Produced with the financial support of Norad, Sida and Danida.

The designation of geographical entities in this book, and the presentation of thematerial, do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part ofIUCN concerning the legal status of any country, territory, or area, or of itsauthorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

Published by:MFF Pakistan and Climate Change Division, Government of Pakistan

Copyright:© 2014 MFF, Mangroves for the Future, Pakistan.

Citation is encouraged. Reproduction and/or translation of this publication foreducational or other non-commercial purposes is authorised without prior writtenpermission from MFF Pakistan, provided the source is fully acknowledged.Reproduction of this publication for resale or other commercial purposes isprohibited without prior written permission from MFF Pakistan.

Citation:MFF Pakistan (2014). Pakistan National Strategy and Action Plan. MFF Pakistan,Pakistan. 56 pp.

Compilation:Farhan Anwar

Editor:Mahvash Haider Ali

Technical Editor:Ghulam Qadir Shah, National Coordinator, MFF PakistanAbdul Munaf Qaimkhani, DIG Forest, Climate Change Division, Govt. of Pakistan

ISBN:978-969-8141-96-7

Design:Azhar Saeed, IUCN Pakistan

Printed by:Rosette Printers (Pvt) Limited

Available from:IUCN PakistanCountry Office1 Bath Island, Road,Karachi 75530, Pakistan.Tel: +92 (21) 35861540/41/42Fax: +92 (21) 35861448www.mangrovesforthefuture.org

Abbreviations and Acronyms 2

Foreword 3

Executive Summary 5

1 Introduction 81.1 The Pakistan Context – Relevance of MFF and

an ICM Vision for Pakistan 91.2 National Strategy and Action Plan –

Defining a Strategic Framework 101.3 Aichi Biodiversity Target –

The Overarching Framework for Biodiversity 111.4 Hyogo Framework for Action –

Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience 111.5 Strategies to Respond to the Impacts of Climate Change –

Mitigation and Adaptation 11

2 State of the Coast 132.1 Physical and Natural Environment 132.2 Socio-economic 17

3 Challenges in Sustainable Coastal Management 193.1 Threats 193.2 Constraints 22

4 Integrated Coastal Management - A Vision for Reform 244.1 What does an ICM Approach Offer? 254.2 How does ICM Work? 25

5 National Strategy and Action Plan (NSAP) 275.1 National Coordinating Body (NCB) –

Towards a more ‘Pro-Active’ NCB 275.2 Extending MFF Outreach – Forming Strategic Partnerships 305.3 Strategic ‘Contextualisation’ of MFF Initiatives 325.4 Gender 37

Pakistan NSAP Strategy & Action Plan Matrix 39

Annex-I: Composition of National Coordinating Body of MFF Pakistan 54

Table of Contents

1

BDA Balochistan Development Authority

COP Conference of Parties

CSO Civil Society Organisation

EEZ Exclusive Economic Zone

FAO Food and Agriculture Organisation of United Nations

GDA Gwadar Development Authority

GDM Green Development Mechanism

GHG Greenhouse Gas

HFA Hyogo Framework of Action

HITE Hub Industrial Trading Estate

ICM Integrated Coastal Management

IPCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

IUCN International Union for Conservation of Nature

LAPA Local Adaptation Plans of Action

LITE Lasbella Industrial Trading Estate

KCCI Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry

MAF Million Acre Feet

MFF Mangroves for the Future

MSA Marine Security Agency

NCB National Coordinating Body of MFF Programme

NDMA National Disaster Management Authority

NSAP National Strategy and Action Plan

PDMA Provincial Disaster Management Authority

PoW Programmes of Work

PPAF Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund

RSC Regional Steering Committee

SITE Sindh Industrial Trading Estate

TCCR Trust for Conservation of Coastal Resources

UNEP United Nations Environment Programme

UNDP United Nations Development Programme

WWF Worldwide Fund for Nature

Abbreviations and Acronyms

2

3

Coastal and marine ecosystems are among the world’s most productive,economically valuable and biodiversity rich regions. Pakistan’s coastal areaslie on the fringes of the tropical zone, spread over 990 kilometres that featuremarvelous geophysical and ecological landscapes. The Indus Deltamangroves are one of the world’s largest arid mangrove wetlands that lie onthe route of an important part of the ‘Indus Flyway’ or ‘Green Route’ ofmigratory birds between Europe and Asia. The Sandspit Beach near Karachiis one of the globally recognised important turtle nesting sites. The mudvolcanoes along the coast at Hingol National Park are magnificent geologicalfeatures along the Balochistan coastline. The continental shelf along the coastsupports a diversity of fishes, cetaceans, corals and vegetation, as well asfeaturing bustling ports and harbours that support the economy of thecountry.

The coastal areas of Pakistan face a multitude of environmental challengesresulting from man-made and natural factors. The natural habitats andmangrove wetlands are subject to degradation and decline mainly from over-exploitation, pollution and unsustainable practices. Climate change impacts inthe form of extreme events, sea-level rise and coastal erosion are emergingareas of concern facing the coastal areas. Since 2010 the impacts of climatechange appear to have become a regular feature, as evidenced by thechanging rainfall magnitude, timing and pattern. The Global Climate RiskIndex 2013 prepared by German Watch has included Pakistan among the topten countries facing the risk of long-term impacts of climate change.

Many of these challenges could be effectively dealt with through strategicplanning, effective coordination and improved communication between therelevant stakeholders working along the coast, and by networking at theregional level to promote learning and adoption of best managementpractices. At the same time, there is a need to create supportive institutionaland policy frameworks and enhance awareness and capacities of coastalinstitutions, private sector and local communities in sustainable managementof the coastal resources.

Coastal natural resources are an integral part of disaster risk managementstrategies. Therefore, recognising that many coastal communities are criticallydependent on well-functioning ecosystems and their services, there is a needto build the resilience of coastal ecosystems and communities by adopting astrategic approach that helps in better understanding of socio-ecologicalsystems and defines targeted actions to address critical issues andchallenges facing them.

It is encouraging that the Mangroves for the Future Programme (MFF) ispromoting a strategic resilience approach by strengthening local capacities

Foreword

4

and supporting actions that promote sustainable management of coastalecosystems in the ten countries of the Asian Region.

The Climate Change Division feels privileged to chair the NationalCoordinating Body of Pakistan (NCB) on behalf of the Government ofPakistan, which provides overall guidance and technical oversight to MFF inPakistan. The diversified representative composition of the NCB plays aneffective role towards achieving a holistic approach in coastal zonemanagement in Pakistan. Steps by the NCB to make its role more dynamic tomeet the emerging challenges shall definitely go a long way towards enablingit to fulfil its objectives.

This National Strategy and Action Plan (NSAP) of Pakistan provides a goodframework to promote integrated coastal management and is, in fact, acritical document that links local actions with global thinking. This documentprovides guidance to both proposal developers and those who evaluate theproposals for funding by MFF. In fact, it is the key national document oncoastal areas. This document suggests strategies and actions that supportthe implementation of the National Climate Change Policy 2012, approved bythe Government of Pakistan, and direct the way forward towards meetingPakistan’s obligations under various international environmental conventions.

I am hopeful that the members of NCB Pakistan and other coastalstakeholders will use this document extensively in their efforts to translatestrategies suggested in the NSAP into actions on the ground and also whileformulating their own sectoral policies and plans.

I also hope that the proponents of MFF grants will make effective use of thisdocument and will formulate their project proposals in line with actionssuggested in this NSAP.

Finally, I commend the efforts of IUCN Pakistan, members of NationalCoordinating Body of MFF Programme, Deputy Inspector General of Forests-II of the Climate Change Division and the MFF Pakistan National Coordinatorfor providing their valuable input and support in the preparation of thisdocument.

Dated:1st of April 2014

Syed Mahmood NasirMember Secretary NCB PakistanInspector General ForestClimate Change DivisionGovernment of Pakistan, Islamabad

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Mangroves for the Future (MFF) is a programme that aims at promotingsustainable coastal development through participatory and inclusive decisionmaking for facilitating strategic investments in coastal ecosystems. For acountry like Pakistan, inclusion in MFF opens up a number of excitingopportunities for both positively participating in ‘region wide’ initiatives and inprioritising actions to effectively mobilise critical national stakeholders andresources for visioning, implementing and sustaining a viable national coastalmanagement regime. There is now a growing recognition in Pakistan thatsustainable coastal management can only be realised through the adoption ofan ‘Integrated Coastal Management (ICM)’ process. Within this context, MFFserves as an extremely viable ‘institutional and programmatic’ opportunity for‘incubating’ well-coordinated efforts and for facilitating progress towardsestablishing a ‘National ICM regime’ for Pakistan. This is because its‘approach’ and ‘implementation mechanism’ address key ‘gaps’ and‘constraints’ hindering the desirable progress. The Programmes of Work(PoWs) contextualising the MFF can suitably assist in establishing ‘priorityareas of action’ and in setting ‘appropriate landmarks’ in the ‘ICM Roadmap’.A hitherto ‘unexplored potential’ of the National Coordination Body (NCB) hasspecifically been assessed in the present National Strategy and Action Plan(NSAP) for ‘steering’ the ‘process’ not just in terms of managing ‘grantprojects’ implementation but also for acting as a ‘forum’ for facilitatingdialogue, discussion and consensus-building among the key stakeholders oncritical challenges in policy and institutional reform related to coastal resourcesmanagement. In addition, the NSAP may also contribute to national progresstowards the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, agreed upon at the Convention ofParties (COP) 11 in Hyderabad, India (2011), to protect and utilise biodiversityresources in Pakistan. In a similar vein, the NSAP provides a suitable strategicframework for aligning action to the Hyogo Framework for Action to counterdisaster risks and build resilience, as well as strategies and measures forclimate change adaptation (such as Local Adaptation Plans of Action).

An assessment of the status of Pakistan’s coastal ecosystem and thechallenges associated with its sustainability has clearly indicated that the keyissues are lack of holistic visioning, inadequate coordination and disintegratedplanning. The lack of a consolidated and updated ‘Data Bank’ of the physical,climatic, hydrologic and ecological features of the Pakistan coast is a criticalgap in the ICM process. The approach of treating the coastal zone in isolationfrom the terrestrial activities having an impact on the coast has not been ableto address the degradation of coastal ecosystems and livelihoods. A changein approach and strategy from ‘Coastal Zone Management’ to ‘IntegratedCoastal Management’ is required. The NSAP aims to outline a ‘strategicframework’ and a ‘construct’ for a role of MFF in contributing to the ‘process’by mobilising institutional and financial resources within some universally

Executive Summary

6

accepted defining markers of an ICM ‘roadmap’.A ‘cross-referential’ and ‘relational construct’ hasbeen established between an ‘ICM Action Plan’and the ‘MFF PoWs’ that has then been placedwithin the confines of the ‘NCB Mandate’.

The starting point for an ICM plan is thestructuring of a ‘framework’ that can facilitatemulti-sectoral and inter-agency coordination byengaging the relevant stakeholders. The MFFNCB is well placed to give a headstart in fulfillingthis fundamental ICM requirement as it providesboth a ‘forum’ and the ‘associated mandate’ toassist in addressing this critical gap. It hastherefore been recommended that the MFF NCBcharts for itself a ‘proactive’ role where alongside‘steering’ MFF specific initiatives (small andmedium grants projects), it uses the NCBplatform to build consensus and formulatepolicies and strategies for ‘integrated coastalmanagement’. The NCB can specifically utilisethe PoW listed in the thematic areas – ‘applyknowledge’, ‘empower civil society’ and ‘enhancegovernance’ to build a ‘consensus’ and alignthese to meeting international obligations suchas, those under the Aichi Biodiversity Targets andto facilitate suitable ‘follow-up actions’ forformulating the structural framework andimplementation process of a ‘National ICMregime’. This can be done both through workingwithin the NCB membership and also by seekingan ‘outreach’ for collaborating with relevantstakeholders outside the ambit of the NCB. Someactions could be of a ‘direct nature’ such asbrainstorming for conceptualising legislative andinstitutional ‘blueprints’ while other actions couldbe of a ‘supportive’ and ‘indirect’ nature such asfacilitating a process of ‘knowledge management’so that the ICM can rely on appropriate scientificknowledge and information for instituting actionsand also through promoting measures for‘capacity building’ of all relevant stakeholders.

It has been recommended that the process of MFFfacilitation in establishing an ‘ICM regime’ be‘phased’ and spread out in ‘stages’ of involvementfor greater clarity and impact. Three phases - theconsensus building and charting of the ICMregime, its implementation and ultimately

monitoring, evaluation and continuous feedbackare being identified, whereas the areas of ‘MFFNCB/ICM’ interface have also been detailed. TheMFF programme and the forum of the NCB hasalso been recommended to specifically explorepossible ‘synergies’ and foster ‘strategicpartnerships’ that can serve as ‘force-multipliers’ insuitably extending outreach both in terms of ‘scale’and the corresponding ‘impacts’. In this regard, afew critical ‘partnership’ possibilities with theacademia, private sector and media are discussed.

