Islamabad: Mangrove clearance and land reclamation near Karachi’s Mai Kolachi Bypass are weakening the coastline’s natural protection against climate threats, according to satellite evidence released by Pakistan’s space agency.
Images from 2000 and 2025 show areas previously occupied by continuous mangrove stands and natural tidal creeks being converted into reclaimed land and urban plots, the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission said.
Suparco described the change as a shift from natural coastal protection towards development that occupies and transforms coastal land.
The agency said mangroves help regulate coastal temperatures, trap sediment and absorb atmospheric carbon. Their removal also disrupts connections between waterways, increases surface runoff and changes tidal flows.
Over time, these changes could increase localised flooding, shoreline instability and land subsidence, where the ground gradually sinks, it warned.
Mangroves also provide blue carbon storage, holding carbon in coastal vegetation and soils. Their conversion into built environments reduces natural resilience as sea levels rise and extreme weather intensifies.
Unlike fixed infrastructure, mangroves can adapt and regenerate, Suparco said. Replacing them with development transfers greater climate exposure to buildings, infrastructure and nearby populations.
Climate policy specialist Mohammad Saleem Shaikh called for stronger protection of mangroves and tidal creeks, warning that their destruction threatened coastal livelihoods and economic stability.
He said the forests reduce erosion, weaken storm surges and support fisheries and biodiversity, making them particularly important along Karachi’s coast and the Indus Delta.
Shaikh urged the federal and Sindh governments to prevent encroachment, strengthen enforcement and require comprehensive environmental assessments for coastal projects. He also recommended transparent satellite monitoring, community participation and restoration using native species.
Separately, Suparco imagery from 2019 to 2026 showed mangrove expansion in Shah Bandar, Sujawal. The reported analysis covered 19 areas and identified 151.24 hectares of newly established vegetation, approximately 6.5 percent of the total study area.
Senator Sherry Rehman declined to comment when contacted by Dawn, while Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab did not respond to messages.
