Marine/Coastal Resources of Pakistan

I. Introduction

The oceans provide modern society with numerous resources. These resources include mineral deposits, oil and gas, electrical energy, food from marine animals and plants, transportation, and recreation. Unfortunately, many types of marine resources have been mismanaged and over-exploited, and their future sustainability is uncertain.

The Pakistan coast is about 1000 km long extending from the Indian border on the east to the Iranian border in the west. The Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of Pakistan is about240,000 sq. km with an additional continental shelf area of about50,000 sq. km.

The pakistan coastal area is not only rich in living resources but it is also characterized by distinctive oceanic phenomena that could produce abundant mineral, renewable energy and hydrocarbon resource. According to a preliminary survey conducted by the National Institute of Oceanography, it is estimated that about 1100 MW power can be produced from the Indus Deltaic Creek areas (Qurashee 1986).

Living resources:

• Vegetation

Mangrove forests are extremely important coastal resources, which are vital to our socio‐economic development. A vast majority of human population lives in coastal area, and most communities depend on local resources for their livelihood. The mangroves are sources of highly valued commercial products and fishery resources and also as sites for developing a burgeoning eco‐tourism (Kathiresan and Bingham, 2001).

• Animal Life

The coastal/marine areas of Pakistan support large fisheries. Fishing grounds for large pelagic species, tuna, mackerel, sharks etc. are located in our offshore waters. Species such as mullet, silver wittings and other small sized demersal fishes, especially juveniles of large commercially important estuarine fish, are harvested from shallow waters in the creek area of the Indus and other small rivers and also in enclosed and semi-enclosed bays throughout the coastal waters (UN-ESCAP 1996).





Non-Living Resources:

• Fresh Water

A huge quantity of fresh water resource is available in the form of seawater. This resource can be utilized economically with the development of desalination technology (Khan 1999). It will become increasingly essential to develop this resource as the cost of sweet water increases and Pakistan becomes a water short country. 

• Energy

Renewable Ocean Energy: Tides, Currents, and Waves
Coastal marine areas have significant potential for energy/ fuel generation from marine plants and other organic materials, hydrogen generated from a variety of ocean renewables and marine geothermal power (Quraishee 1986 & Zaigham 2004).

Wave Energy Converter systems extract the power of ocean waves and convert it into electricity.

Tidal/Current systems capture the energy of ocean currents below the wave surface and convert them into electricity. 

Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) generates electricity through the temperature differential in warmer surface water and colder deep water.

Offshore Wind generates electricity by taking advantage of the vast wind resources available across oceans and large water bodies. Out at sea, winds blow freely, unobstructed by buildings or other structures. 

Bio-fuel (next-generation fuel) Marine microalgae, a simple rootless plant accumulates high levels of natural oils and has promising potential as an alternative energy source, it is expected to yield significant energy security and environmental advantage.

Oil and Gas Offshore regions of Pakistan have thick marine sedimentary reservoir rocks with potential traps both structural and stratigraphic. These are a positive indication of the occurrence of hydrocarbon resources in the offshore regions. 

• Industrial chemicals

Marine flora and fauna and seawater have always been sources of chemicals for industries that include leather, paper, textile, cosmetics, food, and pharmaceuticals.

• Mineral Potential

The origin and nature of the geological features and processes along the coast suggest that the Pakistan marine geological environment is favorable for the formation of mineral resources. 

• Placer Minerals

Deposits of coarse-grained placer minerals occur in shallow coastal regions .Placer mineral studies undertaken by the National Institute of Oceanography, Pakistan show concentration of these minerals along the coast (Memon & Ikramuddin 1995). 

• Building Material

The reserves of gravel and sand in the coastal area drained by the rivers have been heavily exploited during the past decades for construction purposes. In coastal areas, deposits of shells and calcareous sand have been in use for construction and making lime. In shallow waters, the mechanical action of waves and currents concentrates sand and gravel.

Men harvest sea salt at a salt field in Sandspit

• Sea Salts

Presently sea salt of about 60,000 m tons/year is being extracted from the seawater along the Sindh and Balochsitan coasts. Soda ash and other salts are also being extracted on a small scale by the traditional methodology of creating saltpans in enclosed water.

Coastal resource management issues
Managing ocean resources requires accurate information, extensive survey, data collection and research to understand the processes and features which have direct bearings on locating living and nonliving resources and their sustainable exploitation and conservation. Constraints on marine resources management are as follows:

• Lack of coordination among stakeholders
• Uncontrolled exploration of marine resources leading to environmental hazards and/or use conflicts
• Lack of political commitment and low harmonization of national management plans and legislation related to marine resources
•  Natural disasters such as rising sea level, flooding, forest fires etc.

The following recommendations are made to expedite resource development of the Pakistan coastal area:

• Promote education and research in marine science and technology.
•  Development, management and sustainable utilization of all coastal marine resources.
•  More funding for ocean/marine education, research and technology development
•  Substantial ocean resources should be mapped and studied.
•  Incentives should be provided for private investments for promotion of ocean technologies.
•  Economic management of coastal marine areas and sustainable use of marine resources
• Improved institutional capacity and effectiveness in coastal marine resources
• management along the coast.

References:

Photo credits: GIS Laboratory WWF-Pakistan

Harms, J C.,  Cappel H. N. and Francis D. C., (1984),  “Geology of the Makran Cost annd offshorte Petroleum Potential”. Proceedings Marine Geology and Oceanography of Arabian Sea and Coastal Pakistan” edited by: Bilal U. Haq and John D Milliman.

MARINE RESOURCES IN PAKISTAN: A TENTATIVE INVENTORY by Nuzhat Khan

This article was compiled by:

Wasif Yousaf,

Department of Space Sciences,

Uinversity of the Punjab,

Quaid-e-Azam campus,Lahore