When considering a topic as vast and multi-faceted as ‘ICM’, there are a number of important‘cross cutting’ sectors and thematic areas thatplay an important role in offering both challenges

Box 1: The Programme-Mangroves for Future

l A partnership-based initiative promotinginvestment in coastal ecosystems that supportsustainable development.

l Provides a collaborative platform for the manycountries, sectors and agencies tackling thechallenges to coastal ecosystem conservationand livelihood sustainability, and assists them towork towards a common goal promoting anintegrated, ocean-wide approach to coastalarea management.

l Seeks to achieve demonstrable results throughregional cooperation, national programmesupport, private sector engagement andcommunity action.

l Facilitates concerted actions and projects togenerate and share knowledge more effectively,empower institutions and communities, andenhance the governance of coastal ecosystems.

The Objective - Facilitating theEstablishment of a National ICM Regime

l Multi-sectoral and interagency coordination.l Engagement of multi-stakeholders and partners. l Promotion of environmental investment.l Developing local capacity in integrated planning

and management.l Applying sea-use zoning and area-based

management.l Linking upstream and downstream concerns.l Building public and private partnerships.

7

and opportunities that require to be factored inthe planning and strategy development process.Two such strategic ‘contexts’ are discussed forconsideration and action by the MFF/NCB,namely climate change and gender. In addition, ithas been suggested that MFF NCB’s workdovetails and integrates with the ‘NationalClimate Change Adaptation Plan’ following thenotification of the ‘National Climate ChangePolicy’ and the establishment of the ‘FederalClimate Change Division’. The link betweenclimate change and coastal adaptation hasalready been highlighted in the National ClimateChange Policy.

The MFF Mid Term Review process has helped inidentifying some critical gaps and recommendingimportant strategic adjustments at policy andimplementation levels. Some specificrecommendations of the MFF Mid Term Review,that find particular reference to the role of NCBtowards mobilising the implementation of thePakistan NSAP objectives, have been identifiedand discussed. In the end, two (2) detailed‘Matrices’ have been developed. Matrix 1 listsstrategic actions linked to the fifteen (15) MFFPOWs, focal institutions for their implementationand the anticipated outcomes. Matrix 2 providesa ‘strategic interface’ between the AichiBiodiversity Targets and the MFF Pakistan NSAP.

8

Mangroves for the Future (MFF) is a unique, multi-faceted and timely initiativethat aims at promoting sustainable coastal development through participatoryand inclusive decision making for facilitating ‘strategic investments’ in coastalecosystems. ‘Investments’ in human resources and for supporting sustainableconservation and development measures are felt to be critically important forsecuring dependent livelihoods and safeguarding the integrity of sensitivecoastal habitats. The structuring and launch of the programme was primarily‘triggered’ by the devastating impacts of the 2004 tsunami and the preliminaryfocus was on the worst affected countries – India, Indonesia, Maldives,Seychelles, Sri Lanka and Thailand. However, the conceptual design wassuch that it allowed for incubating a wide range of actions within a larger‘integrated – reef to ridge’ approach - and for accommodating countries andinitiatives in addition to those initially prioritised. Already, MFF has expandedto include Pakistan and Vietnam within the larger scope of not just developingnational capacities to effectively manage coastal ecosystems but to promotean ‘integrated’ approach to coastal area management.

This visionary approach is reflected in the fact that while the MFF programmeadopted ‘mangroves’ as its ‘flagship ecosystem’ - in recognition of theimportant role that mangrove forests played in reducing the impact of the2004 ‘Indian Ocean tsunami’ - it also embraced other vital coastalecosystems such as coral reefs, estuaries, lagoons, wetlands and beacheswithin the mandated scope of work. For a country like Pakistan, inclusion inMFF opens up a number of exciting opportunities for positively contributing toand participating in ‘region wide’ initiatives. The scope of mobilisation can, atthe same time, include prioritising actions to effectively mobilise criticalnational stakeholders and resources for visioning, implementing andsustaining a viable national coastal management regime. In the largerperspective, there is now a growing recognition that such a vision can only berealised through the adoption of an ‘Integrated Coastal Management (ICM)’process in Pakistan. While Pakistan may have lagged behind other regionalcountries in moving in the direction of an ICM plan, it is now becomingincreasingly evident that an ICM approach offers the best strategy forprotecting the coastal ecology in parallel with tapping the vast potential ourcoastal zone and resources possess for contributing to the financial growth ofthe country. This realisation now demands that all future ‘actions’ directedtowards achieving sustainable coastal development have to be contextualisedwithin the overarching framework of an ICM Plan.

1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 The Pakistan Context - Relevanceof MFF and an ICM Vision for Pakistan

If the critical fault lines that run through the‘coastal management’ scenario in Pakistan are tobe mapped and are found to be seriouslyendangering the future sustainability of coastalresources, then at a broader level, they can becategorised as follows:

l Inadequacies in research and documentationthat accurately profile the ‘state of the coastalecosystems’.

l Wide distribution of ‘jurisdictions’ and‘management roles’ of coastal land amongagencies and institutions spread across alltiers of governance (federal, provincial andlocal) with no effective ‘institutional andlegislative space’ for coordination anddecision making.

l Absence of ICM approaches, resulting in adisconnect between ‘coastal’ and ‘in land’,‘up-stream’ and ‘down-stream’ stakeholders;non-integrated and ill-coordinated efforts forcoastal sustainability; and, an incapacity toattract new stakeholders (example the privatesector) for creating viable ‘partnerships’ forpromoting appropriate ‘investments’.

l Lack of a vision for ICM in Pakistan andwhere it should lead (e.g. sustainabledevelopment, sustenance of livelihoods,climate resilience, etc.).

l Weaknesses in legislations for ‘protection’ ofcoastal resources and failure in enforcementof existing legislative instruments resulting inuncontrolled exploitation of land andresources.

l Coastal resources being a low priority forpolicy makers and planners.

l Inadequate measures for ‘capacity building’and ‘empowerment’ of coastal communitiesto act as ‘stewards’ for protection of coastalresources.

The defining characteristics of an ICM planexhibit the appropriate approaches andmechanisms to effectively address these critical‘fault lines’. Within this context, MFF can serve asan extremely viable ‘institutional andprogrammatic’ space for ‘incubating’ well-coordinated efforts for facilitating progresstowards establishing a ‘National ICM regime’ forPakistan. It is quite evident that the ‘approach’and ‘implementation mechanism’ of MFF addresskey ‘gaps’ and ‘constraints’ hindering desirableprogress which can best be achieved within thecontext of an ICM plan.

MFF follows an ‘approach’ that is defined by aplan of action supported by 15 Programmes ofWork (PoWs), grouped under the three ‘pillars’ -‘apply knowledge’, ‘empower civil society’ and‘enhance governance’. Cross cutting themessuch as ‘climate change’, ‘disaster risk reduction’and ‘gender equality’, among other issues, arethen inter-woven within the PoW approach forachieving strengthened community resilience andpromoting participatory and informed decisionmaking.

The PoWs well articulate the many commonlyfaced challenges within the member countries.While individual member states may be placed atvarying ‘stages’ towards achieving the fullpotential of an ICM approach, the areas of focusindicated by the PoWs remain relevant for all. ForPakistan, the ‘journey’ is yet to commence – areality that offers both opportunities andchallenges. There is the ‘opportunity’ of learningfrom the experiences of regional countries thathave already advanced on the path of an ICMplan and avoid possible pitfalls. On the otherhand, the fundamental ‘challenge’ is of makingup for valuable time that has already been lostand is reflected in the continuously degradingstate of our coastal resources. This is whereMFF’s PoW-defined ‘course of action’ findscritical relevance, providing a workable ‘agendaand mandate’ and an all-embracing ‘framework’for action. Pakistan can and needs to use all thethree ‘pillars’ of the PoW as the essential ‘guidingmarkers’ in its efforts to make progress in thedesired direction.

9

10

The ‘implementation’ of MFF’s action plan andoverall progress towards its goals is monitored bythe ‘Regional Steering Committee (RSC)’ – co-chaired by the International Union forConservation of Nature (IUCN), and the UnitedNations Development Programme (UNDP) withrepresentatives from MFF’s member countrygovernments and institutional partners. The in-country activities are coordinated by the ‘NationalCoordinating Body (NCB)’ constituted in each ofthe member countries (Annex-I).

The ‘implementation mechanism’ of the MFFprovides a unique opportunity for Pakistan toassemble all the relevant stakeholders, from thegovernment, private sector, and civil society, onone ‘forum’ – the NCB - to discuss, debate andstrategise ‘action’ through ‘consensus’ and‘coordinated’ efforts. Absence of such a‘centralised’ and ‘coordinated’ forum fordiscussion and decision making has been asignificant roadblock in the way of catalysingcollective action of key stakeholders. A sustained‘dialogue’ in the NCB can lead to facilitatingprogress towards developing the requiredpolicies, institutional spaces, plans andimplementation mechanisms that can enableappropriate actions.

1.2 National Strategy and Action Plan -Defining a Strategic Framework

For defining a ‘strategic framework’ for theNational Strategy and Action Plan (NSAP) forPakistan, two separate contexts are beingoutlined that would be ‘integrated’ to evolve‘strategic directions’ and ‘action plans’ forcontributing towards attaining the objectives ofsustainable coastal management at the ‘national’and ‘regional’ level.

For instituting a viable ‘National ICM Regime’, itwould be important to first ‘identify’ the potentialpriority areas for action and the associatedbenefits that an ICM approach can deliver. Thebenefits could manifest in terms of protecting theintegrity of sensitive ecosystems and improvingthe livelihoods of coastal communities. The cycleof sustainability will get completed with thecoupling of tangible financial benefits that can beshared at the national level – in short, there is aneed to develop a ‘vision’ that then drives the‘process’. ‘End goal’ identification should also beassociated with the ‘constraints’ and‘opportunities’ that litter the path and have to benavigated and utilised respectively.

Figure 1 - MFF - A Forum for Building Consensus and Facilitating Action

11

The PoW contextualising the MFF can suitablyassist in establishing the ‘priority areas of action’and in setting the ‘appropriate landmarks’ in the‘ICM Roadmap’. A hitherto ‘unexplored potential’of the NCB has been assessed in the presentNSAP for ‘steering’ the ‘process’ not just in termsof managing ‘project implementation’ but also foracting as a ‘forum’ for continuing dialogue,discussion and consensus building among thekey stakeholders on critical challenges in policyformulation and institutional reforms related to thecoastal resources management.

1.3 Aichi Biodiversity Targets - TheOverarching Framework for Biodiversity

The various ‘strategies’ worked out to protectand utilise biodiversity resources at the COP 11in Hyderabad, India (2011) can offer a veryrelevant and appropriate framework for‘customising’ efforts for Pakistan. Within thiscontext, the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-20 suggests a holistic construct for action. TheStrategic Plan consists of 20 biodiversity targetsfor 2020, also termed the Aichi BiodiversityTargets (to which Pakistan is a signatory). ThePlan deals simultaneously with broader issues inpolicy and governance, participatory approaches,and mainstreaming of cross cutting issues likeclimate change, gender and knowledgemanagement. At the same time, it sets some veryspecific ‘landmarks’ for benchmarking progresssuch as establishing a conservation target of17% of terrestrial and inland water areas and10% of marine and coastal areas and restoring atleast 15% of degraded areas throughconservation and restoration activities. The 20Aichi Biodiversity Targets can also be aligned withthe MFF PoWs and their interface and mappingcan assist in structuring a suitable strategicframework for action (See Matrix 2).

1.4 Hyogo Framework for Action -Framework for Disaster RiskReduction and Resilience

The 10-year Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA)1came out of the World Conference held in Kobe,Hyogo, Japan in January 2005. It was developedand agreed on with the many partners needed toreduce disaster risk - governments, internationalagencies, disaster experts and many others -bringing them into a common system ofcoordination. It is the first plan to explain,describe and detail the work that is required fromall the different sectors and stakeholders toreduce disaster losses. The HFA outlines fivepriorities for action, and offers guiding principlesand practical means for achieving disasterresilience. Its goal is to substantially reducedisaster losses by 2015 by building the resilienceof nations and communities against disasters.This means reducing loss of lives and social,economic, and environmental assets whenhazards strike2. MFF PoWs are, therefore,consistent with HFA and the investment in thesePoWs will directly contribute to the attainment ofHFA goals.

1.5. Strategies to Respond to theImpacts of Climate Change -Mitigation and Adaptation

Societies can respond to climate change byreducing Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions andenhancing sinks and reservoirs – known asmitigation. The capacity to do so depends onsocio-economic and environmentalcircumstances and the availability of informationand technology. On the other hand, adaptationrefers to adjustments in ecological, social, oreconomic systems in response to actual orexpected climatic stimuli and their effects orimpacts. It refers to changes in processes,practices, and structures to moderate potentialdamages or to benefit from opportunitiesassociated with climate change.

1. http://www.unisdr.org/we/inform/publications/1037

2. http://www.preventionweb.net/posthfa/

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Many countries have developed climate changepolicies, action plans or strategies on a nationallevel. Pakistan, in September 2012, passed itsNational Climate Change Policy, which in factmentions coastal and marine ecosystems asparticularly vulnerable. A national climate changeaction plan has been developed. However, takinga decentralised and bottom-up approach, in themulti-tiered, inclusive and needs and vulnerabilitybased process of developing Local AdaptationPlans of Action (LAPA), the ownership rests with

the non-state actors. Key benefits expected fromalignment of the national plans and LAPAs areimproved integration between planned andautonomous adaptation, targeting of resources tothe most vulnerable, and bridging the gapsbetween vulnerability assessments and planningand implementation. The LAPA is intended to bepractical so that national and top-downassessments of climatic risks are integrated withbottom-up planning of adaptation needs, optionsand priorities.

