KARACHI - A half-day training workshop was organised by IUCN Pakistan under its project “Restoration and Rehabilitation of Mangroves Ecosystem along the Coasts of Pakistan” at Korangi Fish Harbor with the objective to sensitise the local community and schoolchildren on the importance of Mangroves ecosystem here on Friday.
Around 100 participants including students of the local schools, stakeholders, local community and decision makers took part in the training workshop.
Tahir Qureshi, Ecosystem Expert IUCN Pakistan made a detailed presentation on the benefits of the mangroves and the threats being faced by them. He informed that mangroves are the breeding grounds for fish species, shrimps and crabs.
They also help in cleaning our air by absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. He shared the steps required for plantation of mangroves. He mentioned that records reveal that we used to have jackals, ibexes and tigers in these mangroves, but unfortunately many species have become extinct from the mangrove areas.
Speaking on this occasion Rukhsana Asghar, Director Fisheries, Sindh Fisheries Department appreciated the efforts of IUCN Pakistan and Sui Southern Company Limited for sensitizing the coastal communities about the importance of the mangroves forests.
She proposed to the Sui Southern Company Limited for considering the provision of laying the gas pipeline to the coastal villages to reduce cutting of the mangrove trees for fuel burning.
Dr Babar Hussain, Natural Resource Management Coordinator, Shaheen Imam of Sui Southern Gas Corporation also spoke on the occasion while at the end of training session students planted saplings of the mangroves.
