Coal Mining Disrupts Livelihoods and Migration Patterns in Thar, Pakistan

The Indigenous communities of Thar in Pakistan are adapted to seasonal migration to fertile and urban areas in search of livelihoods. Most of them return home after the rainfall as this creates agricultural opportunities.

After it rains, pastures green up, creating grassland resources for their livestock to thrive on, and the land becomes cultivable.

This year, owing to coal mining operations on their native land, the option of returning to their homes was not available to many Thari locals despite a good rainfall in the area.

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This story was produced with support from Internews' Earth Journalism Network. It was first published in The News on Sunday on November 19, 2023. It has been lightly edited for length and clarity. 

Banner image: Students reading in their school courtyard / Credit: The News on Sunday.