Maritime Minister urges recognition of traditional knowledge in coastal policy

Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry urged the recognition of traditional ecological knowledge practiced by coastal communities in Pakistan. In a statement on Sunday, marking the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, Chaudhry emphasized how this knowledge could bolster climate adaptation, marine conservation and sustainable fisheries.

He stressed the broader significance of traditional and Indigenous knowledge systems and their intergenerational transmission. Traditional coastal communities have accumulated generations of knowledge regarding tides, fishing grounds, marine species, weather patterns, mangroves, and coastal ecosystems. Chaudhry clarified that traditional knowledge is not just a relic of the past but a living resource that can contribute to climate resilience and sustainable fisheries.

Communities along the coast, from Karachi and the Indus Delta to Gwadar and Jiwani, rely heavily on fisheries, mangroves, wetlands, and other marine resources. The minister noted that Karachi’s coastal settlements are under growing pressure from urbanization, pollution, and habitat degradation, while the Indus Delta faces freshwater shortages, saline intrusion, erosion, and shifting fisheries.