13

This section profiles the physical environment, natural resources, communitiesand livelihoods in the coastal region in Pakistan that has a land area of about796,000 sq. km and a population of 180 million and is situated in the north-west part of the South Asian sub-continent.

2.1 Physical and Natural Environment3

Pakistan’s coastline is about 990 km long and the Exclusive Economic Zone(EEZ) covers an area of about 240,000 sq. km. The maritime zone of Pakistan,including the continental shelf, extends up to 350 nautical miles from thecoastline. The shelf of the coast is dominated by the Indus (a major river ofPakistan) canyon. The continental shelf varies in size distinctly along theSindh and the Balochistan provincial coasts. The seaward coastal zone up to12 Nautical Miles (NM) from the coastline is basically within the jurisdiction ofthe two provinces (Sindh and Balochistan). The coastal zone beyond the 12NM up to 24 NM is the contiguous zone and beyond the 12 NM up to 200 NMis under the jurisdiction of the federal government. However, the protectionand conservation of the coastal resources is the responsibility of the federalgovernment, which also has the authority for legislation and its enforcementwithin a 3 mile limit of the ports and within the 12 to 200 NM of the EEZ.

The two coasts exhibit varying climatic and physical characteristics and areinfluenced by the extreme most reaches of the ‘Indian Monsoon’ weather andthe ‘Mediterranean weather’. Coincidentally, this division almost falls on theSindh – Balochistan administrative border. The Sindh coast can further besub-divided into two parts, namely, the Indus Delta / Creek system and theKarachi (capital city of Sindh province) Mega City coast. Balochistan coastcan also be sub-divided into the Lasbella and the Gwadar (districts ofBalochistan province) coasts.

The Sindh coastal region, stretching over 220 kms, is located in the south-eastern part of the country between the Indian borderline along Sir Creek onthe east to Hub River along the Balochistan coast on the west. Approximately300,000 sq. km of the Indus water-shed, of which 50% is located outsidePakistan (India, China & Afghanistan), is drained by the Indus River. The IndusDelta (approx. 1000 sq. miles) is the most prominent ecological feature of theSindh coast (covering 85% of the coastal belt in Sindh), the coastalmorphology of which is characterised by a network of tidal creeks formed as

2 STATE OF THE COAST

3. Integrated Coastal Zone Management Plan for Pakistan, IUCN, Muhammad Tahir Qureshi, 2011.

14

a result of changes in river beds and a largenumber of small and large islands with scatteredmangrove vegetation. The Indus Delta has thelargest arid climate mangroves in the world. TheKarachi coast constitutes a coastal belt of about100 km length situated between the Indus Deltaon the south-east and the Hub River on the west.Most of the coast, with the exception of scatteredpatches of mangroves, is devoid of any otherkind of vegetation. Karachi city is the commercialand industrial hub of Pakistan along with being abusy port. The wildlife along the Pakistan coastconsists of both marine and terrestrial species.

The Balochistan coast extends from the mouthof the Hub River in the east to the middle ofGwater Bay (bordering Iran) in the west andstretches over a distance of about 770 km. Thereare a few indentations in the coastline, which canbe classified as follows (a) embayed coast; (b)tidal lagoons; (c) mouth of small coastal rivers.The Balochistan coast is hyper-arid to arid (sub)tropical and includes piedmont plains and low hillranges. The small and ephemeral rivers hardlyinfluence salinity and / or turbidity of the coastalwaters. Locally, small tidal mangrove forests,natural and artificial, are present on the mouth ofseasonal rivers. The extent and diversity ofturbidity in these bays is considerable. Thebiodiversity of Balochistan’s diverse coastalfeatures with its beaches, sand dunes, sea cliffs,rocky headlands, intertidal mudflats, deltas,estuaries, tidal lagoons, bays, islands and shelfareas remains undocumented. The Indus River ispart of a major flyway for birds between Siberiaand warmer lands to the south.

2.1.1 Geomorphology of the CoastlineThe Sindh passive coastline is characterised bymudflats, delta wetlands, estuary systems and awide and almost flat continental shelf. TheBalochistan coastline is characterised by fourtypes of land forms, namely, raised beaches,sand dunes, playas and pediments. The soilcover along the coast is generally in-situ or zonaland mainly composed of sand and silt.Geomorphology and geology of Sindh coast can

be studied in two parts, i.e. (1) the area betweenCape Monze and Korangi in the east (Karachicoast) characterised by wide surf zone, cliffbeaches, sea arch, sea notch and river silt; and(2) the area east and south-east of Korangitowards Rann of Kutch characterised by IndusDelta creek system, wet and marshy lands. Threerivers, namely Hub (perennial), Lyari and Malir(non-perennial) drain the area between CapeMonze and Korangi Creek. The prominentgeomorphologic features of Karachi coastcomprise shallow lagoons, sea cliffs, sea stacksand terraces - wave cut platforms, sea caves andnotches, which dot this part of the Sindh coast.The major physiographic features of the NorthernArabian Sea are the Indus Fan in the east andOman Basin in the west, both of which areseparated by the Murry Ridge. The Murry Ridgeextends south-west from the continental slopenear Karachi for a distance of over 750 km4.

2.1.2 ClimateThe climate of Pakistan is tropical and isdominated by the monsoon regime. The averagerainfall on the coast of Sindh amounts to about200 mm and that on the coast of Balochistan toabout 100 mm per year. The South-West (SW)monsoon season lasts from May to Septemberand the North-East (NE) lasts from November toMarch, with April and October being thetransition months. Wind speeds during SWmonsoons are about 25-30 knots and thoseduring NE are 5-10 knots. Atmospheric andoceanic circulation during the South-Westmonsoon is therefore more vigorous than duringthe North-East monsoon. The SW monsooncirculation appears to penetrate deeper affectingthe movements of water masses below thethermo cline whereas the drift during the NEmonsoon is rather shallow.

The tides are the mixed semidiurnal type with twohighs and two lows each day. The tidal range isabout 3.5 m with a slightly higher range on thecoast of Sindh. At low spring tides the mudflatsand rocky beaches become exposed to about 1.5km on an occasional spot, particularly on the

4. United Nations ESCAP in Co-operation with Environment and Urban Affairs Division, Government of Pakistan / National Institute of Oceanography,Government of Pakistan) - 1990 - Coastal Environmental Management Plan for Pakistan

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coast of Sindh. The surface temperature rangesbetween 23.8°C and 28.7°C for the Indus Delta,23.5°C and 29.1°C for off Karachi and 23.5°Cand 29.3°C off Balochistan coast.

Climate change is likely to increase the frequencyand intensity of cyclonic disturbances, yet nodefinite trend has been established in case ofcyclonic storms and severe cyclonic storms.Moreover, the short periods of fluctuation of 2-6years are predominant. The historical dataanalysis shows that both coasts are equallyvulnerable with June being the most vulnerablemonth for both coasts.

2.1.3 Land UseThe Indus deltaic coast is sparsely populatedwith small, predominantly fishing, communitiesliving along the creek system of the coast. Themost prominent ecological feature is themangrove forests along the Karachi coast.Karachi city, on the other hand, is a major hub ofactivity being the main commercial and industrialcentre of Pakistan having an estimatedpopulation of approximately 18 million. A navalfacility, a shipyard and several power plants aresituated along the Karachi coast. The Balochistancoast is sparsely populated with scattered fishingcommunities. Natural mangrove vegetation islimited. A deep seaport has been constructed inGwadar. A Pakistan Navy facility exists atOrmara. Fish harbours have been developed atPasni, Gwadar Dam and Jiwani. A coastalhighway links Karachi with all the coastal townsof Balochistan. The coastal area therefore, hasthe potential of witnessing greater commercialactivity and infra-structure development.

2.1.4 Biodiversity (Ecosystem, Habitats andSpecies Diversity)The coastal and marine areas of Pakistan are richin biodiversity. At least 12 species of marinedolphins and whales have been recorded in theSindh-Balochistan waters. The identified speciesinclude five dolphin species, one porpoise species,two species of the toothed whale and four speciesof the baleen whale. Three species of endangeredmarine turtles are reported from Pakistan’s coasts,which include the Green Turtles (Chelonia mydas),

Olive Ridley Turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) andLeather Back Turtles. The most important beachesthat are used as nesting grounds are Sandspit,Ormara (Tak), Astola Island and Jiwani. Theterrestrial species include partridges, jackal, fox,porcupine, butterflies, dragonflies, snakes, lizardsand chinkara. The main habitats for migratory birdsand other waterfowl are wetlands, estuaries andlagoons.

In 1980, the Lasbella Wildlife Sanctuary wascreated comprising an area of 1,687,579hectares. Later it was reduced in size to 165,024hectares and re-designated as Hingol NationalPark. In the late nineties, the estuarine area wasalso included in the National Park. It is one of thelargest national parks in Pakistan. It stretchesover three districts: Uthal, Awaran and Gwader.The wildlife of the park, which borders the coast,includes ibex, urial, leopard, gazelle and marshcrocodiles. The mangrove forests along theBalochistan coast cover an area of about 7304ha. The distribution of natural mangrove forests ismainly restricted to the site of Miani Hor andKalmat Hor (intertidal lagoons) and Gwater Bay.However, IUCN has introduced mangroves in theriver estuaries which include Phore River Estuary,Hingol River Estuary, Shadi Kor, Sawad River,Ankara, Shabi, and the first ever mangroveplantation on the sand dunes in Gawadar town atGDA-1 & GDA-2.

The vegetation along the Sindh coast isdominated by mangrove forests. The forest coversan area of approximately 100,000 ha, stretchingover a span of about 200 km from south ofKarachi to the India-Pakistan border. Eightspecies of mangroves have been reported, thoughonly four are surviving at present, of which A.marina is the most abundant (95%). The densemangrove forests are present on the fringes ofKorangi, Phitti, Khudi, Khahi, Patiani and Daboocreeks in the northern block and Khajhar, Pakharand Sir Creeks in the southern block. Thisecosystem provides a rich habitat for the wildlifeof terrestrial and marine origins. The mammals ofmangrove forests in the Indus Delta includejackals, wild boar, tropical dolphins, porpoisesand occasional visitors such as tooth whales.

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The economic importance of mangroves in Pakistan largely comes from the fishery resource thatthey harbour. An estimated 80% of the fish caught in coastal waters spend at least part of their lifecycle as fry in the mangrove creeks, or depend on the food web within the mangrove ecosystem.Shrimp fishery is the major fish export of mangroves, accounting for 68% of the $100 million of theforeign exchange the country earns from fisheries exports. The mangrove swamps of the Sindhcoastal zone are extensive, presently spread over approximately 100,000 hectares (ha) comparedwith 8058 ha along the Balochistan coast. The coastal zone also has large areas of bare mudflats.The system is intersected by large and small creeks that allow tidal water to move into and out ofthe area during the twice-daily ebb and flow of the tides. The mangrove swamps are made up ofspecies of trees that are adapted to survive in brackish water or seawater. The main species in thearea is the black mangrove, Avicennia marina, which has aerial roots growing up out of the mud.The swamps also have less common species of mangrove, which along the Sindh coast includesthe red mangrove, Rhizophora mucronata, Ceriops tagal and Aegiceras corniculatum. Severalspecies of marine seaweed also grow in mangrove swamps, often as algal mats on the surface ofthe mud.

The mangrove swamps, bare mudflats, and mangrove creeks support many animals along theSindh coast. These include a large number of invertebrates, such as mussels, oysters, and shrimp,as well as many species of fish in the creeks. The young stages of shrimp and fish live in thecreeks, and move offshore as they grow. Some species of birds also use the swamps as winteringgrounds during their long distance migrations. The mangrove trees are used for firewood andbuilding, while the mangrove green shoots and leaves are used as fodder for livestock by the localcommunities. The 100,000 people living along the northern edge of the Indus Delta use anestimated 18,000 tons of mangrove firewood each year. At certain times of the year, about 16,000camels are herded into the mangroves and left to browse for about 6 months. The creeks provide asource of shrimp and fish for the local village fisher folk working from small inshore boats. Beesthat live in the mangroves and above the high tide level inland provide honey, which is a valuablemarketed commodity.

Mangrove swamp ecosystems face a number of threats, as they are an exploitable natural resourcefor the rural communities along the Pakistan coast. Man-made and natural impacts have degradedthe mangroves. These include (i) construction of dams and barrages, (ii) freshwater diversion forirrigation, (iii) decrease in freshwater inflow and sediment load, and (iv) increase in salinity. Forexample, the estimated historic freshwater flow down the Indus is about 150 million acre feet(MAF) per year (180 billion cubic metres). However, over the past 70 years, water abstraction forirrigation has reduced the supply of freshwater in the Indus Delta. Other threats include domesticand industrial pollution, overgrazing, cutting of mangroves by rural communities, cyclones andstorms,and coastal erosion.

