Developing a Network of Marine Protected Areas in Pakistan Through Marine Spatial Planning

In Pakistan, social and environmental challenges linked to coastal and marine issues do not factor into decision‐making processes. The existing institutions' capacity is hindered by a lack of scientific expertise, which is essential for creating an inclusive interdisciplinary framework to support research and monitoring efforts aimed at achieving marine protected area (MPA) objectives within the MSP framework. This undermines the resilience of coastal and marine ecosystems upon which country residents depend for income, food and other invisible life support like the protection of coastal structures from high waves and carbon sequestration. However, in Pakistan, existing MPAs have limited success due to the unavailability of funds, lack of expertise and exclusion of the local community in decision‐making process. To address these issues in the country, the Government of Pakistan needs to adopt a hybrid approach, considering the MPAs as a part of MSP. MSP will serve as a foundation for the designation of MPAs by adding various components such as zoning of ecologically key areas, engagement of stakeholders, data collection and prioritizing the MPA's goals by establishing an institutional and legal framework. MSP systematically divides coastal and marine areas based on social, economic and ecological dimensions, facilitating the establishment of a network of MPAs. This study also provides essential geospatial insights to support the effective establishment and implementation of MPAs within the MSP framework in Pakistan.