Jamshoro, 12 Oct 2023:In alignment with this year’s World Food Day (WFD) theme “Water is Life, Water is Food. Leave no one behind,” the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), alongside the Government and numerous UN partners, orchestrated a riverbank cleanup of the River Indus near Kotri, Jamshoro, Sindh. The initiative, part of the wider “Clean Indus” campaign, drew over 500 participants from universities, UN agencies, NGOs, government departments, and the farmers’ community, all converging to safely dispose of debris and underscore the crucial role of clean water in agriculture and overall well-being, according to a press release from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

The clean-up activity resonates with the Living Indus Initiative, a collaborative venture between the Government of Pakistan and UN agencies, which seeks to address ecological health in the Indus River Basin amidst climate challenges. Leaders and representatives present at the event illuminated the crucial nature of water in agriculture, food production, and security, pointing out the need for a focus on the repair and restoration of dwindling irrigation resources for future generations. The overarching “Clean Indus” campaign seeks to magnify the narrative of ecosystem restoration, advocating for collaborative action and enhanced awareness of the Indus River’s current predicaments, such as glacier melting and pollution, while also mirroring ecosystem restoration successes from other countries.

A spectrum of voices at the event emphasized the imperative of water in both agricultural and communal contexts, providing insight into the challenges and vitalities associated with water usage, management, and conservation in Pakistan.