DESPITE the fact that some NGOs with the partnership of local organisations have launched projects of mangroves plantation at Karachi coast, activists feared that these projects may not produce favourable results.
According to them, the sites identified for the mangrove plantation were mostly known to be seasonal camel farms. Secondly, efforts for rehabilitation of these forests are found to be inconsistent and slow as compared to the severity of the damage.
"Hundreds of camels usually kept at remote islands for around 8-10 months will be brought back near coastal villages in summer (June and July), which definitely will destroy the small plants," said an activist, who had been involved in the mangroves plantation project on behalf of community organisation.
Mangroves' seed have been planted at about 60 hectors of land in the wide forests near the second biggest fishermen village Rehri, Karachi, in two phases. The main object of the project was pronounced as filling the gap of destroyed forest area. But local fishermen, having vast experience of mangroves, said it needs community awareness long before the launching of any project.
Mangroves are a family of evergreen trees and shrubs, providing both a barrier to extreme weather and a rich ecosystem for marine life. These plants are breeding grounds of export-oriented shrimps and other fish species. Environmentalists are of the opinion that the strategy would fail unless concerned NGOs and the governments convince the concerned communities of the financial benefits they stand to gain from the mangroves, such as firewood, medicinal herbs and fish catches, among others.
They say that traditional people have a lot of memories of the past and what they have learnt from local conditions, hence their efforts can be supportive to achieve the desired goal. Mangrove trees take five years to mature, so it is crucial to prepare the concerned communities to nurture them until then.
One way to achieve this objective through credit programmes could be lending villagers small sums of money to buy livestock such as goats, cows or chickens. But instead of paying interest on the loans, they could be asked to plant mangrove trees. Success in such efforts depends on exchange of information between specialists and locals.
Mangroves are proven physical barriers to combat intensity of cyclone and protecting surrounding localities from the thrust of varied calamities. However, utter failure on the part of concerned authorities in adopting concrete measures for prevention of ongoing destruction of the same has denied localities as well as its inhabitants the natural protection.
At present 37 percent of the 600,000 hectares of land is absolutely devoid of any mangrove due to intense cutting and grazing. While another 56 percent of the very belt has scattered plantation, which is again very thin and 20,000 hectares area was stated to be put under rehabilitation project. But according to experts this is quite incompatible with actual needs.
IUCN, the World Conservation Union, Director Tahir Qureshi said the main reason of depleting mangrove forests is decrease in flow of river Indus water. He said over 150,000 people use about 36,000 tonnes of mangrove as firewood per month along 1050-km Pakistan coast, whereas about 16,000 camels, 4000-6000 cows and water buffaloes and 2500-3000 cattle graze in mangroves.
As far as depleting mangroves around Karachi coast is concerned, the environmentalists feared that the city may face problem as there is no check on widely occupying mangroves forest land by authorities, increasing marine pollution, and flow of industrial waste of over 4000 industrial units into the sea.
Cutting mangroves for fodder and fuel is also a main problem, which needs effective campaign for the community mobilisation around the coastal localities as well as providing them better alternatives to save the eco-system. However, inconsistent policy towards conservation and rehabilitation of mangroves around the Sindh coast is registered to be playing havoc with the ecology, ultimately exposing adjoining localities as Keti Bunder, Kharo Chan, Shah Bunder, Jati, Sir Creek in Badin and Thatta to natural calamities as cyclone, hurricane and typhoon.
The wide spread depletion of mangrove forests around 350-km long Sindh coasts has not only created threats to eco-system, but livelihood of one million coastal people depending on fishing has also been at stake.
According to experts the situation of mangrove forests in frontage of the coastline along Karachi must not be considered very placid as destruction of mangrove forests in the backwaters along Karachi coast, spread over a belt of 34 Km to 37 Km, have emerged to be a regular feature.
They specifically referred to massive fall of these forests in the areas around Baba, Bhit, Sansdpits Islands and Hawks Bay making areas susceptible to be hit by calamity.
Destruction of the mangroves forests is generally attributed to population pressure, salinity, and deposition of sand and irregular flush of fresh water hampering regeneration of the plants.
Despite the fact that Tsunami-hit Asian states are planning to launch a gigantic move for plantation of mangroves forests around coastal areas of their respective countries to avert possibility of tsunami-like disasters in future, here in Pakistan situation is contrary to that. Because, fast depletion of mangrove forests and growing environment degradation may lead to natural calamity in the entire Sindh coast.