The Indus River: Biodiversity, Resources, Humankind

The Indus River is one of the world’s great rivers. It extends from the Himalayas to the Arabian Sea, with a unique range of geographical and geological features and biodiversity, covering mountain, plain and deltaic environments. The river and its surrounding lands affect the living standards of the entire population of Pakistan. There is also an archaeological perspective of global importance on the Indus–Mohenjo Daro. Economic developments, which include agriculture, forestry, fisheries, oil, gas, and hydroelectricity, are all dependent on the river. There are associated problems of deforestation, waterlogging, pollution, and desertification that are becoming progressively more important moving into the twenty-first century. This volume looks at the interactions between the Indus River, its landscape, biodiversity, resources and people. World authorities recommend multidisciplinary programmes for the management, conservation and future development of this unique water-land system, together with its biodiversity, resources and archaeological sites.