The strategy includes habitat restoration and safer river flow to protect the country’s iconic freshwater species.
Pakistan, in collaboration with WWF-Pakistan and federal and provincial departments, is developing a five-year national strategy to conserve the endangered Indus River dolphin, officials said. The plan, still in consultation, aims to protect the species and restore its riverine habitat through coordinated action between provinces.
“The first action plan for the conservation of Indus dolphins was developed in 2011,” said Hammad Naqi, director general of WWF-Pakistan. “Changes in river ecology and new threats mean the plan needs to be extensively revised and updated. »
WWF-Pakistan and the federal and provincial departments of wildlife, fisheries, environment and irrigation, including the agencies of Punjab, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, held consultations to reach consensus on key elements of the plan, officials said.
Naqi said dolphin numbers remain lower in Punjab than in Sindh and unsustainable fishing practices, including illegal or harmful nets, pose the biggest immediate threat in the Punjab part. Experts have also warned that reduced river flow, pollution and riverbank degradation are worsening the risk.
Population estimates have improved in recent decades, although figures vary depending on sources. A large survey in 2017 recorded around 1,816 dolphins between Chashma and Sukkur, while WWF-Pakistan officials say current estimates are close to 2,000.
At a recent meeting in Islamabad, stakeholders reviewed progress made since 2011 and called for intensified scientific research to provide reliable long-term data on population trends, habitat conditions, water flow patterns and the impacts of climate change. Experts said this data is essential for designing and evaluating conservation interventions.
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Participants also highlighted the urgency of restoring river ecosystems and associated wetlands, securing high-risk areas and improving water flow management through measures that can be applied immediately on the ground. According to specialists, solid coordination between federal and provincial institutions will be essential to the success of the new plan.
Proposed elements of the action plan include increasing dolphin numbers through targeted protection, rehabilitating river habitats and wetlands, nominating critical sites for international recognition such as Ramsar or UNESCO Human and Biosphere status, strengthening law enforcement, expanding rescue and surveillance units, and a major push on community participation and youth outreach.
The 2011 plan updated previous conservation measures. The critical area between Guddu and Sukkur, long recognized as the prime habitat of dolphins, has been protected under previous agreements. Previous plans recommended the creation of a joint coordination committee and rescue units for dolphins that stray into irrigation canals. The 2011 plan also emphasized minimum environmental flows, reducing harmful nets and training fishing communities.
Sheikh Muhammad Zahid, another chief forest ranger of southern Punjab, said the Indus dolphin is protected under the Wildlife Act and strict measures are enforced where populations persist. He noted significant populations between Chashma and Sukkur dams and said monitoring and scientific assessments were being strengthened. Officials and specialists said the new strategy would set a clear direction for the long-term survival of the species and mark a step towards saving Pakistan’s freshwater ecosystems.
