Community-led mangrove restoration and sustainable seafood harvesting are helping counter climate change pressures on coastal communities and rebalance the complex dynamics of the Indus Delta.

Nature-based Intervention:

The WFF (World Wildlife Fund)-Pakistan worked with community members to develop sustainable resource management strategies and encourage mangrove restoration and protection. The techniques implemented included fattening and sustainable harvesting of crabs and the replanting of ten hectares of mangroves per household across five participating villages.

Overview of context and outcomes:

Climate change pressures on inland and coastal ecosystems are jeopardising the stability of the Indus Delta. Erratic rainfall and severe drought have reduced freshwater inflows while sea-level rise and the increased incidence of cyclones and storms have led to higher rates of erosion. These pressures have resulted in the reduced fertility of land in and around the delta and a high degree of waterlogged and hyper-saline soil. These challenges have not only reduced water availability for coastal communities, but also compound the climate change pressures they face as coastal residents. Mangrove forests in the area provide critical protection from coastal pressures but have unfortunately been significantly degraded and deforested. Prior to the start of the project, approximately 60% of the mangrove cover had been lost over the course of a few decades and half of mangrove species had disappeared.