The Indus delta in Pakistan covers an area of approximately 1,000 km~2, it supports adiverse ecosystem, serves as a sanctuary for a variety of waterfowl and migratory birds. It is reportedthat the terrestrial wildlife has decreased in diversity due to reduction of freshwater in to the deltaicarea from the River Indus. On 20th May 1999, a severe tropical Cyclone "2A" landed in the lowerIndus region of Pakistan. The National Institute of Oceanography, Karachi undertook a study toassess the environmental impact of the cyclone on the area that caused intrusion of seawater due to atidal surge that spilled into the brackish water lakes. The aquatic living resources, wildlife, localcoastal fauna and flora have come under physiological stress. Remote sensing techniques were usedto detect morphological changes in the area. The SPOT satellite Panchromatic and Multi spectral fullscene data of the area for three different periods was also obtained. The Satellite data was processedon ER Mapper 6.2. The analysis indicates very prominent morphological changes on the wetlands ofthe area caused by the landfall of cyclone. This paper discusses the major impacts on the coastalwetland environment and compares imagery with the field data collected during the study.
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