ISLAMABAD: Maritime Affairs Minister Junaid Anwar Chaudhry said on Sunday that Pakistan can generate up to $20-50 million annually from its mangrove carbon market, calling for concerted efforts to protect and restore its ecosystems in the country.
Mangrove forests have a critical role in combating climate change, preserving biodiversity, and protecting coastal communities from erosion and natural disasters, environmental experts say.
In a statement issued on the occasion of World Mangrove Day on July 26, Chaudhry said Pakistan is home to the world’s seventh largest arid-climate mangrove forest, concentrated in the Indus Delta in Sindh and smaller patches in the southwestern Balochistan province.
A mangrove carbon market refers to a system in which the carbon dioxide absorbed and stored by mangrove forests is converted into carbon credits that can be sold to companies or organizations seeking to offset their greenhouse gas emissions.
“He estimated that Pakistan’s mangrove carbon market could generate $20–50 million annually, depending on carbon-credit prices and volumes,” the Press Information Department (PID) said.
The World Wide Fund for Nature-Pakistan issued a report in July 2024 in which it identified several locations along the Karachi coast where significant tracts of mangroves were cleared for housing schemes and commercial and industrial projects over the years.
The report warned that if preventive measures were not taken in time, existing mangrove areas could be removed or destroyed soon.
Chaudhry said mangroves act as a “natural shield” against shoreline erosion, flooding and storm surges while protecting coastal communities, ports and marine biodiversity.
He warned that degradation of these ecosystems threatens food security and the livelihoods of fishing communities, as mangroves serve as breeding and nursery grounds for fish, shrimp, crabs and other species that support fisheries and emerging aquaculture.
The maritime affairs minister said Balochistan’s estimated 4,058 hectares of mangroves could also contribute to national carbon market initiatives, adding that mangroves can sequester roughly four times more carbon than terrestrial forests.
“The minister called for greater public awareness, stricter enforcement against encroachment and increased public-private investment in blue economy initiatives, urging stakeholders to turn commitments into action as Pakistan marks World Mangrove Day,” the PID said.
Pakistani experts have urged the government to take effective measures to prevent deforestation in light of the disasters the country has faced over the years.
Pakistan faced cataclysmic floods in 2022 caused by unusually heavy rains during the monsoon season. A third of the country was submerged in water at one point in time and more than 1,700 people were killed. Last year, rains and floods also killed over 1,000 people in Pakistan during the monsoon season, forcing millions of people to be migrated to safer zones in cthe Punjab and northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) provinces.
