City by the Sea - The Future of Karachi's Coastline (Urdu)

City by the Sea - The Future of Karachi's Coastline.

The current development projects along Karachi's coast are

 having an adverse effect on its residents and the

 environment. Mangroves that are a barrier against storms

 and cyclones, and nurseries for migratory birds, fish and 

crustaceans are being cut down by the timber mafia with

 abandon. Industrial and domestic sewage by the city's 18

 million inhabitants is released untreated into the sea, causing

 great harm to fishing communities and coastal wetlands. And

 yet, grand mega projects like "Diamond Bar Island City" and 

"Sugar Land City" are being planned on more than 68,000 

acres along the coast, while the needs of the city's original

 inhabitants are being neglected.

This documentary explores alternatives to haphazard

 development along Karachi's coastline in light of the basic

 principles of urban planning.

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Pallas Valley - Northern Pakistan

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                      PALAS VALLEY KOHISTAN, BEAUTY OF PAKISTAN

Palas Valley is located in Indus Kohistan in northern Pakistan. The area was discovered in the late 1980s to have extensive tracts of pristine forest. Surveys have suggested that these forests contain one of the largest populations of western tragopan in the world, with an estimate of at least 300 pairs. The western tragopan is listed as vulnerable, making Palas Valley extremely important for this species, as well as for other Himalayan pheasants and mammals.

WPA has been working with other partners to support a wide variety of conservation and development work in the valley. The aim is to conserve the forests and rich diversity that they contain, whilst also tackling the cases of poverty amongst the people in the valley. WPA has supported three projects int he area and has also provide aid after a devastating earthquake in 2005. WPA and its members raised a staggering £20,000 for the people of Palas Valley, many of whom were killed or injured, and lost their homes, livestock and livelihoods. 

Key species

Western tragopan Tragopan melanocephalus

Himalayan monal Lophophorus impejanus

Koklass pheasant Pucrasia macrolopha

White-crested kalij Leucomelanos hamiltonii

WPA supported projects in Palas Valley:

Palas Non-Timber Forest Project

Partners: WPA Pakistan and North West Frontier Province's Wildlife Department.

The Project works with local communities to promote the sustainable collection of non-timber forest products (NTFPs). NTFPs are important in rural communities however their collection can cause disturbance to fragile habitats. NTFPs collected in the valley include pine nuts, wild mushrooms and honey.

Prior to the project, the processing of NTFPs collected from Palas were often wasteful with little financial gain due to the low quality of the final product, or the lack of awareness of the market value. The project provided training and equipment to enable the collectors to produce higher quality products with fewer resources. They also introduced new produce that can be propagated in the villages and provide additional income, resulting in a decreased reliance on the forest and thus less disturbance. 

Another important aspect to the project was to raise awareness about NFTPs and the importance of the forests in Palas Valley by initiating Environmental Awareness Programmes. This included providing environmental education to the younger generation and assessing their knowledge of the wildlife in the area, conservation and collection of NFTPs. In 2007, WPA built and funded a school in the valley to provide education and encourage participation of the whole community in the conservation of the valley. This provides another step towards the sustainable livelihoods for the people of Palas.

Himalayan Jungle Project/ Palas Conservation and Development Project

Partners: WWF Pakistan, Birdlife International and European Commission.

The aims of the project were to protect one of the richest areas of diversity in Pakistan by empowering and enabling local communities to establish sustainable, integrated natural resource management in the valley to help tackle poverty and habitat degradation. By reducing poverty and linking development to conservation, it was hoped that the biodiversity of Palas Valley would be protected. 

The Badshahi Mosque in Lahore

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                                            The Badshahi Mosque  in Lahore

The Badshahi Mosque  in Lahore, commissioned by the sixth Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in 1671 and completed in 1673, is the second largest mosque in Pakistan. Epitomising the beauty, passion and grandeur of the Mughal era, it is Lahore’s most famous landmark and a major tourist attraction.

