KARACHI: Maritime Eco­logy and Archaeology Resea­rch’s (MaritimEA) Digital Heritage Trails Project (DHTP) has been officially endorsed as a UN Ocean Decade Action, recognising its critical work to preserve the rapidly disappearing maritime cultural heritage of Pakistan’s Indus Delta.

This endorsement places the DHTP within a prestigious global framework of initiatives dedicated to reversing ocean decline and fostering a sustainable, equitable relationship with the sea.

Proclaimed in 2017 by the United Nations General Assembly, the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030) (the Ocean Decade) seeks to stimulate ocean science and knowledge generation to reverse the decline of the state of the ocean system and catalyse new opportunities for sustainable development of this massive marine ecosystem.

The vision of the Ocean Decade is “the science we need for the ocean we want”. The Ocean Decade provides a convening framework for scientists and stakeholders from diverse sectors to develop the scientific knowledge and the partnerships needed to accelerate and harness advances in ocean science to achieve a better understanding of the ocean system, and deliver science-based solutions to achieve the 2030 Agenda.

The UN General Assembly mandated the Intergovernmental Oceano­graphic Commission (IOC) of Uneso to coordinate the preparations and implementation of the Decade.

Facing existential threats from sea-level rise, coastal erosion, and human intervention, the Indus Delta’s rich tangible and intangible history is at risk of being lost forever.

The DHTP directly confronts this crisis by creating high-precision 3D “digital twins” of endangered archaeological sites, including the citadel of Banbhore, Ratukot, and Lahiri Bandar.

The DHTP has used the “digital twins” to create digital heritage tourism experience by weaving them together with historical accounts and the living knowledge of local fisherfolk communities.

“This endorsement is a powerful validation of our approach — that cultural heritage is not separate from ocean science, but central to understanding climate resilience, human adaptation, and building a sustainable future,” said Amer Bazl Khan, founder and director of MaritimEA Research.

Published in Dawn, June 19th, 2026