Development work destroying mangroves in Pakistan

Shazad Ali

A natural source of fighting huge waves, mangroves are being destroyed by development programmes and dams in Pakistan, say environmentalists, whose concerns are redoubled by the terrifying Asian tsunami disaster last December that killed over 227,000 souls.

One of the worlds most threatened habitats, mangrove swamps provide double protection from cyclones and large waves. Their first layer of flexible branches and tangled roots absorbs the initial shock, while the second layer of tall mangroves serves as a wall capable of fighting with huge waves.

A local WWF official in Pakistan said that Indonesia, the hardest-hit country with 173,981 confirmed deaths, had been planning to initiate a project of mangrove plantation spanned over a period of five to 10 years with an idea to combat huge killer waves in future.

It's time to review our policies and look at the disaster in Asia

We [in Pakistan] are destroying the eco-system as mangroves provide a nursery to fish and help shrimps and other marine life to breed. It's time to review our policies and look at the disaster in Asia. Mangroves stop erosion due to heavy winds, storms, are excellent wind-breakers and serve as a wall against giant waves," Dr Ejaz Ahmad, the deputy director of World Wide Fund for Nature, Pakistan, (WWF Pakistan), told OneWorld.

"How important mangroves are could be judged from the fact that where there were less or no mangrove forests there was more destruction, especially in Thailand, India and Bangladesh. But if we see Myanmar there was less damage. It was obviously because of heavy mangroves there that saved the country from major disaster.

Formed in estuaries and muddy inlets on tropical coasts, mangrove swamps often serve as the border between dry land and the seas. In Pakistan there are three patches of mangroves in province of Balochistan in Sonmiani, Kalmat and Jiwani, while Indus Delta has swamps at Sandspit, Rehri and Keti Bandar.
The Indus Delta mangroves are the biggest arid climate swamps in the world and Avicennia marina is the major specie called Timer in Sindhi language. Due to high tide, they seem half submerged in the mix of sweet and saline water considered natural breeding ground for trees.

Besides acting as a nursery for fish, shrimps, crustaceans, oysters, sponges, crabs snails, Pakistan's mangroves are also frequented by about 30,000 migratory birds to save themselves from hard Central Asian winters. Among the birds that visit mangroves are gulls, coots, terns, dalmatian pelicans, flamingos, osprey dowitchers, dunlin oystercatchers, waders and duck. Birds that are permanent residents of the mangroves are herons, egrets, black-winged stilts and cormorants.

dams and barrages are the major reason for destruction of mangroves

Ironically, mangrove forests in Pakistan face threat of elimination. The developmental projects, dams and barrages are the major reason for destruction of mangroves. The network of barrages and large dams has reduced the freshwater supply to sea which is eliminating the mangroves, said Dr Ahmad.

According to a Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco) study conducted through satellite images in 1988-89, the mangroves in Pakistan covered 160,000 hectares. They were found to be reduced to almost half - just 80,000 hectares - when WWF Pakistan studied the mangroves through their Lahore-based facility in 2002.

it has not only reduced the mangroves but their species have also been cut from eight to four

Describing the situation as alarming, Dr.Ahmad says that extent of the damage is colossal as it has not only reduced the mangroves but their species have also been cut from eight to four during the past four to five decades. "Tarbela and Mangla dams and barrages at Kotri and Guddu have played vital role in destroying mangroves. Freshwater is rare and only rains provide solace to mangroves in this case, he asserted.

The government and agriculturalists lay emphasis on watercourses for agriculture sector for better yields, but Dr Ahmad lamented the indifferent attitude of government officials. They are ignoring what he calls the multiple benefits of the mangroves as compared to the narrow economic value of agriculture.

Ironically, the decision-makers think that freshwater should be utilised only for agriculture. But they dont know what they could get providing a gallon of freshwater to agriculture sector and what they could gain by supplying the same amount of freshwater to mangroves. They are perhaps unaware of the multiple benefits that mangroves offer, said the official.

it is our fault that we are yet to determine the dollar value of mangroves

Dr.Ahmad did not mince words in admitting that activists must strengthen their case: as an organization and environmentalists, it is our fault that we are yet to determine the dollar value of mangroves. If we know that one hectare of cotton crop will give us Rs200 and mangroves on the same area are giving us Rs1000, then things will definitely change. Had we done that I am sure our priority would have been different, he opined.

Ongoing development work in and around port city of Karachi is also damaging the swamps cutting the freshwater supply to Indus Delta. Dr Ahmad says mangroves are source of livelihood for fishermen but are being used as fuel wood by local people. The WWF Pakistan campaign to save mangroves at Indus Delta with a slogan of timer bachao, jheenga pao (save mangroves, get shrimps) has been a success.

Sui Southern Gas Company has recently started providing gas connections to residents of Sandspit, an ecosystem just 20km away from Karachi, so that they could depend on reliable source rather than cutting mangroves as fuel wood.

Surprisingly, the WWF official said logging, marine pollution and even timber mafia was not as damaging as were the large dams -- largely responsible for reducing freshwater supply to mangrove forests.

When we started working on saving mangroves we inculcated local poor population to save mangrove and catch prawns and fish. And it really worked. We also provided fuel-efficient stoves to the locals so that mangroves could be saved from being used as fuel wood.

We are working on a project at Port Qasim Authority near Karachi where we have 60,000 hectares area which could be covered with mangroves. Sindh Forest Department is also working along with us at Keti Bandar. But there could be no lifelong presence of organization like us and somebody has to take over. We believe on sustainability and for that community is being involved in our project, said Dr Ahmad.