The architecture and design of the Badshahi Mosque closely resembles that of the smaller Jama Mosque in Delhi, India, which was built in 1648 by Aurangzeb’s father and predecessor, Emperor Shah Jahan. Its design was inspired by Islamic, Persian, Central Asian and Indian influences. Like the character of its founder, the Mosque is bold, vast and majestic in its expression. The steps leading to the Main Prayer Hall and its floor are in Sang-e-Alvi (variegated marble). The Main Prayer Hall is divided into seven sections by means of multi-foil arches supported on heavy piers, three of which bear the double domes finished externally in white marble. The remaining four sections are roofed with flat domes.

History of Badshahi Mosque

The mosque was built under the patronage of the sixth Mughal Emperor, Aurangzeb Alamgir. It was completed in 1673 under the supervision of Aurangzeb's foster brother Muzaffar Hussain (also known as Fidaie Khan Koka) who was appointed governor of Lahore in May 1671 and held this post until 1675. He was also Master of Ordnance to the emperor.

The construction of the mosque took about two years, from May 1671 to April 1673. The mosque was built opposite the Lahore Fort, illustrating its stature in the Mughal Empire. In conjunction with the building of the mosque, a new gate was built at the fort, named Alamgiri Gate after the Emperor.

From 1852 onwards, piecemeal repairs were carried out under the supervision of the Badshahi Mosque Authority. Extensive repairs were carried out from 1939 to 1960 at a cost of about 4.8 million rupees, which brought the mosque to its original shape and condition. The blueprint for the repairs was prepared by the late architect Nawab Zen Yar Jang Bahadur.

In 2000, the repair work of marble inlay in the main vault was repaired under the supervision of Saleem Anjum Qureshi. On the occasion of the second Islamic Summit held at Lahore on February 22, 1974, thirty-nine heads of Muslim states offered their Friday prayers in the Badshahi Masjid, led by Maulana Abdul Qadir Azad, the 'Khatib' of the mosque.

Recently a small museum has also been added to the mosque complex, which contains relics of Muhammad, his cousin, and his daughter, Hazrat Fatima Zahra.

What to See at Badshahi Mosque

Like the character of its founder, the mosque is bold, vast and majestic in its expression. It was the largest mosque in the world for a long time. The interior has rich embellishment in stucco tracery (Manbatkari) and panelling with a fresco touch, all in bold relief, as well as marble inlay.

The exterior is decorated with stone carving as well as marble inlay on red sandstone, specially of loti form motifs in bold relief. The embellishment has Indo-Greek, Central Asian and Indian architectural influence both in technique and motifs.

The skyline is furnished by beautiful ornamental merlons inlaid with marble lining adding grace to the perimeter of the mosque. In its various architectural features like the vast square courtyard, the side aisles (dalans), the four corner minarets, the projecting central transept of the prayer chamber and the grand entrance gate, is summed up the history of development of mosque architecture of the Muslim world over the thousand years prior to its construction in 1673.

The north enclosure wall of the mosque was laid close to the Ravi River bank, so a majestic gateway could not be provided on that side and, to keep the symmetry the gate had to be omitted on the south wall as well. Thus a four aiwan plan like the earlier Delhi Jamia Masjid could not be adopted here. The walls were built with small kiln-burnt bricks laid in kankar, lime mortar (a kind of hydraulic lime) but have a veneer of red sandstone.

The steps leading to the prayer chamber and its plinth are in variegated marble. The prayer chamber is very deep and is divided into seven compartments by rich engraved arches carried on very heavy piers.

Out of the seven compartments, three double domes finished in marble have superb curvature, whilst the rest have curvilinear domes with a central rib in their interior and flat roof above.

In the eastern front aisle, the ceiling of the compartment is flat (Qalamdani) with a curved border (ghalatan) at the cornice level. The original floor of the courtyard was laid with small kiln-burnt bricks laid in the Mussalah pattern.

The present red sandstone flooring was laid during the last thorough repairs (1939-60). Similarly, the original floor of the prayer chamber was in cut and dressed bricks with marble and Sang-i-Abri lining forming Mussalah and was also replaced by marble Mussalah during the last repairs. There are only two inscriptions in the mosque: one on the gateway and another of Kalimah in the prayer chamber under the main high vault.

