IWT violations by India put aquatic biodiversity at risk in KP, Punjab
PESHAWAR (APP): As the first rays of sunlight illuminate the banks of the River Indus in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, fish farmer Naseer Khan begins another day of work at his fish farm in Swabi district amid growing concerns of Indus Water Treaty (IWT) violations by India that had threatened acquatic biodiversity in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Alongside the routine of feeding fish and managing ponds, a growing concern weighs heavily on his mind about the potential impact of India’s continued suspension of the 1960 historic Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) on Pakistan’s fisheries sector.
Standing beside his five-kanal fish farm, Naseer said uninterrupted water flow is critical for sustaining native fish species, particularly the prized Mahseer and trout population, which thrives in the water of River Kabul and glacier-fed waters of the Indus River system respectively.
“Mahseer farming depends on clean and continuous river flows,” he told APP. “If restrictions on western rivers continue, fish populations will decline, affecting thousands of families associated with this trade.”
Naseer feared that Mahseer, Rohu, and several other indigenous fish species found in the Indus and Kabul rivers could face serious threats in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab if water flows become irregular.
“The decline of these species would not only hurt fishermen but also create food security challenges for local communities that rely on fish as an affordable source of protein,” he said.
Former Director General Fisheries Department Ayaz Khattak warned that Mahseer and trout populations are among the most vulnerable species in the event of prolonged disruptions to river ecosystems.
“If water availability in the western rivers becomes uncertain, how will people associated with the fisheries sector survive?” he questioned.
Thousands of fishermen, fish farmers, traders, transporters, and vendors across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa depend on freshwater fish species such as Mahseer, Rohu, Carp, and Trout to meet market demand throughout the year, particularly during wedding seasons and religious festivals.
Khattak argued that the continued abeyance of the Indus Waters Treaty has created uncertainty among communities whose livelihoods largely depend on river-based resources.
“Water is not merely an economic resource; it is directly linked to food production, nutrition, and livelihoods,” he said. “Any disruption to the ecological balance of rivers can have far-reaching consequences for fisheries, agriculture, and human well-being.”
He warned that reduced water availability could affect fish breeding grounds, migration routes, and aquatic biodiversity across Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, and Gilgit-Baltistan.
According to fisheries experts, Pakistan’s fisheries sector contributes significantly to rural employment and national income.
Khattak said that Pakistan exports fish and seafood products to several international markets, including China, Thailand, Vietnam, the United Arab Emirates, South Korea, and Japan.
“Freshwater fish species such as Mahseer and trout have considerable economic value,” he said. “Any decline in their population would affect both domestic markets and export opportunities.”
Official estimates place Pakistan’s total fish production at approximately 790,000 tonnes annually, including around 510,000 tonnes from marine capture fisheries and nearly 280,000 tonnes from inland fisheries and aquaculture.
The sector contributes about 0.31 percent to the national GDP and provides direct and indirect employment to nearly one million people across the country.
IWT, signed in 1960 between Pakistan’s President Field Marshal Ayub Khan and India’s Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, has long been regarded as one of the most durable water-sharing agreements in the world.
Experts believed that any weakening of the treaty framework could have consequences extending far beyond diplomatic relations.
Professor Dr. Ejaz Khan, former Chairman of the Department of International Relations at the University of Peshawar, described water security as a matter of national survival.
“This is about food security, livelihoods, and the future of millions of Pakistanis,” he said.
“Nearly 80 percent of Pakistan’s agriculture depends on the Indus Basin irrigation system. Any uncertainty regarding water flows affects crops, livestock, fisheries, and ultimately the entire economy.”
Dr. Ejaz argued that disruptions in river flows could reduce agricultural productivity, damage fisheries habitats, and increase pressure on already vulnerable rural communities.
“Water shortages would not only affect wheat, rice, sugarcane, and vegetables but could also threaten fish species that depend on stable river ecosystems,” he added.
Environmental experts cautioned that fish species such as Mahseer and brown trout are highly sensitive to changes in water quality, temperature, and flow patterns.
“Mahseer cannot survive in polluted or severely disrupted aquatic environments,” Dr. Ayaz said. “If river flows in the Indus, Jhelum, or Chenab are restricted or significantly altered, breeding cycles could be disturbed, leading to population declines.”
He explained that cold-water species such as brown trout, which inhabit the rivers and streams of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and northern Pakistan, require stable temperatures and consistent water availability.
“A sudden reduction or fluctuation in water flow can destroy spawning grounds and threaten entire fish populations,” he warned.
Experts also pointed to growing environmental pressures from pollution and climate change, which are already affecting river ecosystems in districts such as Charsadda, Nowshera, and Peshawar.
“Disrupt one river, and you destabilize the entire ecological chain,” Khattak remarked. “The consequences extend from fish populations to birds, wildlife, agriculture, and human communities.”
Analysts believed that prolonged uncertainty over water resources could intensify existing challenges related to food production and rural poverty.
Agricultural lands across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Sindh, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir rely heavily on the Indus Basin system for irrigation.
Fruit orchards producing mangoes, citrus, peaches, bananas, and watermelons also depend on stable water supplies.
For farmers, beekeepers, livestock owners, and fishermen already struggling with rising production costs, even modest disruptions in water availability can significantly affect incomes.
“This is not merely a diplomatic dispute,” Dr. Ejaz emphasized. “It has the potential to evolve into a broader food security challenge if water resources become increasingly uncertain.”
Experts stressed that the glacier-fed rivers originating from the Himalayas, Karakoram, and Hindu Kush mountain ranges sustain millions of people across Pakistan. Any prolonged disruption to these water systems, they warned, could place additional pressure on agriculture, fisheries, and vulnerable rural communities.
As concerns mount among fish farmers like Naseer Khan, communities dependent on Pakistan’s river systems continue to watch developments closely, hoping that uninterrupted water flows will preserve both their livelihoods and the country’s valuable aquatic biodiversity for future generations.
