| Over 120,000 fishermen live along the Karachi coast. Their fuel wood and fodder requirements are being met by extraction and in some cases, clear-cutting of the mangrove forest. As a result, there has been a dramatic reduction in mangrove density, as evidenced by aerial and satellite imagery of the area which reveals increasing patches of degraded and sparsely populated mangrove vegetation. To reduce the dependence of these communities upon mangroves and to provide an alternate source of income to fishermen, the concept of eco-tourism was introduced in the Indus Delta. In 1996 a walkway of about 1 km was constructed in Ratoo Kot Island which is flanked by mangrove plantations, natural vegetation and also boasts an archaeological site. This initiative by IUCN has added a major tourist attraction to the area and also helps in propagating the ecological significance of mangroves. |