How is Pakistan affected by climate change?

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                                    How is Pakistan affected by climate change?

A change of climate that is directly or indirectly related to human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere and which is in addition to natural climate variability over comparable time periods.

How is Pakistan affected by climate change?

Pakistan contributes very little to the overall Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, but remains severely impacted by the negative effects of climate change by the following ways:

Glacier melt in the Himalayas is projected to increase flooding will affect water resources within the next two to three decades. This will be followed by decreased river flows over time as glaciers recede.

Freshwater availability is also projected to decrease which will lead to biodiversity loss and reduce availability of freshwater for the population.

Coastal areas bordering the Arabian Sea in the south of Pakistan will be at greatest risk due to increased flooding from the sea and in some cases, the rivers.

Being a predominantly agriculture economy, climate change is estimated to decrease crop yields in Pakistan which in turn will affect livelihoods and food production. Combining the decreased yields with the current rapid population growth and urbanization in the country, the risk of hunger and food security will remain high.

Endemic morbidity and mortality due to diseases primarily associated with floods and droughts are expected to rise. Increases in coastal water temperatures would exacerbate the abundance of cholera.

The impact of climate change will also aggravate the existing social inequalities of resource use and intensify social factors leading to instability, conflicts, displacement of people and changes in migration patterns.

What changes will occur in the temperature?

The most recent scientific assessment by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimates that the global averaged surface temperature on Earth will increase by 1 to 3.5°C (about 2 to 6°F) by the year 2100, with an associated rise in sea level of 15 to 95 cm (about 6 to 37 inches).

A small example about climate change:

What would you choose if you were given the choice between a 30 carat diamond and cylinder of air that can add next 10 minutes to your life on earth? It’s not a million dollar question because the answer is simple.

Why is it that we presently don’t feel that the air is worth more than all the diamonds on earth? It’s a distortion of the market mechanism. Free market economy values the rarest of the resources and not the most valuable. Many a times in the past we have relied on pricing mechanisms to adjust demand to available supply. At times cheaper alternatives were developed because of formidable costs. In all such cases mankind survived because they had alternatives and their survival didn’t depend on either of them.

What if their survival did depend on one of such commodities and there was no alternative? This is a situation we foresee when we ignore the most valued natural resources that human beings survive on (air, water, soil). These resources are depleting fast and more so because of the effects of Climate Change.

What are the effects and impacts of climate change?

There is growing global consensus that climate change is humankind’s greatest threat in modern times and is likely to have profound consequences for socio-economic sectors such as health, food production, energy consumption and security and natural resource management.

The harmful impacts of this global warming effect are already manifesting themselves around the world in the form of extreme weather events like storms, tornadoes, floods and droughts, all of which have been mounting in frequency and intensity. As a result, the world today suffers around 400-500 natural disasters on average in a year, up from 125 in the 1980s (Disaster Risk Reduction: Global Review 2007).

According to the Fourth IPCC Assessment Report, the evidence of predicted impacts of climate change is slowly unfolding.  Crop yield growth rates are declining in most parts of the world, partially as a consequence of rising temperatures, while increases in prevalence of climate-induced diseases have also been recorded. There is also evidence of accelerating recession of most glaciers on Earth, rainfall variability and changes in marine ecosystems. Another serious threat arising from climate change is to freshwater availability which is projected to decline especially in large river basins and adversely affect more than a billion people by the 2050s

Climate change is also likely to have wide-ranging and mostly adverse impacts on human health. The projected increase in the duration and frequency of heat waves is expected to increase mortality rates as a result of heat stress, especially in areas where people are not equipped to deal with warmer temperatures. To a lesser extent, increases in winter temperatures in high latitudes could lead to decreases in mortality rates. Climate change is also expected to lead to increases in the potential transmission of vector borne diseases, including malaria, dengue, and yellow fever, extending the range of organisms such as insects that carry these diseases into the temperate zone, including parts of the United States, Europe, and Asia.

