Introduction

Indus Earth Trust (IET) is Pakistan based, not-for-profit organization working in the area of sustainable development. Established in 2000 to aid neglected coastal communities in Pakistan, IET realized the impossibility of pin pointing a single issue hindering development. IET’s approach to planned interventions has thus been of Integrated Development. Our projects target the main underlying issues affecting these communities under the six program areas of

• Livelihood Employment and Enterprise Development Program and Livelihood Support Infrastructure
• Water and Community Physical Infrastructure
• Alternative Energy Solutions
• Indigenous Housing Systems
• Food Security
• Drought Mitigation and Adaptation

Tackling these program areas simultaneously uplifts and benefits communities in a holistic manner. It is our belief that this methodology results in long lasting and sustainable change.

IET works mainly in 6 districts in the Sindh and Balochistan provinces of Pakistan, mainly along the coast covering approximately 900 kilometers covering 13 Union Councils and approximately 392 villages. IET has recently expanded its work to include urban “katchi abadis” in Karachi.

This area has a population of 3 million. These areas are prone to natural disasters like the floods of 2010 and the earthquakes which decimated cities and settlements in Awaran Dist. Balochistan in 2013. Due to the natural disasters and other issues the population is also prone to disease and malnutrition, conditions which are further exacerbated by the lack of basic amenities such as safe housing, drinking water, proper sanitation, energy and electricity, roads, health services and education.

Climate change and bad practices have also affected traditional livelihoods, with issues such as over fishing and sea intrusion on to agricultural land being some of the main problems.

The funding for our identified projects has been from a number of local and international partnering organizations. We stress that our goal is the sustaining of each of our interventions through community empowerment and our continued presence in the Union Councils following our interventions in order to provide support.