By Faiza Tehseen Islamabad, Dec 07 (INP-WealthPK): Mangrove forests around the world are natural breeding grounds for the aquatic life and migratory birds and act as a natural barrier against the sea intrusion. The aquatic life, particularly fish, shrimps, lobsters and crabs, are a huge source of foreign exchange earning. Given their huge importance, almost all mangrove-rich countries have set aside large sums of money for their restoration and bringing more coastal areas under plantation. Pakistan is one such country whose mangrove forests – spreading over 600,000 hectares – are the seventh biggest in the region and 12 largest in the world. The evergreen mangroves of Sindh delta are particularly famous worldwide, hosting thousands of migratory birds, e.g., flamingos, pelicans, cranes, cormorants. Unfortunately, during the last three decades Pakistan’s coastline stretching 1,000 kilometres has been undergoing environmental degradation due to the increasing marine pollution. It’s due to the environmental degradation that the number of mangrove forests has now decreased to just four from eight. The country is now left with four mangrove species – Avicennia marina (about 90%), Rhizophora mucronata (about 08%), Aegiceras corniculatum (about 1.5%) and Ceriops Tagal (about 0.5%) etc. It is due to the environmental degradation that Pakistan is seriously exposed to the threat of losing app 250,000 tons of fish which is estimated to deprive it of app $100 million foreign exchange annually. The government is paying unreserved attention towards the afforestation and conservation of mangroves, and they are the focal point of its ambitious Ten Billion Trees Tsunami project. The afforestation and conservation of mangrove forests are now part of the millennium development goals (MDG) for sustainable economic growth and alleviating poverty in the coastal areas. Pakistan Navy, a major stakeholder concerning the sea waters, has taken a major initiative for planting mangroves in the coastal areas of Balochistan and Sindh to achieve the goal of developing a “green coastal belt”. During the mangrove plantation campaign 2021, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral M Amjad Khan Niazi highlighted the challenges of sustainability and existence the mangroves forests in Pakistan were facing. The Pakistan Navy’s efforts toward the mangroves preservation and plantation have resulted in sustainable livelihood and food security and decreased land erosion. Mangrove plantation campaign 2021 is a part of Pakistan Navy’s environmental protection program under which 700 mangroves have been planted from Shah Bandar in the Sindh province to Jiwani in Balochistan in collaboration with different organizations like the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), World Wild Life Fund, Sindh and Balochistan Forest Departments and Engro Elengy Terminal Private Limited (EETPL) etc. The Sindh Forest Department and Port Qasim authority have declared the mangroves falling in their managing territories as “Protected forests”, while the Board of Revenue-controlled mangrove area has been named as the “Government wastelands”. While taking stringent steps towards conservation and afforestation of its mangrove forests, the Government of Pakistan can follow the strategies adopted by China for restoring its mangrove swamps or marine forests. China has become one of the countries which are successfully protecting and restoring their mangroves. Owing to the well-devised strategies and techniques, the mangrove wetlands are increasing in China. China boasts 52 natural protection areas of mangroves and during the last 20 years, this country has witnessed a net increase of app 7,000 hectares. China celebrated World Oceans Day on June 8 last year under the theme “Protect the mangroves, protect the ocean”. For restoration, plantation and strategic management of mangroves, the Wetland Management Department of the National Forestry and Grass Land Administration (NFGA), The Paulson Institute, Lao Niu Foundation and Shenzhen Mangrove Wetland Conservation Foundation are always there with their united efforts. http://www.mangrovealliance.org Same in the way, the local governments in China’s coastal regions have implemented “the blue bay initiative” under the supervision of Ministry of Natural Resources. The number of mangrove swamps has increased by more than 50. Though Pakistan has been doing well, still there is a lot of room to work for conserving its mangroves which are the natural marine treasure chest. China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) offers Pakistan an opportunity and a gateway to conserve its mangroves and improve the marine environment, especially in Gwadar, by benefitting from the Chinese strategies and techniques.