The observed effects of global warming so far are:

Increase in the mean global sea level (1-2mm per year over the last century);

Worldwide retreat of glaciers;

Decrease in snow cover and thawing of permafrost;

Shifts of plant and animal ranges;

Earlier flowering of plants;

Birds breeding seasons and emergence of insects;

Increased events of coral bleaching.

Why can't ecosystems just adapt?

Climate change is not a new influence on the biosphere, so why can't ecosystems just adapt without significant effects on their form or productivity? There are three basic reasons.

First, the rate of global climate change is projected to be more rapid than any to have occurred in the last 10,000 years.

Second, humans have altered the structure of many of the world's ecosystems. They have cut down forests, plowed soils, used rangelands to graze their domesticated animals, introduced non-native species to many regions and intensively fished lakes, rivers and oceans. These relatively changes in the structure of the world's ecosystems have made them less resilient to automatically adapt to climate change.

Third, pollution, as well as other indirect effects of the utilization of natural resources, has also increased since the beginning of the industrial revolution.

Climate change and developing countries:

Developing countries are the least responsible for climate change: The world’s least developed countries contribute only 10 percent of annual global carbon dioxide emissions. However, the geographical location and socio-economic fragility of most of the developing makes them more vulnerable to the environmental, social and economic ramifications of climate change and the lack of resources and capabilities to adapt to the changes will worsen the situation.

Moreover, people who live in poverty around the world will be hardest hit by climate change. This is because the poor are more dependent on natural

 resources and have less of an ability to adapt to a changing climate.

What measures can be taken to cope with climate change?

Increasing access to high quality information about the impacts of climate change

Improving technological responses by setting in place early warning systems and information systems to enhance disaster preparedness

Practicing energy efficiency through changes in individual lifestyles and businesses

Reducing the vulnerability to livelihoods to climate change through infra-structural changes

Promoting good governance and responsible policy by integrating risk management and adaptation

Developing new and innovative farm production practices, including new crop varieties and irrigation techniques

Improving forest management and biodiversity conservation

Empowering communities and local stakeholders so that they participate actively in vulnerability assessment and implementation of adaptation

Mainstreaming climate change into development planning at all scales, levels and sectors

City of Sufis

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                      City of Sufis

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Multan is Pakistan’s third largest city by area and it is fifth largest by population. The city is located on the banks of the Chenab River in the geographic center of the country. Multan is known as the City of Sufis because of the large number of shrines and Sufi saints from the city. The city is blanketed with bazaars, mosques, shrines and ornate tombs. It is the birthplace of Fariduddin Ganjshakar popularly known as Baba Farid, recognized as the first major poet of the Punjabilanguage.Multan is located in a bend created by five rivers of central Pakistan. The Sutlej River separates it from Bahawalpur and the Chenab River from Muzaffar Garh. The city has grown to become an influential political and economical center for the country, with a dry port and excellent transport links.The culture of Multan has some prominent elements that form its identity. Those elements include:

LANGUAGE

Multani is one of the oldest dialects spoken in southern Punjab. It is

 a dialect of Punjabi and is a mixture of Jhangochi of Punjabi and 

Sindhi. Saraiki is the new name but for centuries, Multani was in 

use. it is mainly spoken in Multan District, Muzaffargarh 

District andadjacent areas This entire area has almost the same 

traditions, customs and culture

FOOD

The area around the city is a flat plain and is ideal for agriculture,

 with many citrus and mango farms. There are many canals that cut 

across the Multan District, providing water from nearby farms. This

 makes the land very fertile.Multan produces one of the best 

  mangoes in the world. There are    many varieties of mangoes

 being      produced and mango farms are    undoubtedly the most

 common    sight in the suburbs of Multan.      The hot weather and

 abundant  well irrigated fertile land assures    unprecedented taste 

for these    mangoes. Chaunsa, Langra, Anwar    ratol, Dusairi, 

Fajri, Desi and      Sindhri are some of the many mango varieties 

currently being cultivated in Multan. The mangoes produced here 

are probably the sweetest on the globe and a large portion of the 

cultivation is exported to many different countries including 

America, England, Canada, Saudia Arabia and Japan.

