarium, San Francisco, California, USA: 57 pp., illustr., typescr.Google Scholar
Herald, E.S., Brownell, R.L. Jr, Frye, F.L., Morris, E.J., Evans, W.E. & Scott, A.B. (1969). Blind river dolphin: first sideswimming cetacean. Science, 166, pp. 1408–10.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Husain, Z. & Sufi, S.M.K. (1962). Hilsa ilisha (Ham.) and fish ladders at Ghulam Mohammad Barrage on the River Indus, West Pakistan. Agriculture Pakistan, 13(2), pp. 335–45.Google Scholar
Kaiya, Z. (1989). Progress report on the semi-natural reserve at Tongling. Pp. 19–20 in Biology and Conservation of the River Dolphins (Eds Perrin, W.F., Brownell, R.L. Jr, Kaiya, Z. & Jiankang, L.). Occasional Papers of the IUCN Species Survival Commission, No. 3, IUCN, Gland, Switzerland: 173 pp., illustr.Google Scholar
Kasuya, T. (1972). Some information on the growth of the Ganges Dolphin with a comment on the Indus Dolphin. Scientific Reports of the Whales Research Institute, 24, pp. 87–108.Google Scholar
Kasuya, T., & Nishiwaki, M. (1975). Recent status of the population of Indus Dolphin. Scientific Reports of the Whales Research Institute, 27, pp. 81–94.Google Scholar
Khan, K.M. & Niazi, M.S. (1989). Distribution and population status of the Indus Dolphin, Platanista minor. Pp. 77–80 in Biology and Conservation of the River Dolphins (Eds Perrin, W.F., Brownell, R.L. Jr, Kaiya, Z. & Jiankang, L.). Occasional Papers of the IUCN Species Survival Commission, No. 3, IUCN, Gland, Switzerland: 173 pp., illustr.Google Scholar
Knuckey, J. (1977). [Field Notes for Indus Dolphin Research, 19 February—15 June 1977 & February—March 1981]. Copy supplied by the Author (handwritten notes).Google Scholar
Lande, R. & Barrowclough, G.F. (1987). Effective population size, genetic variation, and their use in population management. Pp. 87–123 in Viable Populations for Conservation (Ed. Soulé, M.E.). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, England, UK: 189 pp., illustr.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Maguire, L.A., Seal, U.S. & Brussard, P.P. (1987). Managing critically endangered species: the Sumatran Rhino as a case study. Pp. 141–58 in Viable Populations for Conservation (Ed. Soulé, M.E.). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, England, UK: 189 pp., illustr.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mysterud, I. & Falck, M.M. (1989). The Brown Bear in Norway. I: subpopulation ranking and conservation status. Biological Conservation, 48, pp. 21–39.Google Scholar
Niazi, M.S. & Azam, M.M. (1988). Population status of Indus Dolphin in the River Indus above Sind. Records of the Zoological Survey of Pakistan, 11, pp. 111–4.Google Scholar
Pelletier, C., & Pelletier, F.-X. (1980). Rapport sur l'expédition Delphinasia (septembre 1977-septembre 1978). Annales de la Société des Sciences naturelles de la Charente-Maritime, 6(7), pp. 647–79.Google Scholar
Perrin, W.F. & Brownell, R.L. Jr, (1989). Report of the workshop. Pp. 1–22 in Biology and Conservation of the River Dolphins (Eds Perrin, W.F., Brownell, R.L. Jr, Kaiya, Z. & Jiankang, L.). Occasional Papers of the IUCN Species Survival Commission, No. 3, IUCN, Gland, Switzerland: 173 pp., illustr.Google Scholar
Perrin, W.F., Brownell, R.L. Jr, Kaiya, Z. & Jiankang, L. (Eds) (1989). Biology and Conservation of the River Dolphins. Occasional Papers of the IUCN Species Survival Commission, No. 3, IUCN, Gland, Switzerland: 173 pp., illustr.Google Scholar
Pilleri, G. (1970 a). Observations on the behaviour of Platanista gangetica in the Indus and Brahmaputra rivers. Investigations on Cetacea, 2, pp. 27–60 + 14 plates.Google Scholar
Pilleri, G. (1970 b). The capture and transport to Switzerland of two live Platanista gangetica from the Indus River. Investigations on Cetacea, 2, pp. 61–8.Google Scholar
Pilleri, G. (1972 a). Field observations carried out on the Indus Dolphin Platanista indi in the winter of 1972. Investigations on Cetacea, 4, pp. 23–9.Google Scholar
Pilleri, G. (1972 b). Transport of a live Platanista indi from the Indus to Berne. Investigations on Cetacea, 4, pp. 30–1.Google Scholar
Pilleri, G. (1975). Die Geheimnisse der blinden Delphine. Halwag, Berne, Switzerland: 216 pp., illustr.Google Scholar
