Pakistan, July 27 -- Maritime Affairs Minister Junaid Anwar Chaudhry said on Sunday that Pakistan can generate up to $20-50 million annually from its mangrove carbon market, calling for concerted efforts to protect and restore its ecosystems in the country.

Mangrove forests have a critical role in combating climate change, preserving biodiversity, and protecting coastal communities from erosion and natural disasters, environmental experts say.

In a statement issued on the occasion of World Mangrove Day on July 26, Chaudhry said Pakistan is home to the world's seventh largest arid-climate mangrove forest, concentrated in the Indus Delta in Sindh and smaller patches in the southwestern Balochistan province.

A mangrove carbon market refer...