Sohan Halwa is another specialty of Multan and is popular 

throughout the country.It is famous for the cultivation of wheat, 

cotton, rice and sugar cane as well as other fruits apart from mangoes such as citrus, guavas and pomegranates.

 MULTANI MITTI

It is multani sand used as Clay for beauty mask for absorbing 

moisture. It is available in most of the cosmetics shops and is very 

famous among women who are conscious about their skin. It is 

demanded all over the country by different parlors’ and skin care 

institutions.

 TRADITIONAL DRESS

Multan is famous for its multani dresses, mainly for women. 

        The dresses are made with beautiful embroidery and have a 

very ethnic touch to them. The dress for men includes shalwar 

kamiz and lungi. Another element in its dress code includes the 

Multani Khussas: shoes that are the latest trends in streets of 

Pakistan. Nowadays, these khussas are in fashion and are 

demanded by women all over Pakistan. This demand has risen the

 price of this product and has made it slightly expensive than other

 regular khussas available in the market.

MULTAN FORT

he Fort site now looks as a part of the city because instead of the 

river it is now separated by a road which looks more like a bazar 

and remains crowded throughout the day.Nobody knows when 

Multan Fort came into being but it was there and it was admired 

and desired by kings and emperors throughout centuries’. It was

 considered as one of the best forts of the sub-continent from the

 defense as well as architectural points of view. 

MAZARS/SHRINES

Shah Yousaf Gardez

                             

Shrine of Muhammad Yousaf Gardezi is just inside the Bohar Gate.

 It is a rectangular dome less building decorated with glazed tiles, a 

work of considerable beauty.

Bahauddin Zakria

The prime attraction of the Fort area is the Mausoleum of Sheikh

 Baha-udDin Zakariya (the ornament of the Faith) and Sheikh 

Rukn-ud-Din Abul Fath, (pillar of the World).The Mausoleum was

 almost completely ruined during the siege of 1848, but was soon 

afterwards restored by the Muslims.

Bibi Pak Daman

Bibi Pak Daman was a princess and as per her will, she was buried

 in the garden of her home, the palace. Now after 900 years the 

palace become a grave yard and her grave is also there, which is 

now the most famous grave of Multan.

Shah Shams

He passed away in 1276 AD and the shrine was built by his 

grandson in 1 330 AD. It was rebuilt by one of his followers in 171 

8 AD. It is generally believed that Shah Shams Tabrez performed 

many miracles. So much so that he once begged the sun to come 

down and the luminary moved so much near that the fish held in 

the hand of Shah Shams was roasted.

Shah Rukn-e-Alam

The Mazar of Rukn-i-Alam is the glory of multan. When the city is

 approached from any side the most prominent thing which can be

 seen from miles all around is a huge dome. This dome is the Shrine

 of Sheikh Rukn-ud-Din Abul Fath commonly known by the title 

Rukn-e-Alam (pillar of the world). The tomb is located on the 

south-West side of the Fort premises.

WEATHER

Multan is one of the hottest cities of the country. It features an arid 

climate with very hot summers and cold winters. The city witnesses

 some of the most extreme temperatures in the country. Recorded-

breaking highest temperature of 50 °C (122 °F) was recorded on 27

 May 2010.

 INDUSTRIES

Pakistan has dynamic, vigorous and export oriented textile industry 

that has an overwhelming impact on economy. Textile being largest 

industrial sector generates the country’s highest export earnings.

 Other industries include fertilizer industries, rubber industries, 

plastic industries etc. However, these industries have been suffering

 a great deal now because of load shedding.

Some main industries include:

Pakarab Fertilizers Company

Three Stars Hosiery Mills

Hussain Industries

Hafeez Ghee and General Mills

Rubber and Plastic industries

Mehr Dastgir Group of Industries

Mahmood group of industries

Sandhu Textiles.

Sunrays Textile Mills Ltd (Indus Group of Companies)

Muzammil Traders (Home Textiles Manufacturers & Exporters)