Pakistan’s mangrove carbon market has the potential to generate between $20 million and $50 million annually, Maritime Affairs Minister Junaid Anwar Chaudhry said, urging stronger efforts to protect and restore the country’s coastal ecosystems.

In a statement, the minister said Pakistan is home to the world’s seventh-largest arid-climate mangrove forest, primarily located in the Indus Delta in Sindh, with smaller mangrove belts in Balochistan.

He said the country’s mangrove forests represent a significant economic and environmental asset, estimating that carbon credits generated from these ecosystems could earn Pakistan $20-50 million each year, depending on carbon credit prices and trading volumes.

Mangrove carbon markets allow carbon dioxide absorbed and stored by mangrove forests to be converted into carbon credits, which can be sold to governments and companies seeking to offset greenhouse gas emissions.

Chaudhry described mangroves as a natural defence against coastal erosion, flooding and storm surges, saying they play a vital role in protecting shoreline communities, ports and marine biodiversity.

Chaudhry warned that the continued loss of mangrove forests could have serious consequences for both the environment and the people who depend on them.

He said the forests provide vital breeding grounds for fish, shrimp, crabs and other marine life that sustain Pakistan’s fisheries and aquaculture sector, meaning their destruction could threaten food security and the livelihoods of thousands of coastal families.

The minister added that Balochistan’s estimated 4,058 hectares of mangrove forests could also contribute to Pakistan’s carbon market initiatives, noting that mangroves can store nearly four times more carbon than terrestrial forests.

The minister called for stronger action to protect these ecosystems, urging authorities to crack down on illegal encroachments, raise public awareness and encourage greater public and private investment in blue economy projects aimed at conserving coastal resources.

His remarks come at a time of growing concern over the steady disappearance of Pakistan’s mangrove forests.

A report by the World Wide Fund for Nature-Pakistan last year found that large stretches of mangroves along Karachi’s coastline had been cleared to make way for housing schemes as well as commercial and industrial developments, warning that more forests could be lost without urgent intervention.

Environmental experts have repeatedly stressed that protecting forests and coastal ecosystems is becoming increasingly critical as Pakistan faces more frequent and intense climate-related disasters.