The formerly failed wetlands of Pakistan, a sanctuary length for millions of migratory birds fleeing the brutal winters of Siberia, attend a disturbing drop in avian visitors.
Experts warn that a mixture of prolonged drought, screening for water levels and increasing habitat degradation is moving away from these seasonal customers – some perhaps for good.
The province of southern Sindh, a traditional favorite for migratory birds, has experienced the most radical decline. According to the number of aquatic birds in the Sindh fauna department, the number of migratory birds in the fauna department, the number of migratory birds increased from 1.2 million in 2023 to 603,900 in 2024 and only 545,000 this year, an amazing drop of more than 50% in two years.
In 2023, the region experienced an exceptional influx of birds, supported by the persistent effects of catastrophic floods of 2022 which, although devastating for communities, temporarily revived the lakes, streams and lagoons in Pakistan.
Excessive precipitation had reconstituted many wetlands, making it ideal rest points for birds making 4,500 kilometers (2,800 miles) from Siberia to India via the industrial migration route, with stops in various lakes and water tanks in Pakistan.
However, this year tells another story.
“The Sindh has long been a refuge for migratory birds because of its unique biodiversity and its many lakes, lagoons and other navigable waterways,” an official of the Sindh fauna department told Anadolu Mumtaz.
“But these figures have experienced a gradual drop since 2023 due to the reduction of water levels and droughts.”
Soomro explained that the last survey – covering 40% of the Sindh territory – found notable shortages in key birds, including Manchar, Keenjhar, Hamal and Haleji Lakes, Nareri Lagoon and the Rann of Kutch Wildlife Sanctuary.
These sites, some of which are wetlands certified by Ramsar, of international importance, have been pivotal stops for migratory birds for decades.
“During the survey, our teams reported water shortages on most sites, including Marshal Rann by Kutch Wildlife Sanctuary,” he said.
Shadow of past herds
The migration is seasonal, the birds arriving at the end of August and leaving by February. Among the more than 50 species recorded, there were gulls, colms, bents, snipes, cormorants, cranes and storks.
The largest number of birds – 112,000 – was spotted in Nareri Lagoon, followed by 91,000 in Rann de Kutch.
But even these figures are a shadow of past herds.
Zohaib Ahmed, an ornithologist based on Karachi, said that climate change is not the only distant factor of migratory birds in Pakistan, because the degradation of habitat, artificial pollution and illegal hunting also play an important role.
“The changes induced by humans and creeping human interference, often in the name of development, have exposed these fragile ecosystems of wetlands to a series of threats,” Ahmed told Anadolu.
He stressed that if the current environmental negligence trends persist, Pakistan could lose its favorite stopover status for these avian travelers.
Although the situation is particularly disastrous in the Sindh, other provinces also feel the effects.
In Punjab, although the last survey is still underway, officials consider a similar decline trend.
“The decline is not sudden. It is progressive and the result of climate change, mainly water shortages, seasonal disruptions and persistent heat spells,” said Mudaser Hasan, deputy chief of the Punjab fauna rangers.
Hasan has confirmed that the health of Pakistan’s wetlands has deteriorated in recent years, largely due to climate -related changes.
“The arrival of these birds in Pakistan is a seasonal migration, and it was naturally disturbed due to seasonal disturbances,” he noted.
Pakistan ranks among the first 10 countries most vulnerable to climate change, experts warning that erratic monsoon models, glacial fusion and increase in temperatures exert unprecedented pressure on natural ecosystems, including those vital for migration of birds.
Despite the alarming trends, some officials argue that threats such as poaching and trapping have been mastered.
“Hunters and poachers are there, but they do not constitute a major threat to migratory birds. It is climate change that really haunts them,” said Hasan, adding that provincial authorities have tightened anti-life hunting laws in recent years.
But not everyone agrees.
Ahmed, the ornithologist, challenges this evaluation, in particular in the Sindh: “At least for the Sindh, I can say with guarantee that there is no drop in hunting and trapping migratory birds, especially in the Kirthar mountain range and the coastal belt of Karachi.”
He added that several migratory species are still openly sold on the illegal bird markets, undermining conservation efforts and contributing more to the decline of birds.
