October 7, 2004

The mangrove forest along the Karachi coast is endangered. The WWF has proposed that the area be declared a protected zone and eco-tourism be promoted in the region, writes Faiza Ilyas

We are indeed fortunate that our country is gifted with great natural beauty and a remarkable array of ecological regions. Stretching from the dense mangrove forests covering the channels of the vast Indus Delta along the Arabian Sea, it continues to the breathtaking mountains and forests in the north, nurturing a variety of flora and fauna.

Not many of us are aware that Pakistan is one of those rare countries with 3,000 to 5,000-year-old living trees (the junipers of Ziarat) and is also home to some of the rarest animals such as the endangered blind Indus dolphin and the snow leopard.

However, despite being a place of great natural wealth, there is no true realization at any level, be it the government or the people, about the country’s real potential as an exotic site for eco-tourism, which is defined as responsible travel to natural areas that conserve the environment and improve the well-being of the local people.

For Karachiites, one of the major potential sites that can be developed for this purpose is the backwaters of Sandspit. Surrounded by over 400 hectares of mangrove forests, the fragile ecosystem is just 20km away from the metropolis.

Although the entire habitat has degraded over the years, it still supports a wide variety of wildlife, mainly fish and crustaceans. Besides, the forests are frequented by 20,000 to 30,000 migratory birds from Central Asia from September to mid-March. Of the 110 species recorded here 36 are resident. Egrets, herons, cormorants and black-winged stilts are among the many that can be watched throughout the year, while some of the migratory birds are dalmatian pelicans, flamingoes, gulls, terns, coots, ducks, osprey dowitchers, dunlin oystercatchers and waders. An additional attraction is the green turtles that visit the beach opposite the backwaters for nesting from September to January.

The backwaters caught public attention after the construction of an imposing, well-designed building of the Wetland Centre by the Worldwide Fund for Nature in 2001. Only last year, over 4,000 visitors from educational institutions and the corporate sector, mostly from Karachi and its suburbs, participated in the activities at the Wetland Centre, which included bird and turtle watching, beach cleaning, awareness-raising workshops, and boat trips to the backwaters.

“The experience of passing through the narrow channels of mangrove swamps in a wooden boat was simply amazing. It is hard to believe such lush vegetation exists so close to our city. In an earlier visit to this area last winter, we were deeply impressed by flocks of different bird species,” said a student visitor to the backwaters.

The local fishermen of Kakkapir village manage the boat trips and charge between Rs300 and 500 per tour. However, for schools that cannot afford the amount, the travel is free, including arrangements for their visit to the centre which are made in collaboration with a sponsor or the government. It was on the positive feedback and demand of the visitors that the NGO decided to make a plan to develop the area for eco-tourism.

“Eco-tourism will not only generate revenue for the government but will also provide a source of income for the local community, most of whom depend on moneylenders for survival in the off-fishing season. However, for that an entire infrastructure is needed. There should be enough visitors, especially children, to learn and experience. Fish ponds can be built in the area available in front of the centre, whereas there are many hotspots in the narrow channels of the backwaters which can be developed for the interest of visitors,” says Jehangir Durrani, WWF’s conservation officer at the Wetland Centre.

Further elaborating on the plan, he said that bird watching towers and observatories, hanging bridges, floating stations and nurseries can be erected along with building pathways and walkways to help the visitors observe, explore and learn about the habitat. For refreshment, small canteens can be built at the hotspots. The recreation, at present, is restricted and would be controlled in future as well to keep the natural habitat intact. Only wooden boats are allowed for the trip into the backwaters to avoid noise pollution.

But for this dream to materialize the community needs to be taken into confidence and the area declared as a protected zone. And, more importantly, the extent of the habitat’s degradation and the threats the area faces demands government intervention along with initiatives from major stakeholders, like the Karachi Port Trust and the Pakistan Navy to start preventive measures on a large scale.

“Lack of fresh water coupled by the continuous flow of pollutants and extensive land reclamation have threatened the entire ecosystem. Besides, over-catching is adversely affecting the wealth of fish and crustacean species as well as forcing the birds to move to other safer areas instead of roosting, feeding and breeding here,” observes Durrani.

Explaining the effects of human interference, the coastal areas had undergone great changes after the 1960s due to construction and land reclamation for commercial and residential purposes, which were carried out without realizing their overall impact on the ecology of the area. For instance, the Mai Kolachi Bypass had been built after wiping off thousands of hectares of mangrove forests on the excuse that environmental laws did not apply to the land because the area had been in the KPT’s possession before the enactment of the laws. After this destruction, a huge population of nearly 30,000 birds, which used to come to the Clifton beach, changed their stop-over and now hardly 5,000 birds come during the season, said Ghalib Ali, an experienced conservationist.

As far as the backwaters of Sandspit are concerned, a source of concern is the poorly-designed bridge of Younisabad that obstructs the inflow and outflow of fresh water. Consequently, the level of salinity in the water on one side of the bridge has increased, causing extreme decline in the number of fish at one end. And though the population of small birds has increased over the years, the number of rare bird species has decreased.

Being at the tail-end of the River Indus, water in the narrow channels at some places is extremely dark, depicting the extent of pollution that is playing havoc with aquatic life. Crassostrea, an oyster species considered one of the best indicators of pollution, was spotted here in 1993. Today, it is totally extinct. Out of the four mangrove species which were found here, only Avicennia marina is left due to its remarkable quality of being highly saline-resistant.

“There was a time when over 100 fish species were recorded here by the Zoological Survey of Pakistan in the 1980s. Today, their number stands between 30 and 38 and that too in the monsoon. Also, it is feared that if no measures are taken, the mud crab would be included in the red data book of the International Union for Conservation of Nature for endangered species,” says Durrani.

He regarded land construction and reclamation two of the major threats to the habitat and called for the proper demarcation of the area before declaring it protected. That would also preserve the nesting site of turtles.

As far as the health of mangroves is concerned, Fayyaz Rasool, a WWF official who has done extensive work on the subject, said that some mangroves were found to be afflicted with albinism that means even the hardy Avicennia is less resistant to the oily contents of the water coming from the port.

On being asked as to why mangroves should be saved, he replied that according to a Chinese study these remarkable trees and shrubs were natural treatment plants as they could filter sewage. One hectare of mangrove forest, if properly managed, would produce an annual yield of 100kg of fish, 25kg of shrimps, 15kg of crab, 200kg of molluscs, and 40kg of sea cucumbers according to a UNEP study.

With all these threats endangering the bio-diversity of the area, eco-tourism apparently seems a far cry. However, NGO officials are hopeful. WWF Deputy Director-General Dr Ejaz Ahmed said, “We still feel we can do it. Water pollution is not a big threat; it can be treated and its condition can be improved. The mangroves have adjusted themselves to the environment and are growing well. Secondly, polluted water is the only source of fresh water. It contains organic matter which the mangroves themselves filter to an extent. The problem lies neither with the area nor with the community itself but rather with the decision-makers who, unfortunately, are not aware of the crucial link between the environment, livelihood and fisheries.”

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