President Asif Ali Zardari Reaffirms Pakistan’s Commitment to Wetland Conservation on World Wetlands Day 2026

Islamabad (February 2, 2026)

President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari has renewed the country’s strong commitment to the conservation and sustainable management of wetlands in his special message on World Wetlands Day.
This year’s theme for World Wetlands Day is “Wetlands and Traditional Knowledge: Celebrating Cultural Heritage”. President Zardari emphasized that wetlands are not merely ecological systems but living cultural landscapes shaped over centuries by the knowledge, practices, and efforts of local communities.
In his message, the President highlighted the critical role of Pakistan’s diverse wetlands—including riverine floodplains, high-altitude mountain lakes, glaciers, inland wetlands, and coastal mangrove ecosystems—in preserving biodiversity, building climate resilience, managing water resources, and reducing disaster risks.
He paid special attention to the severe challenges facing wetlands in Sindh, such as the Indus Delta, mangroves, Keenjhar, Haleji, and Manchhar lakes, which are grappling with reduced freshwater inflow, sea-level rise, salinity intrusion, coastal erosion, pollution, and prolonged droughts. These wetlands provide livelihoods, food (especially fish), grazing for livestock, fuel, shelter, and natural protection to millions of Pakistanis.
President Zardari noted that Pakistan contributes minimally to climate change but suffers disproportionately from its impacts. He described healthy wetlands as the first line of defense against floods, droughts, extreme heat, and rising sea levels.
The President stressed that wetland conservation is a low-cost, highly effective nature-based solution that sequesters carbon (especially through mangroves), buffers floods, protects coastlines, and reduces the economic costs of disasters.
He called for responsible transboundary cooperation on water security and expressed concern over unilateral actions affecting the Indus Waters Treaty 1960. He stated that water should never be used as a tool of coercion or as a weapon of war, warning that disruptions in river flows threaten millions of lives, livelihoods, and food systems.
President Zardari appealed to all citizens—especially youth, local communities, and policymakers—to value wetlands as living cultural and ecological assets, protect them, and manage them sustainably. He concluded: “The protection of wetlands is not merely an environmental duty; it is a matter of public welfare, livelihoods, and national resilience.”
The message underscores Pakistan’s adherence to its obligations under the Ramsar Convention and its advocacy for environmental justice on the global stage.