Contents: Importance of wetlands of Pakistan in the national and international context. Types of wetlands in Pakistan with respect to area. Most significant wetlands of Pakistan, Four major wetland complexes /demonstration sites of Pakistan categorized under WWF-Pakistan Wetland Program (PWP). Nineteen Internationally recognized Ramsar sites of Pakistan

1. Wetlands of
Pakistan
Presented To: Dr.By Saleha Mahmood
PhD Scholar at SDSC, GCU
Course: Wetland Management

2. Wetlands of Pakistan - An Overview
National Context
International Context

3. Wetlands of Pakistan:-An Overview
National Context
Total wetland surface area: 9.7%
Total wetland sites: 225 (Pakistan GIS database)
Northern areas: 119 lakes and peat lands
46 Sites of protected status: 7 national parks, 25 wildlife sanctuaries and 10 game
reserves

4. 1967: Meaning and significance of
Pakistan wetlands for the first time was
noticed by international community
23rd November 1976: The convention on
wetlands came into force for Pakistan
1976: Total wetland surface area 7,800
sq km with 9 wetlands of global
significance
2001: Number raised to 16
2013:Among 1,888 Ramsar sites, 19
sites of Pakistan bear global importance
Total surface area of Pakistan Ramsar
sites is 1,343,627 hectares
International Context

5. Wetland Types and Area in Pakistan
Sr. Wetland Type Continental area (hectares)
1 Inland waters >7,800, 000
2 Delta marshes 300, 000
3 Mangroves 250-283, 000
4 Lakes and reservoirs 472, 070
5 Fish farms and ponds 334, 019.4
Total Area 8,906,339.4-9,189,089.4
hectares
Source: Khan & Arshad, 2014

6. Among 225 sites 112 are significant
Sr.
No.
Location/Province No. of
wetlands
Status
NP P NK
1. Sindh 30 19 11 -
2. Balochistan 22 15 4 03
3. KPK 20 14 05 01
4. Punjab 17 05 11 01
5. Northern areas 12 05 01 06
6. AJK 10 ✓ - -
7. Rawal Lake
(Islamabad)
01 ✓
NP: Not Protected
P: Protected
NK: Not Known

7. Out of 112 important sites 30 are located in Sindh
Out of 19 Ramsar sites of Pakistan, 10 are located in
Sindh

8. Major Wetland Complexes of Pakistan
Four Major Wetland Complexes:
1. North-Western Alpine Wetlands
Complex (NAWC)
2. Salt Range Wetlands Complex
(SRWC)
3. Central Indus Wetland Complex
(CIWC)
4. Makran Coast Wetlands Complex
(MCWC)

9. North-West
Alpine Wetlands
Complex
(NAWC)
Series of high altitude, interlinked, glacial,
kettle and valley bottom lakes, marshes,
peat bogs and braided stream beds in the
Yarkhun Valley.

10. Yarkhun River: The North Western Alpine Wetland Complex (NAWC)
Total land area: 1760 sq km
Location: 70 km long and 23 km wide situated
in the upper Yarkhun River Valley

11. Gilgit Baltistan and Alpine Wetlands
Complex

12. The range in elevation of the wetlands extends from 2,600m in the southwest to
4,150m in the case of Lake Karumbar at the north-eastern extremity

13. Mountain peaks: 6 located at an elevation of 6,000 m
have permanent snow accumulation zones, ice fields
and glaciers
Plant species: Hippophae rhamnoides, Myricaria
elegans, Poplus ciliata and Salix viminalis. Above the
tree line, the dominant grasses are Festuca altaica and
Poa attenuata.
Animal Species: Wild vertebrates at lower elevations
and hibernating species (Golden Marmaot) and
seasonal migrants (Marco Polo Sheep)
Flocks of migratory birds use the wetlands during the
early and late summer periods
North West Alpine Wetland Complex
(NAWC)

14. Plant species of NAWC
Myricaria elegans
Hippophae rhamnoids Festuca altaica
Salix viminalis

15. Golden marmot
Marco polo sheep

16.  Human communities: “Wakhi pastoralists” Main sources of
survival: hunting of migratory waterfowl and alpine ungulates
 Necessary livestock retained in harsh winters by stalk-feeding
 Cut and dried emergent vegetation from alpine wetlands used
as fodder
 Major problem: Fuel availability for space heating and
cooking
 Important activity: Collection of plants and peat from
marshes, stream beds, and lake surroundings which is dried,
stored and burned when required
 Accumulation of animals to wetlands due to seasonal
migrations
 Isolated water bodies, such as kettle lakes on perched plains,
are denuded of peripheral and emergent vegetation by the
end of the summer.

