The founder of Mera Karachi, Imran Ahmed, highlighted in his speech the role played by mangroves in preserving the coasts of Karachi, Thatta and Balochistan. He praised the forest department’s efforts for increasing mangrove cover on Karachi coast and asked other stakeholders for their contribution and support in the mission to make the coastal areas green so that the people and businesses in those areas are not adversely affected by climate change.

Nadeem Mirbahar, the expert representing IUCN, said the mangroves were like lungs for the city that provide oxygen to residents while also offering other benefits as they function as good soil binders and treat polluted water to some extent. Moreover, they also provide habitat to birds and marine life including crabs and shrimps. He told the participants that mangroves could store more carbon than any other plant, which made them a real solution to cope with climate change and sea erosion issues. He also briefed the participants on mangrove-growing techniques.

Range Forest Officer Azizullah Rajpur and others also spoke at the event.

The Express Tribune