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Indus River System Imperiled as Pakistan Lags in Granting Rivers Legal Rights
21 Oct
Summary
- Majority of Pakistan's Ramsar wetlands ecologically impaired
- Indus delta receives insufficient water flow for ecological health
- Several countries have granted legal rights to rivers, but Pakistan yet to act
As of October 2025, Pakistan's water bodies are in a dire state, with the majority of the country's 19 Ramsar wetlands of international importance being ecologically impaired. The Indus delta, recognized as a priority ecoregion by the WWF, does not receive the minimum water flow required to sustain its health for three-quarters of the year.
Pristine lakes have become contaminated, and the Indus River, one of South Asia's longest, is imperiled by frequent obstructions, diversions, and pollution. The principle of considering water bodies as living beings is thus being violated in Pakistan.
However, a global trend has emerged where rivers are being recognized and respected as living entities. As of June 2023, the UN Harmony with Nature initiative had listed 30 countries with existing and proposed laws and policies on the rights of nature. Ecuador, Bolivia, New Zealand, India, Bangladesh, and several other nations have granted legal personhood or rights to their rivers.
In contrast, Pakistan has yet to adopt legislation for the rights of nature and install environmental safeguards for its freshwater bodies and the Indus delta. Experts have prescribed minimum daily and flush flows to maintain the ecological health of the Indus delta, but these recommendations have not been implemented, with the flows often demonized as water wastage.
The environmental fragility of Pakistan's aquatic ecosystem has reached a critical threshold, and urgent action is needed to protect these vital resources and recognize them as living beings deserving of legal rights.
