Islamabad: 29 July 2021 (TDI)
A new report by the UK-based international development organization Bond features WWF Pakistan’s case study for Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) in action. Accordingly, Nature-Based Solutions have shown efficiency in countering and restoration of biodiversity loss, climate change, and poverty. The system has been deemed to be cost-efficient and more sustainable.
Climate, nature, poverty, and inequality are three interlinked dimensions where Nature-Based Solutions can restore the deteriorating natureconditions. For the relatively new phenomenon, Pakistan, among other case studies has suggested evidence for positive results
Pakistan’s case study is that of Mangrove protection in the Indus Delta by WWF Pakistan, IUCN Pakistan along with Pakistan Provincial Government support. Indus Delta has been one of the places affected by climate change resulting in loss of fertility of the land. The area of 600,000ha has been re-habituated by the NBS along with the local communities by using cold storage systems, reducing the use of small mesh nets, and enabling sustainable crab harvesting. 11 fishing communities have been supported and communities have rehabilitated mangrove management areas for the ten hectares of mangroves per household. Most of the community which is less than US$ 2 per day has also been helped with the flourishing new system and Mangrove cover has increased from 86,000 to 130,000 hectares in the last two decades.
