ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry has said Pakistan is home to the largest contiguous arid mangrove forest in South Asia — located in the Indus Delta region of Sindh — with the potential to generate up to $50 million annually through carbon credit markets.

In a message marking the International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem on Saturday, the minister highlighted that the Delta Blue Carbon (DBC) project in Sindh, covering over 350,000 hectares, has already generated $40m in carbon credit sales and is expected to yield billions in the coming decades.

The DBC project, a public-private partnership between the Government of Sindh and Indus Delta Capital, was launched in 2015. It aims to restore and conserve mangrove forests across more than 3,500 square kilometres of the Indus Delta.

The minister noted that while Balochistan’s mangrove cover is considerably smaller — around 4,058 hectares — its contribution to carbon sequestration remains significant and forms a meaningful part of Pakistan’s broader carbon market strategy.

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“Mangroves absorb four times more carbon than ordinary trees,” Mr Chaudhry said, emphasising their unmatched role in climate mitigation. He added that millions of carbon credits are being generated from mangrove forests along Sindh’s coastal belt.

“We are successfully implementing mangrove rehabilitation programmes in Sindh and Balochistan. These coastal forests are proving to be a vital natural shield against shoreline erosion and flooding,” he remarked.

The minister further stressed that the health of mangrove ecosystems is closely linked to the future of fisheries, coastal tourism, and sustainable resource management. Their degradation, he warned, threatens the foundation of these sectors and the livelihoods of coastal communities.

Highlighting Pakistan’s growing global recognition in mangrove restoration, Mr Chaudhry said the country currently ranks around 7th in the world for mangrove forest area and is likely to climb to 4th or 5th place due to aggressive reforestation efforts.

Published in Dawn, July 27th, 2025