Challenges and Opportunities for Marine Protected Areas Law of Pakistan

Authors

  • Muhammad Asim Rafiq School of Law, Xi’an Jiaotong University, China
  • Kanwal Riaz School of Law, Xi’an Jiaotong University, China

Keywords:

Marine Protected Area, Legal Framework, Challenges, Ocean, Conservation

Abstract

Marine protected areas have been established in various regions around the world to preserve the ecosystem and promote biodiversity. Pakistan's coastal area is abundant in marine biodiversity, yet the country currently only has one marine protected area. Pakistan faces challenges such as policy inconsistencies, conflicting interests, legal mechanisms, and jurisdictional issues in creating new marine protected areas. This article aims to address these challenges. It will start by briefly introducing marine protected areas, followed by a discussion of Pakistan's marine protected area and its rich marine biodiversity. It will then introduce the laws governing marine protected areas in Pakistan and analyze the challenges the country is facing. Finally, it will explore opportunities for managing and establishing new marine protected areas in Pakistan.

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Published

31.05.2025

How to Cite

Challenges and Opportunities for Marine Protected Areas Law of Pakistan. (2025). PAKISTAN JOURNAL OF LAW, ANALYSIS AND WISDOM, 4(5), 76-89. https://pjlaw.com.pk/index.php/Journal/article/view/v4i5-76-89

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