Sea level rise, as one impact of climate change, poses a major long-term environmental threat tothe Sindh coastline and its mangrove swamps. Over the past century, the rise has been 1.1millimetres per year. While the predicted sea level rise of 2.00 millimetres per year will supportmangrove growth, anything above this rate would cause a loss of mangroves. This would requirereplanting species with longer propagules, such as Rhizophora mucronata, and propagatingAvicennia marina on higher grounds, as is occurring along the Balochistan coastline.

Source: Sindh Coastal Community Development Project, December 2006

Box 2 Pakistan’s Mangrove Ecosystem

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Besides, 21 species of reptiles and 2 species ofamphibians have been recorded from KetiBundar5. Among these, three species of lizards,one species of poisonous snakes and two speciesof marine snakes have been reported. In addition,about 200 species of fishes have been reportedfrom the delta. The Indus Delta with its coastalwetlands attracts a number of migratory birds,particularly water fowl. In all, 56 species of birdsbelonging to 6 orders and 14 families are found inthe Sindh coastal waters. Some of these birds areresident and others are migratory in nature.Among the marine turtle species the Green andOlive Ridley turtles frequently visit the beaches ofthe Karachi coast for nesting purpose.

2.2 Socio-economic

Apart from the multi-faceted economic activitiestaking place in Karachi’s vicinity, most of theeconomics associated with the coastal regions ofPakistan centre around fishing / forestry andrelated businesses. Fisheries in Pakistan areconcentrated in shallow coastal waters, theestuarine system of Indus and associated creeksand to a lesser extent, in the deeper part of theocean. A major part of the fishing fleet ofPakistan confines its activity to coastal waters upto 20 – 25 miles from the coast due to lack ofadequate navigational aids and small sizedfishing crafts with practically no storage / catchpreservation facilities.

Traditionally, agriculture, forestry and fishingplayed almost equal roles in the socio-economicpatterns of the coastal communities. However, itis largely held that the decreasing availability offresh water (damming and diversion of Induswater upstream for agriculture) and themechanisation of the fishing industry has causedfishing to become the dominant economicpursuit; and forestry and agriculture, particularlyforestry, have decreased in importance. However,the forestry sector continues to play a role in thelife of the coastal communities. The role of theforests is primarily local in character. They only

meet the routine needs of the local communitiesfor fuel, construction material and fodder.Agricultural activities are still widely practiced inthe coastal parts of Thatta/Badin districts and inthe Hub, Sonmiani and Phore areas with themajor crops being cotton, banana, wheat, rice,pulses, vegetables, fodder and fruits.6

2.2.1 Fisheries and Aquaculture The economy of Pakistan is predominantly basedupon agriculture. This sector contributes about26% of the GDP and provides employment toabout 52% of the labour force of the country.Fisheries, which forms a part of the agriculturesector, contributes only 0.5% of the GDP ofPakistan and 1% of the labour force is employedin this sector. However, marine fishery is the maineconomic activity along the Balochistan coastand, in general, an important economic activity incoastal Pakistan. Despite low contribution offisheries in GDP and employment, exportearnings from this sector are substantial. Exportof fish and fishery products have yielded, on anaverage, a sum of Rs.8.8 billion per year. Theseexports are critically dependent uponenvironmental sustainability, and thatsustainability is threatened. Although a major partof the fishing fleet of Pakistan is mechanised, thevessels are ill-equipped and as such fisheries areconsidered as small scale. Fisheries activities inPakistan are concentrated in shallow coastalwaters, the estuarine system of Indus andassociated creeks and to a lesser extent, in thedeeper part of the ocean. Owing to lack ofnavigational aids and small size of the fishingboats, major part of the fishing fleet of Pakistanconfines its activity to coastal waters up to 25-30kms from the coast.

Shrimp trawling, which is the mainstay of thefisheries in Pakistan is mainly carried out inshallow waters up to an isobaths of 20-30metres. Shrimp trawling grounds are located inSindh and in backwaters of Sonmiani and KalmatBay, Ormara, Pasni, Gwadar and Jiwani. TheSindh coast facing the Indus deltaic creeks,

5. WWF Pakistan, Preliminary Environmental Baseline Study of the Indus for All Programme Site6. United Nations ESCAP in Co-operation with Environment and Urban Affairs Division, Government of Pakistan / National Institute of Oceanography,Government of Pakistan - 1990 - Coastal Environmental Management Plan for Pakistan

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especially at the mouth of the inlets (creeks),backwater Kalmat and Sonmiani bay and famousShamal Bunder in Balochistan are exceptionallyrich in shrimp stock. Shrimping activity alongSonmiani coast is carried out in shallow waternear Gadani, Phor and Sapat. Although, underBalochistan Sea Fisheries (Amendment) Act,1986, there is a ban on trawling in the territorialwaters of Balochistan, appreciable quantities ofshrimp are harvested (although illegally) fromBalochistan waters especially from Ormara toJiwani area. Species like mullets, silver whiteningand other small sized demersal fishes, especiallyjuveniles of large commercially importantestuarine fish, are harvested from shallow watersin the creek area of Indus and other small riversand also in enclosed and semi-enclosed baysthroughout the coastline.7

2.2.2 Industry About 70% of the total industry of Pakistan islocated in Karachi city. The major industrycomprises of textiles, chemicals,pharmaceuticals, electronic goods, food, oilrefineries, tanneries, iron and steel, and thermalpower generation, etc. The total number ofindustrial units in Karachi is estimated to beabout 6,000.8

Outside of Karachi, the main industrial activitiesare: the new port in Gwadar, through which interalia oil and gas will be shipped, creating a risk forwater pollution; the Hub industrial area andmarble city just west of Karachi; and the Gadanishipbreaking grounds, which has already majorlypolluted water, beach and surrounding areasbecause of improper handling.

Environmental pollution, especially brown pollution,is considerable in the Labella district, due to theoperation of 135 industrial units (Hub, Windar,Uthal, Gadani Ship Breaking, Marble City and othersources discussed in the respective sections).

2.2.3 Shipping / TradeKarachi Port and Port Muhammad Bin Qasim(both located in Karachi City) are the main portsof Pakistan and form the inlet and outlet points ofalmost all of the country’s imports and exports.The two main ports receive about 2000 shipsannually and handle cargo exceeding 20 milliontons per year.9

Gadani shipbreaking in Lasbella district wasstarted by, and is also currently managed by, theBalochistan Development Authority (BDA).

The port of Gwadar on the western most part ofBalochistan has been newly constructed between2002 and 2007 and is now operated by the ChinaOverseas Port Holding Company.

2.2.4 Tourism The coastal belt of Pakistan, with the exceptionof some basic recreational infrastructure / outletsalong the Karachi coast, is presently not servedwith tourism related infrastructure. However,tremendous potential exists. The Indus Deltaiccoast has numerous islands and harbours. Thenetwork of creeks and islands offers a soundpotential for developing holiday resorts featuringa variety of water sports and nature tourism.There are some additional features such as mudvolcanoes, turtle beaches and sites ofarchaeological / religious interest. For example, aHindu Temple at Hanglaj in the Hingol River valleysurrounded by mud volcanoes and a water pond(Aneel Kumb) is dedicated to a Hindu goddess.Similarly, the Astola Island is considered byHindus to be an abode of their goddess ‘KaliDevi’. Thousands of Hindu pilgrims from all overthe world visit these sites annually.10 Buzy Pass(natural carvings on mud mountains), Princess ofHope, Mud Volcano (Chundar Gup), SapatBundar, Kund Malir, and Ras Malan are somebeautiful spots for tourism development.

7. Integrated Coastal Zone Management Plan for Pakistan, IUCN, Muhammad Tahir Qureshi, 2011.8. United Nations ESCAP in Co-operation with Environment and Urban Affairs Division, Government of Pakistan / National Institute of

Oceanography, Government of Pakistan – 1990 – Coastal Environmental Management Plan for Pakistan.9. United Nations ESCAP in Co-operation with Environment and Urban Affairs Division, Government of Pakistan / National Institute of

Oceanography, Government of Pakistan –1990 – Coastal Environmental Management Plan for Pakistan10. Sindh Forest & Wildlife Department & The World Bank – June 14-16, 1999 – Proceedings of National Seminar on Mangrove Ecosystem Dynamics

of the Indus Delta.

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Following is a discussion on the major ‘threats’ and ‘constraints’ withreference to the requirement of sustainable coastal management in Pakistan.

3.1 Threats

The beaches and coastal waters of Pakistan are relatively free from man-made pollution, except in harbours, industrial areas, urban discharge pointsand water front development sites. High grade pollution has not developed,because the coastal belt is devoid of industry and large populationconcentrations, except in the Karachi vicinity. However, projects such asGwadar Deep Sea Port, Mirani Dam, construction of jetties/villages, coastalhighway, mining of coal in Thar (Sindh), copper / gold in Saindak(Balochistan), and other similar projects open up the chances of growth ofsignificant levels of human settlements along the coast. Provision of essentialservices and infrastructure, such as potable water and roads, could greatlyexpedite the development of large scale settlements. In places, there is acomplete loss of open spaces at the seafront. This eventuality, in the absenceof any coordinated and integrated coastal zone development / managementand monitoring plan, is considered as a threat to maintaining the pristineenvironment of the coast and critically impacting the natural, desirable andsustainable land use status of the coast.

3.1.1 Industrial / Urban Pollution As mentioned earlier, 70% of the total industry of Pakistan is located inKarachi city and in the Bin Qasim Industrial Area. Most of the industry islocated in the Sindh Industrial Trading Estate (S.I.T.E), Landhi IndustrialTrading Estate (L.I.T.E), Korangi Industrial Area, West Wharf Industrial Area ofSindh and Hub Industrial Trading Estate (H.I.T.E) of Balochistan. SindhIndustrial Trading Estate (S.I.T.E) covers an area of about 1600 hectares andhouses 2500 industrial units.11 The pollutants they discharge include heavymetals, organic matter (also including benzene and toluene), oils and greasesand other toxic chemicals. Waste is discharged, mostly untreated into theLyari River, which drains into the Arabian Sea in the Karachi Harbour area, viathe Manora Channel. The river has also been known to carry calcium, alum,sulphates, magnesium, sodium, potassium, arsenic, halides and bicarbonates.The S.I.T.E area is responsible for about half of the total industrial polluteddischarges of Karachi. Landhi Industrial Trading Estate (L.I.T.E) and theKorangi Industrial Trading Estate (K.I.T.E) discharge their effluents in the

3 CHALLENGES IN SUSTAINABLE COASTAL MANAGEMENT

11. United Nations ESCAP in Co-operation with Environment and Urban Affairs Division, Government ofPakistan / National Institute of Oceanography, Government of Pakistan – 1990 – Coastal EnvironmentalManagement Plan for Pakistan.

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mangrove populated mud flats of Korangi Creek.There are six power plants on the Karachi Coastand one power plant on the mouth of the HubEstuary. They utilise huge quantities of seawaterfor cooling, and discharge heated effluent in theadjacent environment. Another possible source ofthermal pollution is the Karachi Nuclear PowerPlant (KANUPP) located 18 km north-west ofKarachi. It is a 137 MW heavy water modulatedand cooled natural uranium horizontal tubereactor. About ¾ heat is released into the seathrough a long effluent channel12. There isabsence of any comprehensive data / analysislinking and evaluating the exact impact of theindustrial / urban discharges on the flora / faunaand other aspects of the ecosystems and coastalenvironment which receive these wastes /pollutants.

Along the Balochistan coast, the development ofthe Gadani beach for ship breaking resulted in theruining of a first class recreation and tourismfacility, and became a major source of marinepollution. Fishing activity in the coastal waters ofGadani has been eliminated due to the ship-breaking industry. The breaking, storage,transportation, disposal of wastes and otheroperations create impact but the most importantpart of the operation is the cleaning of the vesselsbefore breaking. This is supposed to be performedoutside Pakistan’s territorial waters, in anothercountry, before the vessels are berthed at Gadani.

The industrial estates in the nearby Hub areadischarge untreated wastes, which find their wayto the coast.13 Untreated effluents from theH.I.T.E (Hub Industrial and Trading Estate)industries and Marble City established in 2008-2009 near Hub are discharged into the Hub River;there are also issues of emissions and unsafedisposal of industrial solid waste. Theenvironmental concerns about marble processingunits in Marble City relate to air pollution anddischarge of liquid waste in the wet cuttingprocess14.

The environmental impacts of ongoing andproposed projects such as the Winder and HingolDam, Gwadar Deep Sea Port, Gadani shipbreaking facility, Hub Industrial area, etc. need tobe very carefully assessed and appropriate stepstaken to mitigate any adverse impacts to thecoastal land, communities and ecology.

3.1.2 Dumping of Solid Waste Due to the lack of adequate sanitation facilitiesinland, solid waste generated in the small coastaltowns and villages, along with a significantportion of the urban waste of Karachi (municipal/industrial) is dumped randomly along the coast,which is flushed into the coastal ecosystems athigh tide. Urban Karachi generates about8000–10000 tons/day of solid waste. Due toinadequate hauling /transfer / disposal (landfill)facilities, approximately 60% of the wasteremains uncollected, is either burnt, or depositeddirectly into storm drains or coastal rivers (Lyari /Malir) which ultimately transport this domestic /commercial / toxic industrial / hospital waste intothe coast. This is one of the major causes of thereduced aesthetic and recreational potential ofthe coast. Components of waste, such as plasticbags, are known to damage the mechanisedfishing crafts and harm marine life. This issue hasreceived little attention and significance inpollution debates related to the coast. However, itis a problem, which is growing in magnitude andcould pose an even more potent threat to ourecosystem if the coastal lands are developedwithout giving due consideration and priority toprovisions of effective management and disposalof solid waste inland.

