ISLAMABAD Speakers at a seminar titled Water conflict in South Asia and international treaties on environment - analyses and way forward called for pondering over the proposal of joint watershed management proposal in South Asia. The seminar was organised by Sustainable Development Policy Institute here on Monday. Asif Shuja, Director General, Pakistan Environment Protection Agency speaking on the occasion said that it was high time to look into implications of the concept of joint watershed management between India and Pakistan and its impact on environment. Mr Shuja said that Environment Impact Assessment at regional level was the need of the regional countries. He said that there had been no agreement in Pakistan on fresh water released into the sea. We are left with only 30-day water while other countries have stock sufficient for 200 days. He urged the government to construct big dams. He urged review of resettlement policy of the areas affected by projects where compensation should be given not only to the legally entitled but also to non-entitled who are affected too. Arshad Abbasi said black carbon emissions from India were affecting Monsoon areas of India and Pakistan. He said Indian proposal of joint water management was good and we should convert into joint watershed management which will be a win-win situation as it would take care of water outflows from all rivers flowing into Pakistan from Indian controlled areas. He asked the two governments to ratify the EIA Convention. He regretted that even local Kashmiris were not taken on board in that respect. Arshad Abbasi said that major drive of Indians to build dams in Kashmir was for water usage in Kashmir. He said that height of dams India was constructing was more than that of Mangla and Tarbela Dams. Ministry of Water and Power raised objections when the Indian projects were at an advanced stage of construction. Azmat Hayat, Director, Pakistan Meteorology Department, said that changing rainfall pattern was a signal for adopting a modified water management strategy. He said that rainfall witnessed a decline near equator and increase as we move northward into polar region between 1951 and 2000. He disclosed that entire rainfall area slightly shifted towards west by 80 kilometres and from upper to lower Himalayas. If we do not manage, water will be polluted during scarcity and it would be equally bad for health during abundance. He said September rainfall used to be beneficial for Rabi crop and peak of rainfall shifted from December. He said if El-Nino could affect Pakistan, the developments in India would have impact on weather and vice-versa. He said instead of developing dams, we should invest in EIA so that we could save our future generations and regional fora should study it and create a regional fund for the purpose.