Indus for All Programme, WWF Pakistan Response to Floods in Thatta September 1, 2010

Water Tanks Distribution to the IDPs on Ghulamullah Road, Thatta

1. Background

WWF-Pakistan, in collaboration with other stakeholders including the Planning and Development Department, Government of Sindh, is implementing a 5-year Indus for All Programme in the province of Sindh. The Programme is the implementation phase of a 50-year vision of the Indus Ecoregion Conservation Programme. The Indus ecoregion partially or fully covers several districts of the province, while Indus for All Programme is being implemented in four priority ecosystems in three districts, Thatta, Shaheed Benazirabad and Sanghar.

The Programme has two site offices (Keenjhar and Keti Bunder) in Thatta District, which is badly heavily affected by recent floods. Following is the brief on the response made by Indus for All Programme in Thatta District.

2. Network formation

District Thatta is one of the districts of Sindh province where a large number of local, provincial, national as well international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are working under their mandate and implementing variety of projects. Obviously they are contributing for the development and upliftment of most deprived people of the district.

It was felt that all NGOs are working within their mandate but without coordination due to that the impression in the Govt. bodies is not so positive regarding their service delivery in the District. To ensure the consolidated effort and to avoid any sort of duplication as well as waste of resources it was shared with all the active NGOs of the District to work on one platform to show some tangible results and have good gestures with District Govt.

During last cyclone “PHET” with the consent of DCO-Thatta first meeting of NGOs was called on 07th June, 2010 for post cyclone activities in the district in which about eight (8) NGOs participated and welcomed the idea as well as appreciated the effort and initiative of WWF- Pakistan. The participating NGOs with mutual understanding agreed on the name of “District NGOs Nework-Thatta”.

Membership

The initial membership of the network was eight while by showing positive impact and effective coordination among the NGOs and District Govt. the number increased to 17 just within the period of four months and it is hoped that it will further increase its membership.

Network meeting

The network held its regular meeting on monthly basis but depends upon the situation the frequency of the meeting can be increased so far six meetings have been conducted and the information is being disseminated among the members.

3. Support to District Government

All the network members are supporting to the District Govt. as per their need however District Govt. has nominated Network Coordinator (who is the Site Manager of WWF-Pakistan at Thatta Office) as focal person for correspondence and further information dissemination among the network members.

District Govt. has bee supported in the following areas during the last cyclone and current floods;

• People Evacuation from the vulnerable areas

• Camps Re-Registration

• Ration Distribution at Camps

• Food/Ration distribution verification

4. Facilitation to other NGOs

Network has proved its worth and effectiveness from its performance due to that all outside donor as well as implementing organizations are contacting with network. All the coordinating organization have been supported and facilitated those are coming into the district for any sort of relevant intervention. The examples are given below;

• A team of 8-10 veterinary doctors from Pakistan Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) came and provided treatment to the 21 sick animals around the Makli-Thatta

This initiative is supported by WWF-Pakistan, Thatta office with the collaboration of community based organization’s network (Keenjhar Conservation Network) and District Livestock Department.

5. Volunteers for hospitals

For the IDPs in the Makli area two hospitals with support of friends countries like China and Turkey have been setup for the immediate medications. On the request of District Govt. sixteen (16) young boys and girls volunteers were provided to these hospitals for the interpretation and facilitation of the local patients. This support is extended by WWF- Pakistan, Thatta office in collaboration of an English Language Center (Sir Wazir Qureshi English Language Center-Thatta)

6. Mobilizing support for provision of water

After survey of IDPs those are either living in the proper camps or under the open sky their dire need is provision of safe drinking water adjacent to their livings. Other network members are taking up and addressing this issue. However with the support of philanthropists from Karachi Mr. Shahab Usto and others, WWF has also started to cope with the issue and has provided the following items;

• Fiber Water Tanks (500 GL capacity) 54 number

• Small size water Tanks 6 number

• Jerry canes 30 number

This number will be increased gradually. However the objective is not just to provide water tanks to the IDPs but at the same to keep them filled with safe drinking water through the water tanker. The beneficiaries are more than 15 families and 10,000 populations approximately.

Annex-1 List of Network Members

S. No. Name of Organization Contact Person Contact Number 1 Web for Human Development Abdul Qadir Lashari 03212675877 (WHDT) 2 Sindh Radiant Organization (SRO) Ghulam Hussain 03007031715 Khwaja 3 Community Development and S. Shahzad Shah 03332566692 Heritage Organization (CDHA) Hussaini 4 Action Against Hunger (ACF) David Nash 03018553083 5 World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Zahid Hussain Jalbani 03213077354 6 Keenjhar Fishermen Welfare Adam Gandro 03213279049 Society (KFWS) 7 Health And Nutrition Development Dr. Akash Abasi 03213280209 Society (HANDS) 8 Pakistan Fisher Folk Forum (PFF) Jamil Junejo 03337520925 9 Agha Khan Planning and Building Hote Khan 0300246775 Services-Pakistan (AKPBS-Pak.) 10 Strengthening Participatory Rahiman Panhwar 03085052770 Organization (SPO) 11 National Rural Support Program Ayaz Kaka 03332561755 (NRSP) 12 Laar Humanitarian Development Raja Saeed Junejo 03008374334 Programme (LHDP) 13 National Commission for Human Muneer Ahmed 03342050624 Development (NCHD) Memon 14 Society for Conservation and Shahnawaz 03332005505 Protection of Environment (SCOPE) 15 Sindh Agriculture and Forestry Syed Sajad Hyder 03003976956 Workers Coordinating Organization Shah (SAWFCO) 16 Participatory Development Initiative Abdul Sattar Zangejo 03337115696 (PDI) 17 UNDP-DTCE Yaqoob Laghari 03332521231

Annex-II Photographs:

WWF Volunteer at Chinese Hospital

WWF Volunteer at Turkish Hospital

IDPs camp at Makli

Post flood meeting on 4th August, 2010

Network meeting to address the flood issue more effectively

IDPs are taking water from the Water Tank IDPs at Makli