3.1.3 Pollutant Discharges via TerrestrialStreams Along with freshwater, rivers also bring the run-off from agricultural fields. The agriculturalpollutants such as pesticides, herbicides, andfertilisers carried by the river have adverseimpacts on the coastal ecology. Contributions ofthe Indus are reduced due to intermittent lowdischarge. However, coastal rivers like Malir,

12. UNEP Regional Seas Reports and Studies No. 77 – 1986 – Environmental Problems of the Marine and Coastal Areas of Pakistan, National Report13. IUCN – 2000, Balochistan Conservation Strategy.14. Lasbella District Government (2011). Lasbella - Integrated District Development Vision. IUCN Pakistan, Quetta, Pakistan.

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Lyari and Hub transport heavy loads ofpollutants into the sea.

3.1.4 Over-exploitation of Natural Resources As has been discussed earlier, the communitiesresiding in the mangrove forested regimes, suchas inter tidal creeks, lagoons, and estuaries, doexploit the mangroves to fulfil their daily livingneeds, which may include use of mangroves asfuel woods, fodder and house constructionmaterial. Pressures are more intense in moredensely populated areas such as the KorangiCreek area of the Karachi coast.

Reckless over-exploitation of marine livingresources has led to depletion of many wildstocks that had traditionally supportedcommercial fisheries. The fishing grounds in thecoastal areas are under heavy fishing pressurefrom the mechanised boats and fixed nets in thedelta area and are among the major source ofdepletion of fish stocks. The trawlers and theharmful fine mesh nets (Bolo Gujo nets) fixed inthe creek areas catch large quantities of juvenilefish of larger species and small edible fishes aswell as endangered, associated or dependentspecies, without any consideration of target ornon-target species. Harmful fishing practices,coupled with weak governance, have led to thedepletion of some of the stocks and pose aserious threat to other stocks. Shrimp and lobsterhave already been over-fished; crabs, razor clamsand many other shellfish are at the verge ofcollapse.

3.1.5 Coastal Land-use Change Although a development plan for the Karachicoastline exists, development along the Karachicoast does not follow the requirements of anyplanning. Such a planning document wasprepared by the Karachi Development Authorityin 1987-88, but was never implemented.Unplanned growth and development along theKarachi coast includes both formal housing andrecreation oriented development and themushrooming of unauthorised fishing villages.Impact on the coastal ecology and hydrology hasnot been documented. However, the coastal

profile is highly disorganised in the absence ofproper land management. Land reclamationactivities are limited to the Karachi coast whereland has been reclaimed in the harbour area forport management related activities and also inthe urban cantonments along the coastal area forurban development / housing and commercial /recreational projects. Impact of these activitiescould be indicated in the severe erosion along thecoastline due to turbulent wave action.

3.1.6 Lack of Freshwater Inflow from the IndusRiverSince the Indus River is by far the main source offresh water for the whole country, most of itswater is withdrawn by upper riparian foragricultural, industrial and domestic use. Over theyears, increasing amounts of water have beenwithdrawn for the expansion of irrigation(accelerated by rising temperatures and henceevaporation increases), so that less water finallyreaches the Delta. The requirement for‘environmental flows’, to keep the ecosystem inthe Indus Delta healthy and viable, has neverbeen assessed for informed decision making andallocation of water for various uses throughoutthe country.

3.1.7 Sea Level Rise and Saline IntrusionThe long term, tidal observations reveal anaverage annual sea level rise of 1.1 mm/yearalong the Karachi coast between the period 1860to 2000. Therefore, one can assume a 6 cm risein the sea level during the next 50 years. Thismeans that the sea line will intrude upto 1-2kilometres further inland from the existingPakistan. (Khan, et. Al n.d in USAID and Ministryof Finance, Pakistan, 2010). Saltwater intrusion isthe movement of saline water into freshwateraquifers, which can lead to contamination ofdrinking water sources and render fertileagricultural land unusable and barren. Saltwaterintrusion occurs naturally to some degree in mostcoastal aquifers, since saltwater has a highermineral content than freshwater it is denser andhas a higher water pressure. Sea intrusion andcoastal erosion can also be aggravated by sealevel rise (due to global climate change) if notcountered with adequate measures and

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management. Reportedly, the Indus Delta haslost almost two million acres of land to the seadue to ground water contamination andsalinisation of arable land. Coastal erosion isanother threat, including barrages, to mangrovesand coastal habitations.

3.1.8 Natural DisastersThe coastal areas of Pakistan face several threatsof cyclones, storms and other climate changerelated risks. The frequency and intensity hasincreased manifold and the period 1971-2001records 14 cyclones.

The cyclone 2A that struck the southern districtsof the province of Sindh in 1999 wiped out 73settlements, and resulted in the loss of 168 lives,nearly 0.6 million people were affected and11,000 cattle were killed. It destroyed 1,800 smalland big boats and partially damaged 642 boats,causing a cumulative loss of Rs. 380 million. Thelosses to the infrastructure were estimated at Rs.750 million. In 2007, the tropical cyclone Yemyinstruck the coastal towns of Ormara and Pasni,resulting in flash floods claiming the lives of 730people and displacing approximately 350,000people and damaging and killing more than twomillion livestock15.In August-September 2011,District Badin in Sindh province received recordbreaking rainfall of 615.3 millimetres (24.22 in)during the monsoon spell breaking earlierrecorded 121 millimetres (4.8 in) in Badin in193616. Marginalised groups, e.g. women, thepoor, and indigenous peoples suffer the mostfrom such climate related disasters.

3.2 Constraints

Currently, no umbrella national legislation existsto protect the coastal and marine resources ingeneral or in any specific area of ecologicalsignificance. However, relevant programmes onwetlands under Ramsar Convention and PakistanNational Conservation Strategy do cover / protectsome of the coastal ecosystems. Over 345,000hectares of mangroves forest land have been

declared as protected forests in 1958 and KetiBundar area of the Indus Delta has been declaredas a wildlife sanctuary under the Sindh WildlifeOrdinance 1972. Similarly, about 722 hectares ofmangrove forests in Miani Hor are protectedsince 1958 and their wildlife is also protectedunder Balochistan Wildlife Ordinance. Anextensive administrative framework of local,provincial and federal agencies operates all alongthe Pakistan coast but without any coherentapproach. Most of their planning, developmentand conservation are done in isolation and arelittle known to others due to lack of coordination.In the absence of legislation, designatedresponsibilities, appropriate well-definedprocedures and the means of institutionalcapacity building, management of marine andcoastal areas is in a disarray. Non-governmentorganisations, such as IUCN, WWF, Shirkat Gah,TCCR, etc., are actively involved in this sectorand have worked out model conservationprojects with the co-operation of the local coastalinhabitants. However, the limited resources ofNGOs cannot influence the vast coastal andmarine areas of the country without the fullengagement of state authorities. Pakistan’sExclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) is almost equalto the landmass of the country. Maritime SecurityAgency (MSA) is the only agency presentthroughout the Pakistan Coast. Legislativesupport, with specific regulations, needs to beupdated for marine and coastal management.Unlike pollution, there appear to be no provinciallaws that explicitly aim to protect marineresources.

3.2.1 Data Availability and Reliability Presently, various organisations, both governmentand non-state, are engaged in research anddocumentation activities related to variousaspects of the coastal ecology and environment.However an issue of concern is that these effortshave not been coordinated and integrated tospecifically address the coastal zone’secologically sensitive areas. As a consequence,information about any particular zone or area of

15. 10 Worst Natural Disasters in History of Pakistan, http://listphobia.com/2010/08/17/10-worst-natural-disasters-in-history-of-pakistan/16. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2011_Sindh_Floods

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ecological importance is available in bits andpieces, lacking coherence and consolidation.Lack of capacity and sustained monitoring,analysis of the coastal zone ecology andprocesses on long term and scientific basis,hinders the ecological and environmental statusof the coast. This severely limits the scope andviability of planning and implementation efforts. Itfollows from the above, that adequate andreliable data (constantly updated / verified byindependent sources) is not readily available.Randomly collected data cannot be used to drawa reliable and true information profile of coastaland marine resources and their linkages withhuman activities. Critical issues identified include,the lack of development of co-relation betweencoastal pollution, land reclamation, climatic andhydrological processes, etc., and their impact onthe coastal ecosystems. Determination ofexploitable resource capacity and sustainabilityfor use needs to be documented as baseline datafor future reference. While it has been establishedthat our prominent ecological resources, such asmangroves ecosystem, are depleting, enoughscientific data has not been generated norsufficient and quality analysis been carried out todevelop scientifically acceptable and reliable co-relationships between resource depletion andcauses. Furthermore, knowledge is notadequately available, shared and used forinformed decision making, especially on the valueof biodiversity and coastal ecosystems. This,combined with a lack of vision and considerationof future threats (climate change, populationpressure, urbanisation, etc.), renders the coastalenvironment invisible and, therefore, notconsidered.

3.2.2 Policies / Legislation / Jurisdiction /Enforcement The presence of a multiplicity of agencies,institutions and organisations involved in the

management of Pakistan’s coastal areas,particularly in the critical Karachi coast /surrounding area without having any viable‘institutional interface’, hinders the developmentof coordinated polices and plans for the coastalregion. An administrative framework, dealing withcoastal and marine resource management, hasnot been established. Similar is the state ofrelevant legislation and regulation. The policy andadministrative jurisdictions of these agenciescontrolled by all tiers of governance, namelyFederal, Provincial and Local, clash and overlapthe competing interests which often characterisethese relations. As such, no coordinated plan forour coastal region has ever been proposed ordiscussed. Most activities are taking place inisolation as an ‘Ad-hoc’ approach towardsproblem solving, and processes are notconsistently participatory to enhance ownershipof the relevant stakeholders.

3.2.3 Lack of Infrastructure Development Pakistan is still predominantly a rural basedcountry and the level of urbanisation, particularlyin the Sindh (excluding Karachi) and theBalochistan provinces is low. With the exceptionof Karachi / Hub region, no major urbansettlement exists along the coast of Pakistan.Thus the economic importance and potential ofthe coast remains unrealised. In the case ofBalochistan, lack of basic infrastructure, severeshortage of potable water, and low populationdensity limit the chances of wide scale multi-faceted coastal zone development in the verynear future. Moreover, due to the disturbed lawand order situation, coastal areas have drawnlimited public attraction by the people ofPakistan. Economic values of Pakistan coast /marine resources, in terms of ‘eco-tourism’,energy production, forestry and aqua-culturedevelopment need to be assessed andharnessed.

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An assessment of the status of Pakistan’s coast and the challenges associatedwith sustainable coastal resource management reveal that there is a seriouslack of visioning, coordination and integrated planning. However, a number ofcredible resource management programmes and initiatives are ongoing all alongthe coast for ecological and socio-economic uplift. It would, therefore, be highlyunfair not to acknowledge the efforts of the government organisations andcoastal communities aimed towards protecting and preserving the coastalenvironment and natural resources. These agencies include, among others, theprovincial Forest and Wildlife Departments, Provincial Fisheries Dept., CoastalDevelopment Authority, EPA’s, National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), Spaceand Upper Atmospheric Research Organisation (SUPARCO), Lasbela Universityof Water, Agriculture and Marine Sciences (LUWAMS), Centre of Excellence inMarine Biology, University of Karachi, IUCN Pakistan, WWF Pakistan, TCCR,Shehri-Citizens for a Better Environment and private sector organisations.However, the lack of co-ordination between the various concernedorganisations and the absence of an ‘integrated’ vision and approach for longterm planning and development and conflict resolution are some of thefundamental issues that need to be addressed.

It is, therefore, desirable that logical and implementable legislative andinstitutional mechanisms for developing, administering and managingPakistan’s marine and coastal resources are established. In the absence of aneffective mechanism for ‘conflict resolution’, competing and, at times,divergent interests clash; with the result that no meaningful or coordinatedplan of action can be formulated and implemented. A case in point is thecomprehensive ‘Karachi Coastal Development Plan’, prepared in 1987-88 bythe Karachi Development Authority (KDA) in co-ordination with UNDP, whichhas not been implemented to date, despite the significant financial,recreational and ecological benefits it offers. Plans are prepared, notimplemented and easily forgotten. Such an approach results in loss ofcredibility of the planning exercise. Even if plans are implemented, theimplementation process fails to properly relate with the planning document.

Coastal areas are dynamic systems that are under continuous change. Acoastal landscape changes daily as a consequence of tides and currents,certain extraneous factors also contribute to changes in coastal landscapes.More drastic changes are often noticeable as a consequence of hurricanes,tsunamis or other non-frequent events. Such drastic and non-drastic naturaland human induced events have been part, and will continue being part, ofthe many processes and dynamics leading to the changes in coastal

4 INTEGRATED COASTAL MANAGEMENT - A VISION FOR REFORM

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landscapes that we see today. The termresilience is also intrinsic to change; there is noresilience without disturbance or changeimpacting an area, an ecosystem, a society or astructure. The important aspect about resilienceis that it also incorporates the concept ofreturning to an equilibrium state after such initialshock, disturbance or change. A system is nolonger resilient when after a specific threshold(exclusive for every system and force), the systemchanges and becomes a different system.

