The strategy includes habitat restoration and safer river flows to protect the country’s iconic freshwater species
Pakistan, working 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, which is still under consultation, aims to protect the species and restore its riverine habitat through coordinated efforts across provinces.
“The first Indus Dolphin Conservation Action Plan was prepared in 2011,” said Hammad Naqi, Director General of WWF-Pakistan. “Shifts in river ecology and new threats mean the plan needs a comprehensive review and update.”
WWF-Pakistan and the federal and provincial wildlife, fisheries, environment and irrigation departments, including Punjab, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa agencies, have held consultations to build consensus on key elements of the plan, officials said.
Naqi said dolphin numbers remain lower in Punjab than in Sindh and unsustainable fishing methods including illegal or harmful nets are the biggest immediate threat in the Punjab stretch. Experts also warned that reduced river flows, pollution and riverbank degradation are increasing the risk.
Population estimates have improved in recent decades, although figures vary from source to source. A major survey in 2017 recorded around 1,816 dolphins between Chashma and Sukkur, while WWF-Pakistan officials say current estimates are closer to 2,000.
At a recent meeting in Islamabad, stakeholders reviewed progress since 2011 and called for intensified scientific research to provide reliable long-term data on population trends, habitat conditions, water flow patterns and climate change impacts. Experts said such data are essential for designing and evaluating conservation interventions.
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Participants also highlighted the urgency to restore river ecosystems and associated wetlands, secure high-risk zones and improve water flow management through measures that can be immediately enforced on the ground. According to specialists, robust coordination between federal and provincial institutions will be central to the success of the new plan.
Proposed elements of the action plan include increasing dolphin numbers through focused protection, rehabilitating river and wetland habitats, nominating critical sites for international recognition such as Ramsar or UNESCO’s Man and Biosphere status, strengthening law enforcement, expanding rescue and monitoring units, and a major push for community participation and youth awareness.
The 2011 plan updated previous conservation measures. The critical stretch between Guddu and Sukkur, long recognized as core dolphin habitat, has been protected under previous schemes. Earlier plans recommended a joint coordination committee and rescue units for dolphins straying into irrigation canals. The 2011 plan also emphasized minimal environmental flows, reduction of harmful nets and training of fishing communities.
Sheikh Muhammad Zahid, additional chief of wildlife in southern Punjab, said the Indus dolphin is protected under wildlife laws and strict measures are being enforced where populations persist. Noting significant populations between Chashma and Sukkur barrages, he said monitoring and scientific assessments are being strengthened. Officials and specialists said the new strategy will set a clear direction for the species’ long-term survival and mark a step towards protecting Pakistan’s freshwater ecosystems.
