ISLAMABAD: On Sunday, Romina Khurshid Alam, Coordinator to the Prime Minister on Climate Change, urged the Sindh and Balochistan governments to intensify their efforts in conserving marine ecosystems.
Alam praised the Balochistan government’s designation of Churna Island as a marine protected area, acknowledging it as a significant step in safeguarding marine resources and promoting sustainable development. She emphasized the need for additional marine protected areas to meet the global goal of protecting 30 percent of the ocean by 2030.
Churna Island, renowned for its rich coral habitats and diverse marine life, is now the country’s second marine protected area. It supports over 50 coral species, 250 fish species, and various invertebrates and vertebrates.
Alam offered full support to the Balochistan government in preserving marine biodiversity and protecting the island’s delicate ecosystem. She highlighted the global network of over 5,000 marine protected areas, which cover more than 8 percent of the ocean, and stressed the importance of ecosystem-based management to mitigate human impacts and ensure sustainable use of marine resources.
Emphasizing the urgent need to protect marine ecosystems and wildlife from the effects of climate change and human activities, Alam called for collective action and shared responsibility to address these environmental challenges. She noted that this initiative would help regulate harmful activities, such as overfishing and pollution, and safeguard the islands from climate change impacts.
