Webdesk: Pakistan’s mangrove forests, especially those spread across the Indus Delta in Sindh, have the potential to generate an annual revenue of $20 to $50 million, according to Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar.
Speaking on the occasion of the International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem, the minister said that Pakistan is home to the largest stretch of arid mangrove forests in South Asia.
He noted that mangroves can sequester four times the amount of carbon present in ordinary trees, earning them critical roles in the global campaign against global warming.
Some of the principal projects noted by the minister included the Delta Blue Carbon Project, a mega-scale public-private program developed in 2015 between the Sindh government and Indus Delta Capital. The project, which spans over 350,000 hectares in the Indus Delta, has already received 40 million dollars in the sale of carbon credits, and is expected to amass billions of dollars over the next several decades.
Junaid Anwar has also reported on the importance of mangrove restoration projects in Balochistan where the number of mangroves is comparatively small, approximately 4,058 hectares. Despite the size, the per-hectare carbon absorption potential in Balochistan is similar to that in Sindh, giving it a meaningful role in Pakistan’s expanding carbon market.
He added that the protection and restoration of mangroves in Sindh and Balochistan are progressing successfully, with these coastal forests acting as a natural shield against sea erosion and flooding.
The minister further said that the future of fisheries, coastal tourism, and sustainable resource management is closely linked to the health of mangrove ecosystems. Any decline in these vital forests could seriously affect the livelihoods of coastal communities and the foundation of several key economic sectors.
The government’s growing focus on mangrove conservation, he said, reflects its commitment to using natural resources for economic development while ensuring long-term environmental sustainability.
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