WWF (USA) commends CM Maryam for protecting Indus River dolphins

LAHORE, Jul 17 (APP): The World Wildlife Fund (WWF-USA), the world’s largest non-governmental environmental conservation organisation, has lauded Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif for achieving a significant milestone in the protection of the endangered Indus River dolphin.

The WWF-USA described the establishment of the Panjnad Indus River Dolphin Sanctuary as a historic initiative aimed at conserving and increasing the population of the rare freshwater species. It welcomed the establishment of Punjab’s first protected natural habitat dedicated to the conservation of the Indus River dolphin.

The project to declare the sanctuary a protected area was initiated by Senior Provincial Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb on the directives of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif. The sanctuary covers approximately 123 miles of the Indus River and includes the historic confluence where Punjab’s five rivers meet. The habitat of the Indus River dolphin has been shrinking steadily, placing the species at serious risk of extinction. Experts attribute the threats to increasing river pollution and alterations to the natural river system.

According to experts, only about 2,000 Indus River dolphins remain worldwide. Nearly 80 percent of their natural habitat has been lost over the past century due to the construction of dams and barrages. Punjab is currently home to approximately 660 Indus River dolphins, with more than 600 recorded in the province and nearly two-thirds of them found within the sanctuary area.

The new sanctuary will also be connected to the existing protected area in Sindh, creating a legally protected continuous river habitat stretching approximately 249 miles. Conservationists emphasize that such protected river corridors are vital for the survival, movement, feeding, and breeding of dolphin populations fragmented by dams and barrages.