'Pakistan is pursuing the objective of conserving mangrove forests under the
Mangroves for the Future Programme (MFF).
IUCN has developed an eco-tourism report on the Island, which presents results of the first ever comprehensive research survey of Astola Island conducted under IUCN's
Mangroves for the Future Programme in collaboration with the IUCN Member organizations and other stakeholders.
The event was organised by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Pakistan, under its
Mangroves for the Future (MFF) programme in collaboration with the ministry of climate change.
KARACHI:Astola Island, the first and the newly designated Marine Protected Area (MPA) of the country is in urgent need of prescribed actions for the conservation of its key biodiversity resources.Experts addressing a consultative session on Astola management plan held here under the aegis of IUCN Pakistan under its
Mangroves for the Future (MFF) Programme in collaboration with the Ministry of Climate Change emphasized the need for steps towards its conservation and collaborative management.
The conference, sponsored by the US State Department and managed by the Stimson Center and IUCN's
Mangroves for the Future program, is focusing on blue growth, traceability practices, marine protected area creation, and sustainable fisheries management, among others.
The process to notify Astola as a MPA was initiated a few years ago under the auspices of
Mangroves for the Future Programme, a regional grouping of South and Southeast Asian countries which is currently co-chaired by Pakistan.
IUCN's partnership-based regional initiative
Mangroves for the Future (MFF) is playing an active role in addressing such challenges to Pakistan's fragile coastal ecosystem.
Description : This project is seen as a second phase building on the preparatory work undertaken in a grant by
Mangroves For the Future with coastal and marine area mapping, design of appropriate structure and land restoration to counter erosion in a community setting.
"Climate Change Division and IUCN Pakistan are the national partner institutions for the implementation of project activities in Pakistan," disclosed Inspector General Forest, Climate Change Division, Syed Mahmood Nasir, while addressing the 10th meeting of the National Coordinating Body (NCB) of
Mangroves for the Future Programme (MFF) held in Karachi.
The media briefing followed the 18th meeting of national coordinating body (NCB) of
Mangroves for the Future (MFF)-Pakistan organised by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Cheema explained that in 2015, the National Coordinating Body (NCB) of
Mangroves for the Future Pakistan headed by the Ministry of Climate Change, Government of Pakistan constituted a Working Group for identification of potential sites for MPA designation in Pakistan.
Among the countries represented were 11 from the
Mangroves for the Future initiative cochaired by the IUCN and the UN Development Programme.