Pilleri, G. (1980). The Secrets of the Blind Dolphins. Sind Wild Life Management Board, Karachi, Pakistan: 215 pp., illustr.Google Scholar
Pilleri, G. & Bhatti, M.U. (1978). Status of the Indus Dolphin population (Platanista indi Blyth 1859) between Guddu Barrage and Hyderabad in 1978. Investigations on Cetacea, 9, pp. 25–38.Google Scholar
Pilleri, G. & Bhatti, M.U. (1980). Status of the Indus Dolphin population (Platanista indi Blyth 1859) between Sukkur and Taunsa barrages. Investigations on Cetacea, 11, pp. 205–14.Google Scholar
Pilleri, G. & Pilleri, O. (1979). Precarious situation of the dolphin population (Platanista indi Blyth 1859) in the Punjab, upstream of the Taunsa Barrage, Indus River. Investigations on Cetacea, 10, pp. 121–7.Google Scholar
Pilleri, G. & Pilleri, O. (1987). Indus and Ganges river dolphins Platanista indi (Blyth 1859) and Platanista gangetica (Roxburgh 1801). Investigations on Cetacea, 20, pp. 17–41.Google Scholar
Pilleri, G. & Zbinden, K. (1974). Size and ecology of the dolphin population (Platanista indi) between the Sukkur and Guddu barrages, Indus River. Investigations on Cetacea, 5, pp. 59–69.Google Scholar
Ralls, K. (1989). A semi-captive breeding program for the Baiji, Lipotes vexillifer: genetic and demographic considerations. Pp. 150–6 in Biology and Conservation of the River Dolphins (Eds Perrin, W.F., Brownell, R.L. Jr, Kaiya, Z. & Jiankang, L.). Occasional Papers of the IUCN Species Survival Commission, No. 3, IUCN, Gland, Switzerland: 173 pp., illustr.Google Scholar
Reeves, R.R. & Brownell, R.L. Jr (1989). Susu Platanista gangetica (Roxburgh 1801) and Platanista minor Owen 1853. Pp. 69–99 in Handbook of Marine Mammals, Vol. 4 (Eds Ridgway, S.H. & Harrison, R.J.). Academic Press, London, England, UK: xix + 442 pp., illustr.Google Scholar
Ridgway, S.H., Norris, K.S. & Cornell, L.H. (1989). Some considerations for those wishing to propagate platanistoid dolphins. Pp. 159–67 in Biology and Conservation of the River Dolphins (Eds Perrin, W.F., Brownell, R.L., Kaiya, Z. & Jiankang, L.). Occasional Papers of the IUCN Species Survival Commission, No. 3, IUCN, Gland, Switzerland: 173 pp., illustr.Google Scholar
Roberts, T.J. (1972 a). A brief examination of ecological changes in the Province of Sindh and their consequences on the wildlife resources of the region. Pakistan Journal of Forestry, 22, pp. 89–96.Google Scholar
Roberts, T.J. (1972 b). [Letter to F. Vollmar, World Wildlife Fund, Merges, Switzerland, 14 10 1972.] Seen in files of World Wide Fund for Nature - Pakistan, Lahore. Cited with permission of Author.Google Scholar
Roberts, T.J. (1977). The Mammals of Pakistan. Ernest Benn, London and Tonbridge, England, UK: xxvi + 361 pp., illustr.Google Scholar
Schaffer, M.L. (1981). Minimum population sizes for species conservation. BioScience, 31, pp. 131–4.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schaffer, M.L. & Samson, F.B. (1985). Population size and extinction: a note on determining critical population sizes. American Naturalist, 125, pp. 144–52.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schroeder, J.P. (1990). Breeding Bottlenose Dolphins in captivity. Pp. 435–46 in The Bottlenose Dolphin (Eds Leatherwood, S. & Reeves, R.R.). Academic Press, San Diego, California, USA: xviii + 653 pp., illustr.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schroeder, J.P. & Keller, K.V. (1990). Artificial insemination of Bottlenose Dolphins. Pp. 447–60 in The Bottlenose Dolphin (Eds Leatherwood, S. & Reeves, R.R.). Academic Press, San Diego, California, USA: xviii + 653 pp., illustr.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Simberloff, D. & Cox, J. (1987). Consequences and costs of conservation corridors. Conservation Biology, 1(1), pp. 63–71.Google Scholar
Soulé, M.E. (Ed.) (1987). Viable Populations for Conservation. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, England, UK: 189 pp., illustr.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wilcox, B.A. & Murphy, D.D. (1985) Conservation strategy: the effects of fragmentation on extinction. American Naturalist, 125, pp. 879–87.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wilson, P.P., Wilkinson, A.R. & Andronov, O. (1972). Barrages of the Indus Basin Project. Proceedings, Institution of Civil Engineers, 1972 (Supplement), pp. 71–100.Google Scholar