Final Year Project

Project Title

Indigenous Peoples & Ecological Transformations: The Case of Manchar Lake & The Mohanas

Description

Lake Manchar is Pakistan’s largest freshwater lake. Over the last century, a drain was built to take sewage from Sindh and Punjab into the sea but was left incomplete and emptied into Manchar. Salinity and toxicity in the lake rapidly increased. This had far-reaching impacts on the Mohanas who live at the banks of the lake. The thesis uses original ethnographic work to document the cultural change at Lake Manchar, ethno-taxonomies of birds, crops, fish, and animals, as well as documentation of social ceremonies of Manchari Mohanas who are believed to be descendants of those who built the Indus Valley Civilization. The discussion assesses the implications of such socio-economic loss and modernization faced by indigenous peoples at LakeManchar.