Protecting Mangroves in Pakistan: A Call to Action

"Where river meets sea and storm meets land, Pakistan’s mangroves once stood tall. Today, they teeter on the edge of collapse."

Along Pakistan’s southern coastline, where the Indus River meets the Arabian Sea, the mangrove forests stand sentinel as a strong ecosystem. These salt-tolerant trees, with their tangled roots woven deep into coastal mud, form living walls against storms, nurture fisheries, capture vast stores of carbon, and sustain the livelihoods of thousands. Unfortunately, today, these vital guardians are under siege.

Urban expansion, pollution, dwindling freshwater supplies, human negligence and climate change are threatening Pakistan’s mangroves. Concentrated mainly in the Indus Delta, these forests once spanned about 600,000 hectares, forming one of the world’s largest arid-climate mangrove ecosystems and a critical biodiversity hotspot. Tragically, they are fast diminishing. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and WWF-Pakistan, the country has lost about 35–40% of its mangrove coverage since the 1960s.

Satellite imagery reveals the stark transformation. The once vibrant green belts have withered into barren, muddy flats and the flourishing dense canopies look vulnerable and exposed on the coastline today. The reasons why Pakistan’s mangroves are dwindling are numerous and interconnected. First, the sprawling metropolis of Karachi, now exceeding 20 million residents, has relentlessly encroached into mangrove zones. Housing projects, industrial estates, and mega-port developments like the Karachi Port Trust (KPT) and Port Qasim have swallowed swathes of forest. Land developers have long viewed mangroves as "wasteland" ripe for "higher economic use," ignoring the invaluable ecosystem services they provide for free.

Second, pollution is choking the mangroves. Every day, thousands of tons of untreated industrial effluents, sewage, and solid waste are dumped into the coastal waters of Sindh and Balochistan. Mangrove roots suffocate under toxins, aquatic life dwindles, and oxygen-depleted "dead zones" expand. Plastic waste clogs the swamps, smothering young shoots and strangling marine life even further.

Third, the dwindling flow of the Indus River has left the delta parched. According to the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR), freshwater flows to the delta have declined by over 90% since the 1950s. Mangroves, which require a delicate balance between saltwater and freshwater, now struggle to survive in hyper-saline soils.

Fourth, despite legal protections, locals often cut mangroves for firewood, fodder, and construction material. Grazing goats and camels trample young seedlings, disturbing forest regeneration. Weak law enforcement allows these destructive cycles to persist unchecked.

Lastly, climate change exacerbates the crisis. UNDP reports indicates sea levels rising by about 1.1 millimeters per year along Pakistan’s coast. Increased salinity, coastal erosion, rising temperatures, and powerful cyclones like Cyclone Biparjoy (2023) further batter these already fragile ecosystems.

Do mangroves matter? Yes, they do as they provide extraordinary coastal protection. According to World Bank studies, dense mangrove forests can reduce the impact of tsunamis, cyclones, and tidal surges by up to 70%. They serve as critical breeding grounds for fish, crabs, shrimp, and migratory birds. In fact, over 80% of Pakistan’s commercial fish catch depends on healthy mangrove ecosystems.

Moreover, mangroves are climate warriors. They sequester up to four times more carbon per hectare than tropical rainforests, making them potent tools in the fight against global warming. In Pakistan, more than 135,000 people in coastal Sindh and Balochistan rely directly on mangroves for fishing, honey collection, and small-scale industries. Without mangroves, Pakistan’s coastal economy, biodiversity, and climate resilience would face escalating challenges and probable collapse.

For decades, Pakistan largely ignored its mangroves. But recent years have seen renewed efforts. Under initiatives like the Billion Tree Tsunami program, large-scale mangrove plantations have been launched. Interestingly, Pakistan is among the few countries where mangrove cover is now growing, with over 75,000 hectares of new growth recorded. In 2021, Pakistan hosted World Environment Day, showcasing its mangrove restoration efforts to a global audience.

Organizations like WWF-Pakistan, IUCN, and Indus Earth Trust are spearheading community-powered conservation projects. In villages such as Kharo Chan and Keti Bunder, locals, often women’s groups, collect seeds, run nurseries, and manage forests. In return, they receive training in eco-tourism, sustainable fisheries, and mangrove honey production.

The government has also begun using drones, satellite imagery, and GIS mapping to monitor mangrove health, enabling smarter restoration strategies and early threat detection.

Despite promising progress, daunting challenges persist. Many replantation drives suffer high mortality rates due to poor site selection, lack of freshwater, and inadequate aftercare. Upstream water mismanagement continues to starve the delta. Funding shortages, inconsistent policies, and frequent political shifts further compound the difficulties. The survival of Pakistan’s mangroves demands more than just tree planting. It requires a comprehensive, long-term strategy.

Saving Pakistan’s mangroves is not optional but a national imperative. Key steps must include granting legal protection by designating mangrove areas as critically protected ecosystems, with strict enforcement of penalties against illegal encroachment and deforestation. Restoring the ecological flows of the Indus River is also vital to maintain the delicate freshwater-saltwater balance essential for mangrove survival.

Pakistan must combat pollution by building wastewater treatment facilities and enforcing zero industrial discharge into coastal waters. Empowering communities in forestry programs, promoting eco-tourism, and supporting sustainable livelihoods dependent on healthy mangrove ecosystems are equally essential. The country must invest in technologies by establishing permanent coastal monitoring stations, expanding drone surveillance, and using satellite technology for threat detection and restoration planning.

Raising public awareness is crucial. National campaigns must educate citizens about the value of mangroves and mobilize public support. Securing international assistance from global environmental agencies for funding, technical expertise, and research partnerships will strengthen efforts to save and expand the mangroves.

Conclusion

Pakistan’s mangroves are not merely trees rooted in coastal mud. These are guardians of life, climate, and prosperity. Today, they teeter dangerously on the brink of collapse, besieged by human negligence and a changing climate. While replantation drives, community projects, and technological innovations offer glimmers of hope, they will falter without bold, uncompromising action.

The survival of these forests demands political courage, strict legal protection, investment in sustainable livelihoods, restoration of the Indus Delta’s lifeblood, and a collective national awakening to their irreplaceable value. Time is running out as every lost hectare weakens Pakistan’s natural defenses against rising seas and climate disasters. Every poisoned root robs fishermen, families, and future generations of their heritage.

Pakistan has to act decisively with relentless commitment, innovation, and unity "The question is no longer whether we can save Pakistan’s mangroves, it is whether we can afford not to.

Please note that the views expressed in this article are of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of any organization.

The writer is a former Pakistan Ambassador and Permanent Representative to FAO, WFP and IFAD.

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