An Assessment of Plastic Pollution in The Coastal Areas of Balochistan

Abstract

Coastal areas of Balochistan have remained isolated from mainstream development in Pakistan for the past decades, and it was only after 2000 that major developmental projects were implemented in the area. The construction of the Makran Coastal Highway has provided reliable access to isolated settlements, villages, and towns along the coastal area of Balochistan. A major increase in the population in some coastal towns has taken place in the wake of the development of the Gwadar Deep Sea port and the implementation of projects under the aegis of CPEC. One of the negative impacts of the development is a noticeable increase in marine pollution in the area. Due to major inadequacies in the disposal of garbage in some of the large population centers, plastic pollution has increased substantially over the past two decades. An analysis of marine debris, including plastic on some important beaches, was undertaken in 2006 and compared with the level in 2025. The study revealed a major increase in plastic pollution in coastal towns, including Damb, Ormara, Pasni, Gunz, and Jiwani, which is noticeable in the garbage heaps within the towns and also on their beaches. The quantity of plastic pollution has increased substantially in Gwadar, mainly because of the noticeable population explosion; however, the city has comparatively a better garbage collection system and disposal at the authorized dumpsite, which resulted in a major decrease in plastic pollution on the beaches of both bays of Gwadar (Demi Zur and Pedi Zur), as compared to the 2007 data.