Confrontation With ‘Nature’ That’s Actually Destroying Karachi

Confrontation with nature has already resulted in the form of a disastrous global pandemic whose repercussion are expected to persevere till 2022. From drawing plans to establish vast cities to industries, human beings have in fact done everything to damage the environment. Today metropolitan cities are nothing but ‘concrete jungles’ that are disseminating pollution, with an exponential increase in population resulting in inundated natural resources.

Karachi is one such city. Located on the southern coastline of the Arabian Sea, the city was once the sole war water port in the Afghanistan and Soviet Union’s territory. This city is not only a natural port, but also incorporates two rivers namely Malir and Lyari rivers. Karachi’s holds a key geostrategic significance due to its location in the region. This part of Pakistan’s coastal area reflects an abundance of a wide range of botanical, zoological species and mineral resources; however, all these resources are being wasted instead of being duly capitalized on.

The most worrisome aspect of this scenario is that islands located along Karachi’s coastline is rapidly ‘sinking’. Multiple reasons are credited for it, of which deforestation of mangroves and other plantations along the coastline is a prime one. According to one estimate, around 3.2 to 4 million acres of land has been subjected to subsidence and has sunk into the sea. Mangroves along Karachi’s coastline are known for protecting the coastal areas from land subsidence; however, this nature’s invaluable gift has been subjected to significant damage and deterioration.

On June 22nd 2013, Pakistan planted a record 847,000 mangroves plants. Prior to this Pakistan had planted 545,000 mangroves at Keti Bandar in 2009, which was followed up by India’s successful attempt at breaking the international record for most mangroves planted in 2010. In Pakistan, mangroves plantation was significantly damaged in the 2010 floods with 30% of the mangroves being subjected to extensive damage, whereas the rest 70% survived. This was the damage that was caused by nature and was duly addressed/recovered as part of nature’s autonomous system which saw progressive growth of the remaining 70% of mangroves’ plantation. But what can one do about the damage caused by a handful of people via ‘china-cutting’ and ‘plotting’.

Mangroves are essentially an invaluable gift of nature that protects the coastline from sea waves along with tackling the threats posed to the environment by floods. But how are we treating our ‘protectors’? To wrap one's hand around this, one has to know about ‘Bundle Island’ along Karachi’s coastline.

Located at a distance of few kilometers from Karachi, Bundle island is an uninhabited piece of land that incorporates a hefty plantation of mangrove forest. Nature has provisioned innumerable resources for the welfare of humanity and which protects human settlements. Experts say that these mangrove forests play a significant role in protecting Karachi from various sea-borne threats such as typhoons, cyclones, hurricanes, tsunami etc.; and now even this island has fallen prey to ‘commercialization’ as a real-estate project has been announced which will be developed on Bundle island. Authorities have failed to identify future environmental, climate threats and that such steps will have drastic adverse effects for the citizens of Karachi. Certainly, the establishment of a modern ‘city’ on the island will effectively neutralize Karachi’s natural defence against environmental threats. Such developmental projects can and will destroy Karachi – a glimpse of which we have seen in the recent torrential rains.

Coastal forests are often found in areas around river deltas – the area where a river enters an ocean, sea. According to a report, in Pakistan, such forests are found along the Indus River Delta in Sindh and span across 225,000 acres. Balochistan once hosted a significant plantation of such forests which now have been reduced to 4,000 acres and are found in Jiwani, Khor Kalmat and Somiani. In recent years, mangroves’ replantation drives in Pishukan, Gwadar, Pasni and Hingol National Park has resulted in the establishment of artificial forests. To term these forests as ‘protectors’ of coastline won’t be far from the truth. Furthermore, these forests act as a nursery for several species of fishes and prawns as their hatchlings feed and find it as a primary nutritional source. Areas with fewer mangroves’ plantation result in a significant reduction in fishing as well.

Hawke’s Bay has also fallen prey to illegal deforestation of mangroves for construction and development purposes; Mangroves are also being cut down along Sandspit-Manora road. Such illegal construction work aka ‘china-cutting’ will bring about disastrous consequences for Karachiites in coming years. After having extensive adverse effects on the city’s urban areas, China-cutting has now plagued Karachi’s coastal areas as well. Institutions responsible to address this issue have failed to stand up against the mafia responsible for and have simply resorted to terming such entities as ‘unknown’ persons to deflect blame and due responsibility.

In 1977, Pakistan had forests that spanned across 250,000 acres which have now been reduced to 225,000 acres. Several reason are to be credited for this, of which illegal logging is a notable one. As per certain estimates, the local population utilizes around five million tonnes of wood for fuel and livestock’s feed purposes obtained via deforestation and logging. The situation is further exacerbated by the dumping of industrial waste and sewage into the sea which has had disastrous repercussions for coastal forests and marine life alike.

Pertaining to the innumerable benefits of mangroves and coastal forests further signify the need for the preservation and conservation of these plantations. Destruction of this habitat will also have a negative impact on the fishing industry (which raises US$ 100 million of foreign exchange per year), whereas the resulting coastal erosion and land subsidence will further expose the metropolis to sea-borne natural threats. To address this issue, public awareness regarding mangroves and coastal plantations/forests must be prioritized. Ignorance and lack of knowledge of policymakers have resulted in freshwater from the Indus River being ‘wasted’ by falling into the sea, whereas dams and barrages have also deprived these coastal forests of much needed freshwater supply.

The local population also needs to be educated and included in the policymaking process as they’re directly associated with mangroves and other coastal forestation.

We have limited time to duly address the threat posed by climate change. It is imperative that we must streamline our way of life in accordance with the nature, instead of directly confronting it as the latter will only have devastating repercussions, the likes of which we have already witnessed so far.