The Jiwani Coastal Wetland is a

wetland A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The p ...

located in

Balochistan Balochistan ( ; bal, بلۏچستان; also romanised as Baluchistan and Baluchestan) is a historical region in Western and South Asia, located in the Iranian plateau's far southeast and bordering the Indian Plate and the Arabian Sea coastline. ...

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...

, near the town of

Jiwani Jiwani (Urdu, bal, ) is a town and commercial port that is located along the Gulf of Oman in the Gwadar District of the Balochistan province in Pakistan. The town is also next to the Iran-Pakistan border. The town has a total population of 25,00 ...

. The site is one of the 19

Ramsar sites A Ramsar site is a wetland site designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention,8 ha (O) *** Permanent 8 ha (P) *** Seasonal Intermittent < 8 ha(Ts) ** Marshes on inorganic soils: *** Permanent (herb dominated) (Tp) *** P ...

in Pakistan and was inducted in 2001.

Location and geography

The site is located at the edge of Gawater Bay along the delta of

Dasht River The Dasht River ( ur, ) is located in the Makran region and Gwadar District, in the southwestern section of Balochistan Province, Pakistan which drains near Jiwani. Tributaries The Kech River which (maxime) flows through Kech valley is the eas ...

near Jiwani town in Gwadar District of Balochistan. The wetland has an area of extending westward towards the Iranian border and is contiguous with the Govater Bay of Iran.Bay water is divided as Gawater Bay and Govater Bay. The eastern side of the coast is known as Dran and is composed of sandy beaches with rocky cliffs. Towards the Iranian border, it has a plain and low swampy geology. Climatic condition in the area is arid with very low rainfall. Dasht river is the main source of fresh water for the mangrove forest and the region along with seasonal runoff of rainwater from the nearby hills.

Flora and fauna

Jiwani coast provides two main ecological habitats; the mangrove swamps and the sandy beaches. The site near the delta is swampy and marshy and is covered with one of the three species of Mangroves in Pakistan; ''Avicennia marina''. Jiwani is also an important nesting site for the endangered

olive ridley sea turtle The olive ridley sea turtle (''Lepidochelys olivacea''), also known commonly as the Pacific ridley sea turtle, is a species of turtle in the family Cheloniidae. The species is the second-smallest and most abundant of all sea turtles found in ...

and green sea turtles. The four turtle beaches where they nest are clustered on the eastern side of the coastline and are considered one of the most important marine turtle sites in Pakistan. Each year, thousands of migratory birds are sighted in the region. According to the book ''Avian Diversity of Jiwani Coastal Wetlands, Pakistan'', 112 species of birds were recorded of which 79 species were migratory and 33 were resident. Of the 79 migratory species, 54 migrated during winters, 11 migrated during summers, 10 were year round visitors, and 3 species were vagrant.

Conservation

Fishing is the major source of income for the locals however plans to grant fishing and offshore drilling rights to foreign firms have increased the concerns of conservation authorities. Local community uses the mangrove wood for domestic use which is threatening the mangrove forest. ''Balochistan Conservation Strategy'' to promote sustainable development in Balochistan emphasises the conservation of these coastal wetland. In 1999, WWF Pakistan initiated conservation drives, Mangrove Conservation Project and Turtle Conservation Project, to protect the wetlands from adverse effects and threats.

Gallery

File:Jiwani Coastal Wetland 3.jpg, Dead Coral ground File:Jiwani Coastal Wetland 2.jpg, Mangrove tree nursery

References

External links

Comparative Avian Faunal Diversity of Jiwani Coastal Wetlands and Taunsa Barrage Wildlife Sanctuary, Pakistan
{{Protected areas of Pakistan Jiwani Mangrove ecoregions Natural history of Balochistan, Pakistan Ramsar sites in Pakistan Wetlands of Pakistan Gwadar District Landforms of Balochistan (Pakistan)