17. 2. Salt Range Wetlands Complex (SRWC)
The entire complex is 175 km long and runs from Jhelum in the east to
Kalabagh in the west

18. Sr. Name Province District Status
1. Kallar
kahar
Punjab Chakwal Wildlife
sanctuary
2. Khabbeki Punjab Khushab Wildlife
sanctuary
3. Ucchali Punjab Khushab Ramsar
site
4. Jhalar Punjab Khushab Not
Protected
5. Namal
Lakes
Punjab Khushab Wildlife
sanctuary
SRWC: Five Independent Wetlands
Wetlands provide a crucial source of
irrigation in this essentially semi arid area.
International
Importance
recognized by
RC

19. 3. Central Indus Wetland Complex (CIWC)
Extending among the Chashma in the
North and Sukkur City in the south, this
complex lies along the main stem of
Indus River.
Consists of braided streams and owbox
lakes and seasonally inundated
depressions in the flood plain.
Area: 9,700 km, 708 km long and 9-23
km wide

20. Serious damage to wetland and associated
biodiversity
Indus Water Dolphin in THREAT!
 Exhaustive use of resource
 Harmful fishing techniques
 Over fishing
 Extensive use of agro-chemicals, urban
and industrial wastes
 Hunting and removal of wetlands flora
 Inhabitants largely depend upon
existing wetland resources of the
region

21. Sarus Crane (Threatened Bird
taxa in CIWC)
CIWC is a principal flyway for
migrant bird species
Migration route used by 66 different
birds including threatened ones.
Indus river within the Makran Coastal
Wetland Complex support more than
95% of the surviving population of
the endangered and endemic Indus
River Dolphin

22. 4. Makran Coastal Wetland Complex
(MCWC)
Extending westwards along Balochistan’s Makran Coast from the Basol
River to Jiwani on the border with Iran

23. Makran Coastal Wetland Complex
(MCWC)
Internationally
recognized by RC
Bureau
Sr. Name Province District Status
1. Akara Dam B
A
L
O
C
H
I
S
T
A
N
M
A
K
R
A
N
Not Protected
2. Astola Sea
Mount
Not Protected
3. Jiwani Estuary Not Protected
4. Kalmat Khor Not Protected
5. Astola Island Wildlife
Sanctuary

24. Biodiversity of MCWC
Corals
Sea grass
10 species of marine
cetaceans
Mangrove swamps
Threatened marine turtles
Endangered marsh crocodiles
Migratory birds

25. Astola Island (Haft Talar)
Location: 25 km in south of the desert coast of Balochistan and
spreads over 5,000 hectares with 6 km in length
Most significant island in the north of Arabian Sea
Lobsters, oyesters and fish caught between May to September
Important for endemic reptiles as green turtles and hawksbill turtle are the most
endangered species of the island
Green turtle Hawksbill turtle

26. Jiwani Coastal Wetland Complex
It is located around the Delta of Dasht river in Balochistan
which spreads over an area of 4,600 hectares.
Thousands of migratory water birds
Jiwani Sea Mount and the areas of rocky shore-line, estuaries
and associated mangroves are vital breeding areas for
commercially important fish species.
Green turtle Olive Ridley
Endangered species

27. Mangrove specie: Avicennia marina

28. Pakistan’s 19 sites Internationally recognized by
Ramsar Convention (RC) Bureau

30. 2PK009
Astola (Haft Talar)
Island, Balochistan

31. 2PK009 Astola
(Haft Talar) Island,
Balochistan
Astola Island Sea Anemone

32. Chashma Barrage

33. Deh Akro-II Desert
Wetland Complex,
Sindh

34. 2PK007, Drigh Lake, Sindh

35. Migratory Water Fowl Birds
Drigh Lake,
Bird fauna
Sindh
Black crowned Night Heron

36. 2PK008, Haleji
Lake, Sindh

37. Waterfowl breeding facility at Haleji
Lake
Asia’s
largest Bird
Sanctuary

38. 2PK010 Hub
Dam, Sindh,
Balochistan

39. 2PK018, Indus
Delta, Sindh,
Mangroves of Indus Delta

40. 2PK011, Indus Dolphin
Reserve

41. 2PK012, Jiwani coastal
wetland, Balochistan
Mangrove tree
nursery
Mangrove tree
plantation

42. 2PK013, Jubho Lagoon, Sujawal District,
Sindh
Delmatian pelicans

43. 2PK006, Kinjhar Lake,
Thatta District, Sindh

44. 2PK014, Miani
Hor, Lasbela
District,
Balochistan

45. 2PK015 Nurri Lagoon,
Badin District, Sindh

46. 2PK016 Ormara Turtle Beaches,
Balochistan

47. 2PK019 Runn of Kutch,
Sindh
World Largest Salt Desert

48. 2PK004 Tanda Dam,
Kohat District, KPK

49. 2PK003 Taunsa
Barrage, Punjab
Taunsa barrage
wildlife sanctuary

50. 2PK001 Thanedar Wala,
Bannu District, KPK
Thanedar wala Game Reserve

51. 2PK005 Ucchali Complex,
Khushab District, Punjab