Reforestation

About this Project

Pakistan Mangrove Reforestation: Why mangroves? Mangrove forests are versatile and important in promoting sustainable development and protecting coastal ecosystems and the communities that depend on them. They are incredibly effective at storing carbon, sequestering up to 4x as much carbon as other types of forests, whilst also providing habitats for a wide range of species. Mangrove ecosystems also act as a natural barrier against storm surges, hurricanes, and other natural disasters, protecting coastlines from erosion and minimizing the damage caused by waves and strong winds. What is the issue? Mangrove forests globally are facing a range of threats, including deforestation, degradation, and conversion to other land uses such as agriculture and aquaculture. Human activities such as urban development, logging, and shrimp farming have also contributed to the destruction of mangrove habitats. In Pakistan, 34% of mangrove forests were lost between 1990 and 2010, leading to floods, land erosion, and significantly less sequestering of carbon from the atmosphere. 

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The mangrove reforestation project is located across the Indus Delta within Sindh, Pakistan's third-largest province. This large-scale mangrove program is restoring around 226,000 hectares of degraded delta banks with remnant mangrove forest, protected and monitored over a 60-year lifespan. This project has already been operational for six years and has restored more than 86,000 hectares of degraded mangrove forests and tidal wetlands, to which these carbon credits have now been issued in 2022. But this project also does more than mangrove reforestation – it also helps improve the life and health of tens of thousands of locals. The region, which looks out to the Arabian Sea, is also home to a high biodiversity of benthic invertebrates.It sustains productive fisheries, serves as an important feeding ground for migratory shorebirds and supports the socioeconomic livelihoods of coastal villagers who collect shellfish and crabs. These intertidal wetlands also provide fertile ground for sequestering and storing vast amounts of atmospheric carbon. The protection, restoration and sustainable management of this natural resource is being led by Indus Delta Capital in partnership with the Government of Sindh.