QUETTA: In a major step toward marine conservation, the Balochistan cabinet has declared the Miani Hor as Pakistan’s third Marine Protected Area (MPA).
Miani Hor, located in Lasbela district, is Pakistan’s largest lagoon and an ecologically significant wetland. It is now added to the growing list of protected marine sites, joining Astola Island, designated in 2017, and Churna Island, declared an MPA in 2024.
According to WWF-Pakistan, Miani Hor is one of the few places in the country where natural mangrove forests flourish extensively, and it is the only known location in Pakistan where three species of mangroves naturally occur. These forests provide critical habitat for a wide range of marine and bird species.
Recognizing its ecological value, Miani Hor was already declared a Ramsar site in May 2001 due to the large diversity of birdlife found in the area. In September 2022, the Balochistan government further classified the mangrove forests in Miani Hor as “protected forests.”
WWF-Pakistan’s Senior Director, Rab Nawaz, appreciated the government decision and emphasized the urgent need to safeguard Pakistan’s vulnerable marine ecosystems.
Environmentalists see this move as a significant milestone for Pakistan’s commitment to marine biodiversity conservation, particularly under international frameworks like the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Ramsar Convention.
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No timeline has yet been announced for the implementation of management and protection measures, but officials say conservation efforts will soon be intensified in coordination with local stakeholders.
