Building Resilience from the Roots Up
The story of mangrove restoration in the Philippines resonates strongly with Pakistan, where climate change is also intensifying natural hazards and disproportionately affecting vulnerable communities.
Pakistan faces increasing floods, heatwaves, glacial melt, droughts, and coastal erosion, all of which are being amplified by climate change. The 2022 super floods were a stark reminder of how climate shocks can wipe out livelihoods, displace millions, and deepen poverty in a very short time. Like the Philippines, climate events here are becoming more frequent and more intense.
In Pakistan, the most affected regions include coastal Sindh and Balochistan, glacial valleys in Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral, and floodplains across Punjab and interior Sindh. Communities most affected tend to be low-income farmers, fishing communities, women-headed households, and indigenous groups, often with limited political voice and access to services.
There are striking similarities with the Philippine case along Pakistan’s coastline in Thatta, Badin, and the Indus Delta, where mangrove loss has worsened storm surges, seawater intrusion, and loss of fisheries. Recent mangrove restoration initiatives in the Indus Delta, with community participation and NGO involvement, mirror the Philippines’ experience. These projects have also created alternative livelihoods for women, such as nursery management and small eco-enterprises, showing comparable gender empowerment outcomes.
However, there are also key differences. In Pakistan, displacement from floods often leads to long-term loss of land tenure, education disruptions, and urban migration, while community organization mechanisms are sometimes weaker or fragmented. Another difference is that Pakistan’s climate shocks are closely tied to glacial melt and riverine flooding, not only coastal storms.
Local coping strategies include:
raised housing platforms and elevated storage
migration for seasonal labor
community savings groups
restoration of mangroves and plantation drives
traditional knowledge on early warning and weather patterns
Government agencies, NGOs, and international partners (UNDP, WWF, IUCN, local CSOs) are increasingly active in supporting resilience-building through cash assistance, livelihood recovery, flood-resistant housing, and ecosystem restoration. However, resource gaps and implementation challenges persist.
Overall, like the Philippines, Pakistan shows that ecosystem restoration is not only about environmental repair but about dignity, livelihoods, gender equity, and resilience. The greatest lesson shared between both countries is that climate solutions must be community-led and rooted in local realities, not imposed from outside.