A floating bridge into the heart of mangrove jungle

KARACHI: “It is ‘Jungle Mein Mangal’ [merriment in the wilderness],” said Managing Director, Sindh Tourism Development Corporation, Feyaz Ali Shah as visitors from various walks of life arrived at the Mangrove Biodiversity Park at Korangi Creek for an eco-tourism exploration trip organised by the Culture, Tourism and Antiquities Department of the Government of Sindh on Saturday.

“Of course ‘Jungle Mein Morr Nacha Kis Ne Dekha?’ [A peacock danced in the forest, but who saw it?]” He added. “That is why we brought you all here today, to appreciate the beauty of nature and marvel at the ecological significance of the mangroves and the biodiversity you see here,” he said.

The Mangrove Biodiversity Park was built some two years ago and there are plans for expansion as it receives more funds. Currently, it has a 700 metres long floating wooden bridge, designed by architect and environmentalist Tariq Alexander Qaiser, which allows one a peek into the dense mangrove forest. The area, at first, was opened for school, college and university tours but in September last year it opened for the general public. Almost immediately it was realised that too many people pouring in were causing too much destruction. They broke off the mangrove tree branches and littered the place. That was when an entry fee was introduced so that those who really appreciate nature may visit here.

Some environmentalists are worried about construction of some multi-storey buildings in the vicinity, which they fear may harm the mangroves.

With hundreds of birds, swimming camels, mongooses, and snakes, Mangrove Biodiversity Park offers a serene retreat into diverse nature

“The government of Sindh supports and cares about the safety, security, cleanliness, maintenance and preservation of these areas. But we also want our young generation to visit here and carry out research on mangroves. Why are they important for biodiversity and must be protected? We would like universities to set up a research centre here along with a small museum and an aquarium to learn about marine life, the ecological significance of mangrove forests, biodiversity and the importance of coastal conservation to develop awareness and environmental sustainability,” said Feyaz Ali Shah.

“Mangroves are the first-line of defence against coastal storms. The roots of the mangrove trees are so strong that they block all the waves that come towards the coast during a storm. They are very special to us,” curator of Mangrove Biodiversity Park, Zara Hirjee, told Dawn.

She said that the Mangrove Biodiversity Park has been built with recyclable materials. “The wood pillars and planks that the floating bridge is built from are from a disassembled ship. The rest of the material used is also all vernacular, like the bamboo you see,” she added. At one end of the floating bridge there was a big round bird watching tower under construction, mostly made from bamboo.

“The tide levels change twice a day. So you have high tide and low tide twice a day. And because the bridge is floating, it goes up by about eight feet at high tide and back down by eight feet at low tide. At low tide one can see the roots of the mangroves. The crabs come out too as do the birds that come to feed here,” Zara pointed out.

“In December you have migratory birds come here too. So the mangroves are essential to biodiversity. And this place, covering an area of about 50 hectares, is designed as a conservational space, a wellness space, which is only a 30-minute drive from the city,” she said. “So right now the space is self-sustained. Whatever tickets you pay for go back into the park. We hire local members for the park upkeep. There is no bird poaching, no tree cutting allowed here. If we see it happening, we stop it right away,” she added.

Mohammad Rafiq from the fishermen community of Ibrahim Hyderi said that he has spent his entire life around the mangroves. “As children we played with the fish, crabs and shrimps which breed here,” he said. “The mangrove species at the Park is the Avicennia Marina, though you also find two other species, the Rhizophora Mucronata and Ceriops Tagal along our coast. But Avicennia Marina is the toughest of the three types of mangroves. It survives here due to its resistance to adverse conditions such as high salinity and untreated factory waste,” he said, pointing to the Korangi Industrial Area.

Senior Manager, Admin and Operations at the Park Faisal Tanoli said that there are some 72 species of birds, including 32 migratory birds, attracted by the mangrove trees at the Mangrove Biodiversity Park. “There are also honey bees that produce rich honey from the mangrove flowers. These yellow flowers of the Avicennia Marina have a very fragrant odour that is also a source of a very expensive perfume. A 50ml bottle of the perfume costs around six lacs,” he said.

“You can also find here Kharai camels, which are a special kind of camels that swim in seawater and marshy areas. Plus, you’ll find a lot of mongoose here as well as there are both venomous and nonvenomous snakes here. But they are afraid of people so stay away,” he concluded with a smile.

Published in Dawn, July 12th, 2026 ...