Maritime Affairs minister calls for community-based coastal climate adaptation

August 10, 2026 (MLN): Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry called for greater recognition of the traditional ecological knowledge held by coastal communities, saying it could strengthen climate adaptation, marine conservation and sustainable fisheries.

The minister made these remarks in a statement marking the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, observed under the United Nations' 2026 theme, "Honouring Indigenous Midwives: Safeguarding Life and Well-being," highlighting the broader importance of traditional and Indigenous knowledge systems and their transmission across generations, according to a press release issued.

He noted that traditional coastal communities had built up generations of knowledge about tides, fishing grounds, marine species, weather patterns, mangroves and coastal ecosystems, describing such knowledge as not merely a legacy of the past but a living resource capable of contributing to climate resilience, sustainable fisheries and the protection of marine ecosystems.

Junaid Chaudhry said communities along the coast from Karachi and the Indus Delta to Gwadar and Jiwani remained closely dependent on fisheries, mangroves, wetlands and other marine resources.

He noted that fishing communities in Karachi's coastal settlements faced growing pressure from urbanisation, pollution and habitat degradation, while those in the Indus Delta were grappling with freshwater shortages, saline intrusion, erosion and shifting fisheries.

Similar challenges, he added, were being felt by traditional fishing communities along the Balochistan coast, including in Sonmiani, Ormara, Pasni, Gwadar and Jiwani.

The minister said local fishers possessed detailed knowledge of tidal cycles, currents, winds, fishing seasons and changes in marine species, and that integrating such knowledge with scientific research could improve fisheries management, ecosystem restoration and disaster preparedness.

He stressed that modern science and traditional ecological knowledge should complement each other, noting that communities which had lived with the sea for generations understood environmental changes in ways that could strengthen formal climate and marine policies.

Junaid Chaudhry said climate change was already disrupting traditional livelihood patterns through shifts in sea temperatures, fish distribution, rainfall, salinity, coastal erosion and extreme weather.

He called for community-based adaptation measures, stronger early-warning systems, climate-resilient coastal infrastructure and sustainable fisheries management, while also stressing the need to involve coastal communities in decisions concerning their natural resources, saying conservation policies would be more effective when local people were treated as partners.

He said Pakistan's blue economy could not be separated from ecological security, adding that healthy seas, resilient coastal ecosystems and empowered communities were essential for sustainable maritime development.

The minister said the government would continue supporting initiatives aimed at strengthening coastal resilience and ensuring that traditional knowledge and community participation were reflected in Pakistan's maritime and climate policy.

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