Investigating the Effects of Anthropological Activities on Mangrove Forests in Balochistan

Abstract

Mangrove forests in coastal regions are essential, offering shoreline stabilisation, carbon sequestration, and biodiversity. This study investigates human impacts on Balochistan’s mangroves, using a descriptive quantitative research design. Results reveal widespread community agreement on the ecological and economic importance of mangroves, especially for marine breeding and coastal protection. The most significant finding from the threat perception analysis is that the community views the lack of freshwater flow as the greatest threat to the mangroves. This perception, which differs from direct local activities, indicates a sophisticated understanding of the larger environmental and upstream issues affecting their coastal ecosystem. Although pollution, overfishing, and fuelwood cutting are also seen as serious threats, the consensus on freshwater flow underscores a desire for broader, systemic solutions. The factor analysis further supports this detailed understanding by dividing threats into three categories: direct local human activities (like pollution, overfishing, and grazing), large-scale environmental and developmental threats (such as climate change and encroachment), and resource management and use (including freshwater and fuelwood). Our study recommends adopting sustainable harvesting practices, establishing regulations, and implementing community-based management to maintain sustainable timber and fuelwood extraction and promote forest regeneration.

Keywords: Mangrove Forests, Coastal Regions, Shoreline Stabilisation, Carbon Sequestration, Biodiversity