A serious shortcoming that is also linked withnon-integrated interventions is the lack of areliable and updated ‘Data Bank’ of the physical,climatic, hydrologic and ecological features andprocesses of the Pakistan coast. The ‘Data Bank’exercise would assist in the much neededestablishment of scientifically acceptable linkagesbetween depletion / degradation of resourcesand the various activities impacting the coast.Concurrently, a strategic resilience buildingapproach, with properly selected indicators, isinstrumental to determining the directions andeffectiveness of plans that the coastal actionprogrammes are required to follow in order tobuild resilience of the coastal, socio-ecologicalsystems. Conventional planning approachesrequire a paradigm shift.

Past practices have shown that the approach oftreating the coastal zone in isolation, separatefrom the terrestrial activities having an impactupon the coast, has not worked. For example, nomeaningful dialogue has been initiated betweenthe coastal agencies and the industrialassociations in Karachi, while the coastal ecologyand environment continues to suffer from thenegative effects of untreated industrial discharges.A change in approach and strategy from ‘CoastalZone Management’ to ‘Integrated Coastal ZoneManagement’ (ICZM) is thus necessary.

4.1 What does an ICM Approach Offer?

Integrated coastal management (ICM) is acontinuous and dynamic process of planning andmanaging the coastal area, which employsintegrated, holistic and interactive approaches.

ICM addresses a variety of threats challengingthe sustainability of the coastal area, such asfishery resources depletion, habitat loss anddegradation, sea-level rise, natural hazards,multiple-use conflicts, pollution, and poverty ofcoastal communities. ICM is designed toovercome the fragmentation inherent in thesectoral approach to resource management andthe splits in jurisdiction among levels ofgovernment at the land-water interface. A key tosuccessful ICM therefore lies in the design of aninstitutional process that allows interagency andmulti-sectoral coordination and harmonization ina politically acceptable manner. ICM has emergedas the framework for realizing goals andobjectives of sustainable ocean and coastaldevelopment in many different internationalforums, such as the United Nations Conferenceon Environment and Development (UNCED) 1992and the World Summit on SustainableDevelopment (WSSD) 2002. ICM also facilitatesthe achievement of the United Nations MillenniumDevelopment Goals (MDGs) in coasts and seas.

4.2 How does ICM Work?

ICM helps strengthen local coastal governanceby providing a framework and processes for:

l Multi-sectoral and interagency coordination

l Engaging multi-stakeholders and variouspartners

l Promoting environmental investment

l Developing local capacity in integratedplanning and management

l Applying sea-use zoning and area-basedmanagement

l Linking upstream and downstream concerns

l Building public and private partnerships

The strength of the ICM process is its reliance onscientific knowledge and information. This wouldbe often the only way in which controversial

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decisions, related to the multiple uses of coastaland marine resources, can be implemented andenforced. ICM thus enhances the interfacebetween science and policy by drawing fromvarious scientific tools, responsive and sensitiveto management needs, including:

l Rapid appraisal and coastal profiling

l Environmental database and informationmanagement

l Environmental risk assessment and riskmanagement

l Integrated environmental monitoring

l Coastal-use zoning and spatial planning

l Economic valuation of natural resources

l Socio-economic benefits and costs assessment

l Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate ChangeResilience

In the ‘approach’ outlined above, the ‘challenges’identified earlier are all being adequatelyaddressed and it is therefore with this realisationthat the MFF NSAP is also being structured andthe coming sections will outline the strategicframework for establishing an appropriate ‘MFF-Pakistan ICM Interface’.

Figure 2 - The ‘Roadmap’ to Pakistan ICM - a ‘Multi-Contextual’ and ‘Relational Construct’

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The MFF NSAP for Pakistan has been framed based on an evaluation of howthe MFF approach, characterised by efforts to facilitate partnership-basedinitiatives promoting investments in coastal ecosystems can be driven by alarger ‘vision’ of fostering an integrated, ocean-wide coastal areamanagement approach, so that:

l It can be utilised for optimally contributing towards establishing a NationalICM regime, and;

l Make Pakistan a ‘productive’ partner of the MFF family.

Sections 2 & 3 have analysed the ‘status’ of the coastal resources andidentified the ‘constraints’ and ‘opportunities’ within the context of structuringa viable ICM Regime in Pakistan. The NSAP outlines a ‘strategic framework’and a ‘construct’ for a role of MFF in contributing to the ‘process’ within someuniversally accepted defining markers of an ICM ‘roadmap’. A ‘cross-referential’ and ‘relational construct’ can be established between an ‘ICMAction Plan’ and the ‘MFF PoW’ that can then be placed within the confinesof the ‘NCB Mandate’. It would therefore be instructive to first evaluate the‘mandate’ vested in the NCB and then follow up with an assessment of howbest the NCB can facilitate in designing and implementing a ‘relationalconstruct’ between the ‘MFF PoW’ and an ‘ICM Action Plan’ for providingoptimal dividends.

5.1 National Coordinating Body (NCB) – Towards a more‘Proactive’ NCB

At the national level, MFF is coordinated and steered by NCB Pakistanthrough strengthening existing mechanisms for coastal management bybringing together different agencies, sectors and civil society groups. PoWsare implemented through a series of individual projects linked to a commongoal and strategy, but are spread out geographically, temporally, and in termsof management and implementation responsibility. The MFF NCB serves tocoordinate and steer the operation of the initiative at the national level, as wellas to provide a multi-stakeholder forum to improved dialogue, planning anddecision making by the different agencies involved in coastal management.

5 NATIONAL STRATEGY AND ACTIONPLAN (NSAP)

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The Terms of Reference of the MFF NCB list the‘major responsibilities’ of an NCB that can, forthe purpose of better articulation and thinkingbehind the framing of this NSAP, be categorisedunder two separate ‘themes’ that can beconstrued very clearly by breaking the ‘broadermandate’ stated above to (a) Coordinate andsteer the operation of the initiative at the nationallevel; (b) Provide multi-stakeholder forum forimproved dialogue, planning and decision making.Based on this understanding, the ‘majorresponsibilities of NCB can be ‘realigned’ as perBox 3.

What comes out is a fairly even spread. However,the purpose of ‘separating out’ the NCBresponsibilities does not, in any way, imply thatthere is an internal ‘disconnect’, when placedwithin the wider context of a unified ‘vision’. The

splitted functions ‘link’ strategically andcontribute as an ‘organic whole’ to realising theshared ‘vision’. What this ‘categorisation’ aims toillustrate is a ‘strategic advantage’ that can begained by mobilising the capacity of NCB at twoseparate levels that while having varying scales interms of scope of action and the guiding agenda,complement and strengthen one another forachieving progress towards the end goal.

In the following discussion, the context andpossible areas for ‘strategic intervention’ for amore ‘pro-active’ NCB are discussed:

5.1.1 ContextThe discussion in Section 2 has clearly indicatedthat one of the most insurmountable road-blocksin the way of promoting an ‘integrated’ approachtowards coastal management in Pakistan has

Figure 3 - NCB - Splitting the Mandate

Box 3 NCB Mandate

Steer and coordinate the implementation and deliveryof MFF at a national level - calling, reviewing, andendorsing projects, budgeting, monitoring andreporting to RSC

Steer and coordinate the implementation and deliveryof MFF at a national level - calling, reviewing, andendorsing projects, budgeting, monitoring andreporting to RSC

Ensure regular communication, learning andinformation-sharing between MFF projects

Promote harmonised monitoring and management ofcoastal ecosystems for sustainable local livelihoodsand development

Support capacity - building at national and locallevels through MFF

Promote national dialogues and sharing of lessonslearned for improved practices and policies in coastalzone management and development

Encourage resource mobilisation to implement thePoWs under the MFF

Facilitate linkages between on-going and newinitiatives which contribute towards MFFSustain ownership of NCB at the national level

MFF Specific (Projects) Multi-stakeholder Forum (Dialogue and Consensus Building)

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been the absence of ‘institutional spaces’ and‘coordinating mechanisms’ where all the ‘multi-faceted’ and ‘multi-tiered’ stakeholders can buildconsensus towards a common agenda. Thestarting point for an ICM is the structuring of a‘framework’ that can facilitate multi-sectoral andinteragency coordination by engaging therelevant stakeholders. It is quite evident that, ifproperly utilised, the MFF NCB can give us ahead-start in fulfilling this fundamental ICMrequirement as it provides both a ‘forum’ and the‘associated mandate’ to assist in addressing thiscritical gap. The NCB can comprise of bothgovernment and civil society members. At leasthalf of the members have to be from civil society,including the private sector, NGOs, academic andresearch institutes, etc. This ‘composition matrix’serves multiple purposes. Governmentinstitutions that are spread out in sectors, tiers ofgovernance and also spatially (coastal zone andland based) can sit together in a sustainedmanner to act together whereas presence of theprivate sector and trade and businessrepresentatives can open up new ‘avenues’ inexploring and fostering public-privatepartnerships. Civil society input and transparencyin actions is ensured, while at the same time,providing the critically important ‘publiclegitimacy’ to the actions taken.

The MFF NCB charts for itself a ‘pro-active’ rolewhere alongside ‘steering’ MFF specific initiatives(small and large grants projects), it uses the NCBplatform to build consensus and formulatepossible options and strategies for ‘integratedaction’ to be formalised and advocate onformulation/implementation of supportivelegislative and policy fragments.

5.1.2 Implementation MeasuresThe NCB should specifically utilise the PoW listedin the thematic areas – ‘apply knowledge’,‘empower civil society’ and ‘enhancegovernance’ to create a viable interface with the‘Aichi Biodiversity Targets’, Hyogo Framework ofAction (disaster risk reduction) and NationalClimate Change Policy to develop consensus forformulating the structural framework andimplementation process of a National ICM

regime. This can be done through working bothwithin the NCB membership and seeking an‘outreach’ for collaborating with relevantstakeholders outside the ambit of the NCB. Someactions could be of a ‘direct nature’ such asbrainstorming for conceptualising legislative andinstitutional ‘blueprints’ while the other actionscould be of a ‘supportive’ and ‘indirect’ nature,such as facilitating a process of ‘knowledgemanagement’ so that the ICM can rely onappropriate scientific knowledge and basis forinstituting actions for ‘capacity building’ of allrelevant stakeholders - another area to beaddressed (for details, see Matrix 1 & 2).

The process of MFF facilitation in establishing an‘ICM regime’ can be ‘phased’ and spread out in‘stages’ of involvement for greater clarity andimpact. These ‘phases’ can be defined asfollows:

l Phase 1 –Setting vision for ICM, building‘consensus’ for and facilitating through ‘on-ground projects’ (MFF based and linkageswith other national projects) the formulationof consolidated data bank and the‘legislative’ and ‘institutional space’ for an‘ICM regime’, and extending outreach forbuilding ‘partnerships’ with a wider set ofstakeholders – private sector, NGOs/CBOs,media, academia, etc.

l Phase 2 – Channelising the bulk of initiativeswithin the ‘ICM regime’ and dovetailing theMFF initiatives with the ‘ICM regime’ in termsof project support and facilitating exposureand linkages with regional/international bestpractices.

l Phase 3 – Coordinate with and facilitate theapplication of a comprehensive ‘monitoringand evaluation’ regime to assess progress,set revised ‘benchmarks’ and incorporateadjustments (if required) in the strategy andimplementation plan.

The MFF NCB is in a unique position to act as an‘incubator’ for nursing and sustaining efforts forthe establishment of an ICM regime both in terms

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of its ‘composition’ and also the working‘mandate’ it is vested with. While at the nationallevel the NCB can mobilise and catalyse bothrelevant ‘stakeholders’ and appropriate ‘actions’,– at the regional and international level it canleverage support in ‘knowledge management’and forging ‘partnerships’ that can be ‘multi-dimensional’ in nature.

5.2 Extending MFF Outreach – FormingStrategic Partnerships

The MFF programme and the NCB canspecifically explore fostering some ‘strategicpartnerships’ that can assist in optimising theinfluence of its initiatives by serving as ‘force-multipliers’ in suitably extending outreach, both interms of ‘scale’ and the corresponding ‘impacts’.In this regard, a few critical ‘partnership’possibilities are being discussed in Box 4.

