[T]he calm of Bundle Island is at risk, with Prime Minister Imran Khan determined to turn it into an enormous real-estate project to ease pressure on the expanding megacity, home to 20 million people.

The $50bn housing development has pitted regional leaders against the central government, with local activists and lawmakers accusing the prime minister of reneging on pro-environment promises.1

Coastal mangroves act as a natural barrier, soaking up wave energy and limiting the extent of flooding.2 Karachi is already prone to inundation and suffered catastrophic flooding during this year’s record monsoon when chest-deep water filled the streets.

Because Bundle Island floods during particularly high tides, any construction would also require environmentally damaging reclamation work that could have knock-on effects for Karachi, Belgaumi added. But Khan’s administration says the project would create thousands of local jobs and bring much-needed relief to chaotically expanding Karachi – not to mention new tax revenue for Pakistan’s cash-strapped coffers.

A draft law – immediately challenged by the provincial government of Sindh, where Karachi is the capital city – would turn Bundle and neighbouring Buddo Island into federal territories.

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• 1. “Let nature restore itself and (do) not dream of these big, grand cities,” said Mahera Omar, an environmental filmmaker from Karachi who enjoys kayaking around Bundle and meandering through the island’s mangroves. “We are all very tired of our concrete jungle. We all want to get away, out into the open,” she added.
• 2. “These islands form a barrier against storm surges and tsunamis. Their preservation is vital for the preservation of Karachi,” Arif Belgaumi, an architect and town planner, told AFP.