Improving coastal and marine resources management through a co-management approach: a case study of Pakistan

Abstract

Co-management is a system in which resource management responsibilities are shared between the state and user groups. Various national and provincial-level governments separately manage resources along the coastal and marine areas of Pakistan. The country’s existing policy framework is devoid of an integrated management approach, where the participation of real stakeholders in the decision-making process is either disregarded or missing. Therefore, the present study highlights the internal and external constraints of coastal and marine resources management issues in Pakistan and discourses the problems that halt the participation of stakeholders in the decision-making process. This research also confers the potential of a co-management framework through which the coastal and marine resources management structure can be organized to deliver local sustainability in the country. The adoption of a co-management approach in Pakistan’s coastal and marine areas would help to improve the protection and conservation of natural resources via share-based responsibility. Additionally, it provides a baseline to coastal and marine planners in the country to adopt share-based responsibility for resources management to mimic the conflicts amongst users to the environment, and those affected by the decisions can agree to understand or accept common intertwined resources.

Ecotourism in Marine Protected Areas as a tool to valuate natural capital and enhance good marine governance: A review

“…Stakeholders' involvement (criteria C3) is mostly recognized as an indicator of effectiveness and success of MPAs, but only nine of the analyzed studies openly indicated the direct involvement of stakeholders in the development, implementation, and management phases of MPAs. Some MPAs management plans detail stakeholder involvement in their governance schemes and in all phases of the implementation of a MPA (Lucrezi et al, 2019;Ullah et al, 2022). Most studies recognize that usually stakeholders are NGOs, local communities, local authorities, governmental agencies, tourism operators, fisheries operators, and scientists (Calado et al, 2012;Mackelworth et al, 2013;Ratsimbazafy et al, 2019).…”

Advancing the initiatives of sustainable coastal and marine areas development in Pakistan through marine spatial planning

“…Presently, the country is running through a hybrid system, where military and political leaders make collective decisions, thus affecting the power structures of the institutional performance and governance mechanism. 39 As a result, the strategies made hybrid system regarding the utilization and management of coastal and marine resources favor the dominance of federal-level organizations, 40 they often limit the involvement of provincial and local communities, where most economic activities related to the coast and sea are controlled by leaders of political parties and retired bureaucrats. Ullah et al, 36 claim that all hegemonic groups stand together to protect their interests.…”

“…The problem is evident along the Karachi and Gaddani Coasts of Sindh and Balochistan, where a large number of mangrove and coastal waters were reclaimed for urban and commercial development. 36 , 40 , 43 Conflicts between different user groups arise from a lack of coordination and communication between coastal residents and government organizations. This occurs when policies and regulations are unclear, overlapping, or not effectively enforced, leading to competing claims over resources and differing perceptions of their value.…”

“…No government research institution at any level is currently involved in the implementation of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) along the coastal and marine areas under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). According to Ullah et al, 40 in Pakistan, developing a science-driven framework for conducting sustainable development in the initial stages of the project implementation is essential.…”

“…3 Hence, the allocation of coastal areas for economic activities has intensified social inequality and favored the involvement of hegemonic groups. 40 Furthermore, the Government of Pakistan has established the National Environmental Policy (NEP) 2005 to address environmental issues in the country. However, the NEP 2005 failed to reduce anthropogenic impacts on coastal and marine environments due to the lack of integration among institutions at the federal, provincial, and local levels.…”