Mangrove forests in Pakistan thrive, except in the Karachi megacity

• Aletta Andre

  India correspondent

Pakistan is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change. The extreme rains that contributed to the severe floods this year are one example. To arm the coastal regions against this, the country uses a natural source – mangrove forests. Protection and plantations make Pakistan one of the few countries in the world where the area of ​​coastal mangrove forest has increased in recent years. Only in the megalopolis of Karachi does this remain a challenge.

“We protect the forests, this is our duty, but until everyone helps, it is very difficult,” said Shehzad Gill of the Sindh Province Forestry Department. “There is a lot of development in Karachi. We are trying to get the relevant agencies and government departments to cut down as few trees as possible. Because development is good, but at what cost?”

Overall, the increase in mangrove forests has been a great success, says Gill. “We now have three times more mangrove forests than we did 20 years ago.” He points out on a map where a new forest has been planted and where it is planned for the next few years. “It has to become much more. We have largely illegal logging under control. Only in 5-7% of the forest, near Karachi, is it a bit of a problem.”

On the beach near the city it is clearly visible how vulnerable Karachi is. The waves are high and right on the beach there are buildings, offices and shops. “Until the 1980s, this was all mangrove forest,” says climate journalist Aafia Salam.

From the car he points to the city between the sea and the road we are traveling on, towards a hotel overlooking a strip of mangrove forest that can be seen from the city. “Wherever you have a growing population, there is pressure on natural resources,” she says.

And he explains that it’s not just the felling of trees that is destroying mangrove forests. Since Karachi’s natural drainage channels have largely been turned into open sewers, a lot of dirty water flows into the sea. “This also kills the trees.”

Salam, like Gill, says that only in Karachi are mangrove forests in trouble. “Once you get out of the city, you definitely see them thriving,” he says. Gill explains that forest managers work with local communities to combat illegal logging and manage plantations. “We explain to those communities that if there were no mangrove forests, they themselves would be the first victims of a tsunami or storm surge.”

Mangrove forests are also referred to as the first line of defense against climate change. They protect coastal areas from rising sea levels and extreme weather conditions such as hurricanes. They can also store CO2 much better than other trees, which in turn can help against global warming.

From most places in Karachi, mangrove forests are nowhere to be seen. Yet there is such a line of defense on the south side of the city. When we set sail with Mehran Ali Shah’s fishing boat, they get closer and closer. Seven kilometers by boat from the city, it shows a group of islands completely covered with trees.

The islets are located just off the coast of the fishing village where he grew up. His father was a well-known fishermen rights activist who passed away a few years ago. Now Mehran is committed to preserving mangrove forests.

“We are very worried about the situation because you can see that on the side of Karachi where there are no mangrove forests there are very high waves. We cannot get there with our boat. That is why we are very worried for the fishermen, for Karachi, for the Sindh province and for our livelihood “.