5.2.1 Knowledge ManagementA key partnership that can be formalised is withrelevant ‘academic institutions’ with a view to‘investing in the future’. Through facilitatingactions for building capacities in academicinstitutions (both government and private) to actas ‘centres of excellence’, in terms of being‘resource banks’ for accessing knowledge andexpertise and as ‘providers’ of the critical humanresource - the future conservationists, ecologists,planners, economists, etc. - that can sustain theprocess of viable management and utilisation ofour coastal riches. A wide-range of academicinstitutions can be targeted, such as universities(for example, the University of Karachi, BahriaUniversity, Karachi, the NED EngineeringUniversity, Karachi and the Lasbella University),universities/departments dealing with physicaland social sciences and universities/departments

dealing with business and financial managementdisciplines, etc. In this regard, the following‘strategic’ actions could be pursued:

l Facilitating ‘training’ and ‘academic’ upgradeopportunities for selected staff and faculty ofrelevant academic institutions.

l Facilitating ‘student exchange’ programmesfor cross country fertilisation of ideas andknowledge between the future knowledgemanagers of our coastal managementinitiatives.

l Exploring options for supporting /establishing ‘departments’ and initiatingspecified courses and degree programmes inthe area of ICM in relevant academicinstitutions.

l Building capacities in GIS band monitoringand analysis of coastal change.

l Facilitating strong partnership linkages in thearea of ‘knowledge management’ betweenrelevant government authorities/agencies andacademic institutions and incentivise accessand use of such knowledge– such asformation of a consolidated data bank.

5.2.2 Investment in Resource Developmentand Conservation

There is a totally un-explored and potentiallybeneficial area for partnership between ‘coastalmanagers’ and the ‘private sector’, to promoteinvestment both in measures for protection andconservation and eco-friendly utilisation ofcoastal land and resources. In this regard, theMFF can play a critically important role in

Box 4 MFF Outreach - ‘Strategic Partnerships’

Knowledge Management Academia

Investment in Resource Development and Conservation Private Sector

Communications Media

Area of Action Outreach Partner/s

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collaborating with the relevant private sectorenterprises – for example, financialentities/banks, companies specialised in energyextraction and production, recreational andtourism development and managemententerprises. This collaboration can manifest inworking out the broad outlines of a ‘coastal zonefinancial investment and resource utilisation plan’that focuses on the following factors which arecritical to attracting and sustaining private sectorinvestment:

l Soliciting relevant expertise for outliningpotential areas/sectors for private sectorengagement/partnership and ‘economicvaluation’ of ecological and financial benefits.

l Recommending and facilitating actions thatpromote enabling ‘policy’ and ‘management’spheres for private sector investment,sustainable conservation and utilisation ofcoastal land/resources.

l Identification of appropriate ‘institutionalinterfaces’/instituting additional institutions,for collaboration of the private sector withagencies dealing with coastal land/resources;example land owners/serviceproviders/regulators, etc.

l Identify potential areas of private sector‘capacity building’ and exposure toenvironmentally friendly business practices.

l Identify possible ‘models’ for collaborationand partnership – distribution of roles,responsibilities and functions – financing,development, management, re-investmentsof revenues, etc.

l Provide information and data to firms, e.g. onthe economic values of coastal ecosystems,and linking them up with CSOs and/orgovernment actors.

In the process of consultation and evaluation ofthe scale and shape of private sector investment,key stakeholders would be the representativebodies, such as the Federation of Pakistan

Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI),andcity based chambers of commerce and industry,such as the Karachi Chamber of Commerce andIndustry (KCCI). In this regard, it would be mosthelpful if such bodies constitute as ‘official’members of the MFF NCB. In addition, privatesector entities which are relevant, credible andhave a history of investing in progressiveenvironmental improvement and conservationprogrammes - example – pro-active CorporateSocial Responsibility (CSR) - should beapproached. Best practices and success storiesfrom prior engagement with the private sectorwithin the country and regionally should becollated and made available.

A framework for reference and adaptation couldbe the ‘Green Development Mechanism (GDM),’an innovative financial mechanism that was putforward in the ‘COP 10’ of the CBD at Nagoya,Japan in 2010. GDM aims to mobilise privatefinance by linking biodiversity supply withbiodiversity demand through a marketmechanism. For instance, by establishing astandards and an accrediting process forcertifying the management of geographically-defined areas in accordance with the CBD, andby facilitating a functional market for those areas.GDM would enable the financing of GDM-certified areas by willing businesses, investors,consumers and other interested parties such asprivate foundations and NGOs. A GDM, throughdeveloping a new market-based process, couldenable ‘biodiversity exporters’ from developingcountries to secure new international funding fortheir projects.

5.2.3 Communication A vital requirement for the success of an ICMprogramme is that it is ‘participatory’ and theparticipation is of an ‘informed’ nature. This canonly happen if a viable ‘communication strategy’is interwoven with the ICM planning process. TheICM process and the ‘communication’ aspect ofit should not run ‘parallel’ to each other, ratherthe ‘communication strategy’ should form part ofthe overall ICM planning and implementationprocess. In this regard, the MFF/NCB is wellplaced to play a significant role to initiate and

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facilitate such a process. The process can beinitiated by identifying appropriate ‘media’partners and ‘areas of relevance’ that can formintegral parts of the ‘ICM CommunicationStrategy’. MFF can collaborate with the relevant‘media groups’ – print and electronic –and workout the broad outlines of an ‘ICM CommunicationStrategy’ for policy makers, coastal managers,private sector and communities. It may focus onthe following factors critical to maximising the‘integration’ and ‘coordination’ of keystakeholders and making the process animportant agenda of national growth andsustainability:

l To look into structuring the ‘communication-interface’ between key ICM stakeholders –government, civil society, private sector,external support agencies, regional andinternational stakeholders.

l ICM related information dissemination viaelectronic and print media to the generalpublic.

l Involvement of youth and gender basedgroups, educational institutes (schools,colleges, universities) for proactiveparticipation in the ICM implementationprocess.

l Developing targeted ‘media campaigns’around the key focus areas of the ICM – suchas granting ICM ‘priority status’ in thenational development process reflected byappropriate policy and financial interventions,environmental and socio-economic benefitsof ICM, potential for promoting ‘sustainabletourism’ etc.

l Strengthening ‘community – coast’relationship through sustained coverage ofthe ecological, recreational and sportingpotential of the coast – example eco-tourism(mangrove trails, bird watching, turtle watch,etc.), research and education, water sports(boating, scuba diving, para-sailing, etc.),sports fishing, beach recreation, etc.

l (Policy) Guidance documented andcommunicated based on MFF experiences.

5.3 Strategic ‘Contextualisation’ ofMFF Initiatives

When considering a topic as vast and multi-dimensional as ‘ICM’ there are a number ofimportant ‘cross cutting’ sectors and thematicareas that play an important role in offering bothchallenges and opportunities that require to befactored in the ICM planning process. Two suchstrategic ‘contexts’ are being discussed forconsideration and action by the MFF/NCB whileshaping the contours of the national ‘ICM regime’for Pakistan.

5.3.1 Climate Change Adaptation While uncertainty regarding the accuracy ofvarious projections and scenarios related withclimate change (especially when downscaled)remains, there is a strong consensus that theglobal climate is changing and that the impactsare already being experienced, also in Pakistan.In many areas, average temperatures areincreasing, the sea level is rising and extremeweather events such as, tropical cyclones, strongrains with flooding or long dry periods haveincreased in the past years. Within this context, acritical understanding is that it is the humaninfluence that is largely responsible for theserapid shifts in climatic and associated weatherpatterns that are quite possibly pushing theearth’s climate beyond a tipping point, wherecertain adverse impacts and consequences maybecome irreversible. This alarming realisation isnow lending a sense of global urgency fordevising appropriate systems, processes andmethodologies to meet this challenge. The globalresponse to climate challenge is presently beinggeared towards implementing mitigation andadaptation strategies. Mitigation within thecontext of climate change refers to the reductionof greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and theircapture and storage. As such, industry, energy,transportation and urban areas, though stillmostly in the developed world, are the mainfocus of mitigation strategies development and

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implementation. Drawing on the definitions of theIntergovernmental Panel on Climate Change(IPCC), adaptation to (human-induced, or‘anthropogenic’) climate change is understood toinclude all actions to reduce the vulnerability of asystem (e.g. a city), population group (e.g. avulnerable population in a city) or an individual orhousehold to the adverse impacts of anticipatedclimate change. Considering the relatively lowemissions and yet high vulnerabilities ofdeveloping countries, adaptation takes a strongerfocus than mitigation in these countries.Mitigation and adaptation, though, are processesthat need not be considered contradictory toeach other - rather they complement each otherin that focusing on one also indirectly strengthensthe capacity of the other. The outcome ofsuccessful adaptation is resilience – and is aproduct of governments, enterprises, civil societyorganisations, households and individuals withstrong adaptive capacity. It usually requires acapacity to anticipate climate change and planneeded adaptations.17

MFF NCB’s work could dovetail well with theimplementation of the ‘National Climate Change

Adaptation Plan’ following the notification of the‘National Climate Change Policy’, which mentionscoastal and marine ecosystems as particularlyvulnerable.The link between climate change andneed of coastal adaptation has been figured outprominently in the Pakistan Climate ChangeAdaptation Plan, prepared by the Ministry ofClimate Change, Islamabad. (See Table 1).

Some critical challenges and opportunities thatexist within the context of climate change arediscussed below separately for the coastal beltalong the Sindh and Balochistan coast:

5.3.1.1 Climate Change Risks along the Sindh CoastIn this discussion, the focus is on Karachi cityand the coastal belts of Thatta and Badindistricts. Sea-level rise is the ‘climate changeimpact’ most relevant to the coastal land andassociated resources. Sea level rise refers to theincrease in the mean level of the oceans. Withinthe context of ‘sea level rise’ (see Section 2), thefollowing focus areas can be considered.

l Damage to bio-diversity/ecosystems

Table 1 Climate Change Adaptiation - The Policy Context

Increased awareness ofthe impact of climate

change related disastersand our capacity to

respond

Address the importantgaps in our knowledge

of the natural processesthat cause hazards

Develop integratedhazard mitigation

strategies

Assess future likelyflood levels in the

Indus River Systemagainst future climate

change scenarios

Provide reliableinformation on natural

disasters and earlywarning where andwhen it is needed

Develop climate changeresilient infrastructure

Strengthen institutionalset up to materialise

efforts towardsbiodiversity conservation

Enhance scientificresearch on biodiversity

conservation

Enhance national and provincial capacitiesto identify, conserve and monitor conservation

processes

Develop adaptation to climate change impacts on coastal & marine ecosystems

Map out vulnerability of ecosystemsto climate change in mountainous

areas for appropriate actions

Disaster Preparedness

Bio-diversity

Coastal & marine eco-systems

Protect the habitat of birds and biodiversity including fish in thewetlands ecosystem

Source: Scoping a Combined Programme of Work on Climate Compatible Development for Pakistan, Workshop Proceedings(July 19, 2012) - Global Climate Adaptation Partnership, Hagler Bailly, Pakistan.

Ensure sustainability of wetlands ecosystem in Pakistan

Wetlands

17. Global Report on Human Settlements 2011, United Nations Human Settlements Programme

Relevant ‘themes’ of Pakistan’s Draft Climate Change Action Plan (2012) organised on a ‘sector by sector’ basis and with supporting strategies for ‘adaptation’

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l Damage to sensitive government installationsand residential/recreational and commercialproperties

l Livelihoods loss for fishing communities

l Land degradation

Sea level rise, by itself and in combination withother coastal hazards, such as intense storms,can have many interacting consequences.Possible hazards include:

l Salt water intrusion

l Inundation and flooding

l Storm surges

l Coastal erosion

The risks posed by sea level rise itself forCoastal Sindh may be negligible in the short termand timeframe of this strategy, but may become acause for concern in the longer run as other risksare accelerated. There is a dire lack ofdownscaled climate change scenario and data forPakistan, yet climate change requires theconsideration of all possibilities and dealing withforecasts and projections rather than certaintiesand predictions. The most viable and costeffective approach to minimising the possibleimpacts of sea level rise in the long term is theintegration of measures into infrastructure designand development and land use planning in theshort term. Such an approach would translate theintegration of long term risks of climate changeinto policy and planning, and management. AnICM approach can thus provide the most suitableplanning and implementation regime to meet theassociated challenges across sectors.

Figure 4 - MFF - ICM Interface: The Process

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The implications of extreme weather events, suchas cyclones, pose a more urgent and intensethreat to the coastal areas of Karachi. Majorflooding associated with a major cyclonic eventcan result in serious damage to businesses andresidential complexes, disruption of economicactivity (e.g. at the Karachi Port and FishHarbour), injuries and fatalities, inundation anddamage to low lying residential / recreationalareas and coastal fishing communities.Furthermore, inundation of water during stormscan disrupt and contaminate water supplies. TheNational Institute of Oceanography (NIO) is of theview that the ground subsidence rates in theIndus deltaic region due to lack of sediment fluxand excessive ground water extraction areprobably in the range of 2-4 mm per year. Theground subsidence has already resulted inseawater intrusion upstream of the deltaextending up to 80 km in the coastal areas ofThatta, Hyderabad and Badin districts (Panhwar1999; Inam et al. 2007). The intrusion of seawater into the Indus deltaic region has occurreddue to insufficient flow of Indus waterdownstream Kotri barrage. An average of 35 MAFwent downstream Kotri during the period 1976-77 to 2002-03; it varied between 0.8 MAF in2000-01 (when the Indus River System inflowwas 103 MAF) and 92 MAF in 1994-95 (when theIRS inflow was 166 MAF) (Government ofPakistan, 2005).

Sea intrusion will impact 300,000 people of thecoastal areas of Thatta district alone. Moreover,salt intrusion will make the agricultural land evenmore unsuitable for cultivation. Based on thenumber of fishing boats around Gharo, KetiBundar, Kharo Chan, and Shah Bundar, anestimated 20,000 people could be directlyimpacted on an immediate basis, with many morefamilies affected over the medium term18.

