The lake is Pakistan’s first artificial reservoir and once the favorite destination of Siberian birds in winter.
Surrounded by marshes and brackish seepage lagoons, Haleji Lake was once a favorite destination for migratory birds who flew thousands of kilometers from Siberia to enjoy Pakistan’s warm waters during harsh winters.
Located about 100 kilometers from Karachi, this permanent freshwater lake is the first artificial body of water in the country.
Commissioned in 1942, the lake was intended to provide fresh water to British troops stationed in Karachi during World War II.
Until a decade ago, the sparkling blue waters of Haleji Lake attracted large numbers of migratory birds due to its rich biodiversity.
But it currently presents a sorry sight, as falling water levels, stagnant conditions, pollution and other climate-related factors have transformed the lake into a gigantic pond of stagnant, murky water.
The lake is said to receive water from the mighty Indus River and was one of the main sources of water supply to various parts of Karachi until 2018.
“There has been no inflow of fresh water from the Indus River into the lake in the last eight years, which has seriously affected its health, besides disrupting the ecosystem,” said Sohail Ahmed Khoso, an official of the Sindh Wildlife Department.
Talk to Anadolu Marking World Wetlands Day, observed on February 2 every year, Khoso said the inflow of water into the lake from the Indus began to decline in 2000 and stopped completely in 2018.
The body of water, declared a wildlife reserve, until a few years ago attracted the greatest number of migratory birds in winter.
Reduced number of migratory birds
A narrow metal road led through desolate terrain with wild vegetation to reach the western shore of the lake, once a paradise for bird watchers.
Spanning 18 square kilometers, the lake is one of the 19 Ramsar certified water bodies in Pakistan.
Pakistan is a signatory to the 1971 Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance. It is named after the Ramsar city in Iran.
The country’s once-thriving wetlands, including Lake Haleji, long a sanctuary for millions of migratory birds fleeing Siberia’s harsh winters, are experiencing a worrying decline in the number of avian visitors.
These birds travel 4,500 km from Siberia to India via the Indus Flyway, with stopovers at various lakes and water reservoirs of Pakistan.
Experts say a combination of prolonged drought, falling water levels and increasing habitat degradation is driving these seasonal hosts away.
Sindh, a traditional favorite of migratory birds, has seen the most drastic decline. According to Sindh Wildlife Department’s waterbird count for 2024-25, the number of migratory birds has declined sharply from 1.2 million in 2023 to 603,900 in 2024 and only 545,000 in 2025, a staggering decline of over 50% in two years.
According to Khoso, the number of migratory birds has decreased this year by 40% compared to 2025 due to lack of fresh water, disruptions in the food chain and pollution.
Last year, some 40,000 guest birds visited Haleji Lake following a gradual decline in their numbers.
“The current water levels of the lake are the result of the massive rains in 2022; otherwise, there has been no inflow or outflow of water in the last eight years,” he said.
To deal with persistent food shortages, he added, the Wildlife Department artificially organizes foraging for guest birds, which, of course, is not enough.
Agreeing with this view, Rafiul Haq, a Karachi-based environmentalist, fears that this number will decline further in the coming years due to the steady decline in the health of the lake.
In the recent past, he explained, overexploitation and alternative water supply systems destroyed the ecosystem of the country’s “natural dams”, such as Lake Haleji.
“These are natural dams, which must be protected. But our priority is to build artificial water bodies, which seems illogical and disturbing for overall biodiversity and disrupts the natural refuges of migratory birds,” he said. Anadolu.
Haq called for the restoration of water flow to the lake to restore its biodiversity.
Home to the largest number of crocodiles
The reservoir is also home to the largest number of crocodiles in Pakistan.
According to Khoso, the lake is home to 400 to 500 crocodiles, which constitute the largest population of wild animals in the country.
Current estimates place the total crocodile population in Pakistan at between 700 and 1,500 individuals.
In the 1970s, a pair of crocodiles were released into the lake to maintain ecological balance and the natural food chain. Their number soon reached hundreds.
Crocodiles are important for ecological balance and the natural food chain, said Attaullah Pandrani, a Balochistan-based ecologist who has been associated with several habitat and species conservation projects.
Crocodiles help maintain the edible fish population by eating carnivorous fish, particularly those belonging to the catfish family.