In terms of communities located in the immediaterisk zone, the most significant humansettlements, both in terms of their exposure and

vulnerability, are the fishing communities residingin fishing villages dotted along the coast. Thefisheries sector supports livelihoods and that tooof extremely vulnerable fisherfolk communities.Fishery is an export driven sector and the KarachiPort and the Karachi Fish Harbour play a criticalrole in sustaining its functions. For exports, themajor fishery is for prawns and the bulk of thecatch is landed in Karachi where there are exportfacilities, and where the competent authority - theFederal Marine Fisheries Department is based. Itis estimated that 100,000 people (10,000 families)together with more than 30,000 (householdheads) from Karachi Fish Harbour, Ibrahim Hyderi(most populated coastal fishing village) and otherlanding centres in Korangi Creek and elsewherenear Karachi depend on fisheries.19

Public and Private Infrastructure - That may beat risk from climate change impact dominateslarge sections of Karachi’s coastline. Thisinfrastructure includes a nuclear power plant,harbours and ports, sewage treatment plantsalong with housing, business and recreationalresources.

Ecosystems - At extreme risk may be the tidalwetlands and critically important ‘habitats’ suchas the Sandspit/Hawksbay beach ecosystem –one of the most important ‘green turtle’ nestingsites in the world.

The possible hazards associated with sea levelrise have the capacity of damaging, in casesirreversibly, the exposed ecosystems, as well asthe health, resilience and provision of ecosystemservices.

Cyclones/Storms are a Major Concern Alongthe Thatta and Badin Coastal AreasDistricts Thatta and Badin have experiencedhazards from both inland and from the ocean,thus experiencing constant change. Cyclones,heavy rainfall, droughts, sea intrusion, landdegradation and floods have followed in quick

18. Pakistan Coastal and Inland Community Development Project, 2005, ADB Technical Assistance Consultants Report (Financed by the JapanSpecial Fund) – Prepared by ANZDEC Limited Consultants, ANZDEC Limited, New Zealand – in cooperation with Resource Monitoring andDevelopment Group, Pakistan and SEBCON (Pvt.) Limited Pakistan

19. IUCN/District Government Badin, Government of Sindh – 2006, District Vision Badin, A Framework for Sustainable Development

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succession in both these districts during recentdecades. The intervening respite is normallyshort. Major disasters in recent years include thecyclone in 1964/65, heavy rainfall in 1973, floodsduring 1988, torrential rainfall in 1994, thecyclone in 1999, and floods in the years 2003 and2010. In the floods in 2003, for example, thenumber of people affected in Badin exceeded360,000. In terms of damage to property, some22,567 houses were destroyed, 160 villages wereinundated, and 80,937 hectares of standing cropswere obliterated. More than 200,000 villagerswere rendered homeless. The precipitation of 350or 450 mm, coupled with a huge surge ofsaltwater from the breaches of the Left BankOutfall Drain (LBOD), further aggravated thesituation in Badin and Golarchi/Shaheed FazilRahu talukas.20

5.3.1.2 Climate Change Risks along theBalochistan CoastIn Balochistan, the monsoon is a majorphenomenon that has shaped the coastline of theregion. During monsoon, the coast is subject towave attacks, with waves reaching heights of 3.5metres. Spring tides reach a height of over 3metres, and backed by strong winds, raise thesea level further, producing occasional strongsurges that penetrate sheltered lagoons. Also,there is a continuous process of erosion andaccretion. Erosion is particularly prominent atGwadar, Gadani and Dumb Bandar, Phore, KundMalir, Sapat, Ormara, Pasni, Gawader and Jiwaniareas. In summer, easterly long-shore currentsredeposit eroded materials along the coast. Tofurther complicate the picture, the sea level isrising slowly due to climate change, at rates ofabout 1.1 millimetres a year. This may contributeto salinity problems that may penetrategroundwater supply along the coast.

The Balochistan coast is also susceptible togeophysical hazards such as earthquakes andtsunamis. The coast sits on a major subductionzone. In 1945, an earthquake with a magnitude of8.3 on the Richter scale and associated tsunamis

destroyed some coastal villages at Pasni inGwadar district. Sheikh (1992) describes theMekran coast as one of the most seismicallyactive regions in Pakistan. Seismic records forthe period 1851-1990 show that there have been193 earthquakes of magnitude 4.0 and above. Inthe meantime, sea bottom upheaval has resultedin shallow areas being formed near Astola Island,Ormara and the Hingol Rivers. Mud volcanoes,many of them active and emitting methane, arecommon features along the coast. In 1998, asmall island suddenly appeared near the coastand another small island appeared in November,2010 near Sapat Bundar which remained visiblefor more than two months before disappearingwith tidal currents. The presence of mudvolcanoes, the sudden emergence of newislands, changes in bathymetry and historicalevidence of earth tremors and tsunamis, all testifyto the forces that accompany movements in theearth’s crust in the coastal zone. A rise in sealevel, while small in the short term, may havesignificant impacts over time when viewed in thecontext of the dynamic processes thatcharacterise the Balochistan coast.21

The coastal areas of Lasbella District have alsoremained vulnerable to a host of disastersincluding tsunami (1945), cyclone (Phet -2010),earthquakes and droughts (1998-2004). Yet, thereis also a high incidence of floods in the district.Flash floods develop quickly, sometimes in a fewminutes, without any visible signs of rain. ThePorali River and the Phore stream (near theeastern boundary of the Hingol National Park)carry flash floods that have often destroyed ordamaged bridges on the Coastal Highway andKarachi-Quetta RCD Highway. Floods alsodamage housing, sewerage systems and stormwater drains in urban centres and causelandslides, mudslides and soil erosion.22

As with the case of other climate changescenarios, here again, there is a desperate needfor research, filling the data gaps and using thedata for informed decision making, starting with

20. Sindh Coastal Community Development Project, December 200621. IUCN – 2000, Balochistan Conservation Strategy22. IUCN/Lasbela District Government – 2011, Lasbela District Development Vision

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the outlining of areas of greatest vulnerability tocoastal hazards. Shoreline inventories should becompleted for public and private infrastructureand assets in addition to assessing the status ofthreatened biodiversity and ecosystems. Therelevant agencies and authorities must continueto monitor the coastal processes for improvedunderstanding of impacts of sea level rise.Protective measures against flooding such as,constructing flood protection barriers, sea walls,beach nourishment or diverting andconcentrating flood waters to more confinedlocations should be considered. Another longterm threat for which consideration can be givennow is within the context of what is termed as‘residual damage’ – where irreversible damagetakes place from a climate change scenario. Thisis more relevant in the case of sea level rise asrising sea level and resulting erosion may result inpermanent loss of land to the sea.

As is evident from this ‘context setting’, linkingthe ‘climate change adaptation’ challenges withthe drive towards a comprehensive ICM regimeand the supportive framework of MFF is logicaland, if effectively managed, can lead to a ‘win-win’ situation.

5.4 Gender

In mobilising civil society in Pakistan aroundgender and climate change issues, there is anurgent need to raise awareness about thenational processes currently underway to addressthis issue. Together with this, there is a need toraise understanding on the specific implicationsof coastal processes on gender inequality inorder to put forward recommended responsesthat are required from a Pakistani perspective.Women and disadvantaged groups (elderlypersons and children) suffer disproportionatelyfrom coastal disasters and extreme events. Therole of ‘empowered women’ will be critical incoping effectively with the impacts of climaticand other changes. There is a need to identifyconstraints to the meaningful participation ofwomen and other marginalised groups in decisionmaking processes while designing interventionsrelating to coastal livelihoods, development and

climate change adaptation in order to addressdisparities in gender differences in vulnerabilitiesand capabilities. The following key areas for‘gender focus’ can be considered within the ICMcontext for building capacities of women in:

l Improving sanitation & hygiene at householdlevel.

l Improving livelihoods house shieldsdevelopment.

l Facilitating market linkages.

l Energy conservation and alternates.

l Environmental stewardship.

l Role in climate change adaptation measuressuch as forestation programmes, soil erosion,community based early warning/ monitoringinitiatives, building breakwaters, dikes andbarriers against rising tides.

MFF can promote better ‘networking’ of civilsociety groups working on gender issues andfacilitate exposure to regional and internationalbest practices. An ‘empowered’ role of womenwould not only contribute to better managementof coastal resources but would result inlivelihoods improvement resulting in lowering‘poverty’ levels and improving the health andhygiene of the entire family and communities.

Gender mainstreaming in all policy, planning,information communications and project basedinterventions related to the coastal areas is highlyrecommended.

5.4.1 Taking Guidance from the MFF Mid-TermReview 2012A very useful exercise that recently took placewas the ‘MFF Mid-Term Review’. The ‘Review’has helped in identifying some critical gaps andrecommending important strategic adjustments atpolicy and implementation levels. Discussedbelow are some specific recommendations of the‘MFF Mid-Term Review’ that find particularreference to the role of NCB and how it can be

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mobilised to achieve the Pakistan NSAPobjectives:

Recommendation #2 recommends MFF to focuson developing strategies to address coastal‘property rights/tenure’ issues and finds specialrelevance to our coastal land - a critical challengeis inappropriate land usage and associated landreclamation. The Pakistan MFF NCB couldfacilitate initiatives towards land useplanning/mapping of coastal land use and also inmaking progress in securing the property/tenurerights of coastal village communities. This couldhelp in monitoring of land use practices. Grantprojects that look into such issues could help.Also, proactive discussion and consensusbuilding at the NCB platform could help in settingthe direction towards creating supportive policyand institutional mechanism for addressing suchnews.

Recommendation #5 suggests consideration bythe Regional Steering Committee (RSC) ofdifferent scenarios for ‘growth and phase out’ ofMFF as a donor dependent programme thatincludes the option of evolution of NCB andNSAP towards ‘integration with national policyplatforms’. This scenario sits well with the visionand approach identified in the present NSAPwhere the MFF NCB is facilitating progresstowards a larger objective of establishing a viableICM regime in Pakistan. The NCB in advance

could prepare for transition and take measuresfor integration of actions suggested in the NSAPin sectoral plans of agencies working along thecoast.

Recommendations #8 and #9 deal with bettertargeting of ‘small grant programmes’ so thatthey remain grounded and linked with the realitiesand needs of local communities. The NCB needsto strategically handle the nature, scope andambit of the small and medium grantprogrammes. While ‘small grant programmes’could remain grounded in area-specific andcommunity focused projects, the ‘medium grantprogrammes’ could widen the focus to look at thelarger picture by targeting policy, applied researchand management related matters that encompassthe larger coastal zone.

Recommendation #12 suggests ‘clustering’ ofprojects for more targeted learning exchangesand networking. The NCB could facilitate greaterexchanges of ideas and skills transfer betweenprojects that could be ‘clustered’ using varioustypes of criteria. By adopting resilience approach,the NCB should identify geographic and thematicpriorities along the coast based on detailedsituation analysis to make the MFF grants morestrategic and coherent to achieve more visibleimpacts on the ground, and to upscale learningfrom such interventions through participatorymonitoring, learning and evaluation (MLE).

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Pakistan NSAP Strategy & Action Plan Matrix

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Annex-I: Composition of National Coordinating Body of MFF Pakistan

Ministries, Government Departments and Government Agencies

1 Secretary ChairClimate Change DivisionGovernment of Pakistan, Islamabad

2 Inspector General Forests Member SecretaryClimate Change Division Government of Pakistan, Islamabad

3 Secretary MemberForest & Wildlife DepartmentGovernment of Sindh, Karachi

4 Secretary MemberForest & Wildlife DepartmentGovernment of Balochistan, Quetta

5 Director General MemberSindh Coastal Development Authority, Karachi

6 Director General MemberBalochistan Coastal Development AuthorityGovernment of Balochistan, Gawadar

7 Secretary MemberSindh Fisheries DepartmentGovernment of Sindh, Karachi

8 Secretary MemberFisheries DepartmentGovernment of Balochistan, Quetta

9 Director General MemberNational Institute of Oceanography, Karachi

10 Chairman MemberKarachi Port Trust, Karachi

11 Chairman MemberPort Qasim Authority, Karachi

12 Chairman MemberGawadar Port AuthorityGawadar, Balochistan

13 Director Maritime Affairs & Environment Control MemberPlan’s Division, Naval Headquarters, Islamabad

14 Deputy Chief (Maritime Affairs Wing) MemberMinistry of Defence, Islamabad

15 Administrator MemberDefence Housing Authority, Karachi

Non-Government Organisations; Civil Society

16 Director General MemberWWF Pakistan, Lahore

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17 Chief Executive Officer MemberIndus Earth, Karachi

18 Shehri-Citizens for a Better Environment MemberKarachi

19 CEO/Managing Director MemberPakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund, Islamabad

Institutional Partners

20 Country Representative MemberIUCN Pakistan, Karachi

21 Country Director MemberUNDP Pakistan, Islamabad

22 Country Director MemberFAO Pakistan, Islamabad

Academia and Research Institutions

23 HEJ Research Institute MemberUniversity of Karachi, Karachi

Private Sector

24 President MemberEngro-Polymer & Chemicals Ltd., Karachi