Research Article, Geoinformatics Geostatistics An Overview Vol: 14 Issue: 1

The Potential Benefits Ponds Offer as Nature-Based Solutions in the Rural Areas of Gwadar, Baluchistan: A Call for New Policy Directions

Pazeer Ahmed^1* and Nadeem Ahmad Usmani²

¹ Department of Groundwater Development and Irrigation, Government of Balochistan, Quetta, Pakistan

² Geological Survey of Pakistan, Islamabad, Pakistan

*Corresponding Author:Pazeer Ahmed
Department of Groundwater Development and Irrigation, Government of Balochistan, Quetta, Pakistan
E-mail: Pazeerahmed@gmail.com

Received date: 27 December, 2024, Manuscript No. GIGS-24-156874; Editor assigned date: 01 January, 2025, PreQC No. GIGS-24-156874 (PQ); Reviewed date: 15 January, 2025, QC No. GIGS-24-156874; Revised date: 20 March, 2026, Manuscript No. GIGS-24-156874 (R); Published date: 27 March 2026, DOI: 10 .4172/2327-4581.1000470.

Citation:Ahmed P, Usmani NA (2026) The Potential Benefits Ponds Offer as Nature-Based Solutions in the Rural Areas of Gwadar, Baluchistan: A Call for New Policy Directions. Geoinfor Geostat: An Overview 14:1.

Abstract

Keywords: Rural ponds, Nature-based solutions, Water policy, Gwadar, Baluchistan

Keywords

Rural ponds; Nature-based solutions; Water policy; Gwadar; Baluchistan

Introduction

Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) tackle societal concerns, including risk vulnerability and climate resilience, while offering opportunities for local adaptation. Their implementations deal with the risks of climate-related events such as floods, droughts, heat waves and rising sea levels. A fundamental concept of Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) is that, as a localized intervention, it addresses various issues through natural processes, offering multiple solutions requiring diverse stakeholders' involvement and local adaptation for a context-specific approach. The concept of Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) was initially introduced by the World Bank in 2008 and the first research program on NBS was inaugurated in 2013.

Ponds are small, shallow water bodies with a maximum surface area of 5 hectares, a maximum depth of 5 meters and less than 30% cover of emergent vegetation. If water clarity permits, ponds will have light penetration into the sediments and can be either permanent or temporary and natural or human-made. Ponds are widespread habitats in nearly all terrestrial biomes, from Antarctica to the tropics. There are between 547 million and 3.19 billion ponds in the world; however, there is a great deal of uncertainty about the number of ponds at the national and international levels in many areas [1].

Ponds are essential for providing ecosystem services and are hotspots for biodiversity in terms of species composition and biological characteristics. They provide shelter for numerous species exclusive to their habitat and those endangered or scarce. Ponds can significantly impact biodiversity, pollution reduction, flood control and climate change mitigation with careful planning. Additionally, there is a direct link between the community and the pond's ecosystem. Ponds, like oceans, have demonstrated their significance in sequestering carbon. The annual carbon sequestration capacity of a single 500 m2 pond is equivalent to the carbon produced by an automobile over the same period.

Ponds are especially well-suited to be used as NbS because of their significant contribution to biodiversity conservation, their potential role in mitigating and adapting to climate change and the vast range of Nature's Contribution to Peoples (NCPs) they provide. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) defines NbS as "actions to protect, sustainably manage and restore natural and modified ecosystems in ways that address societal challenges effectively and adaptively, to provide both human well-being and biodiversity benefits".

The importance of ponds to society and the environment is increasingly recognized. However, ponds are still somewhat overlooked by researchers and often overlooked in international and national nature conservation legislation. Moreover, freshwater scientific research, legislation and conservation focus disproportionately on rivers and larger lakes. Similarly, ponds in the study area are also excluded from provincial and national water policies and environmental laws despite their significant contribution to rural communities and the provision of multiple ecosystem services [2].

No study has been conducted to assess the significant impact of ponds and the ecological services they offer in the rural areas of Gwadar district. This study aims to highlight the essential role of ponds as nature-based solutions in sustaining the local community, preserving biodiversity and safeguarding the environment in the study area. Additionally, this study strongly advocates for the inclusion of ponds in both provincial and national water policies [3].

Materials and Methods

The research employed a hybrid method, commonly called mixed methods, integrating quantitative and qualitative research approaches. The selection of mixed methods was due to the integration of both approaches to offer a more comprehensive understanding of the roles of ponds in arid rural areas of Gwadar, Baluchistan. Interviews with rural dwellers provided qualitative data about ponds and their roles in rural settlements. We conducted numerous field visits to witness the communities' reliance on ponds and how they contribute to biodiversity, climate change adaptation, water management and other ecological services [4].

Study area

The research site is located in the coastal district of Gwadar in Southwestern Pakistan, which is known for its arid climate and sparse vegetation. The study area's ponds, naturally occurring depressions, store water. The ponds surface areas and depths have expanded to store more water in response to the growing demand for water. The study area ponds allow small-scale water storage in a ≤ 8 km2 catchment. Local communities living in the villages near ponds depend on ponds for multiple basic needs. We interviewed locals about ponds’ origin, maintenance and roles in the studied area. Rainwater accumulates throughout 1-2.5 years in ponds. The ponds serve agricultural and drinking water purposes for the inhabitants and their livestock. The local communities are responsible for running and maintaining the ponds. Ponds serve as the oldest surface water reservoirs in district Gwadar and among the 26 ponds in the research site, 13 have reached an age of over 100 years, surpassing the estimated lifespan of any dam. Moreover, they are a cost-effective and low-maintenance option with a more extensive estimated lifespan and importantly that does not harm the ecosystem. Ponds are also less susceptible to evaporation, a common issue in arid regions (Figure 1 and Table 1) [5].

Figure 1: The location map of the study area with sampling points.

Table 1: The location and description of the ponds in the study area.

Hydrology

The study area experiences an arid climate with less than 100 mm yearly rainfall. Vegetation is scarce and rain mainly occurs during the winter season. The area’s northern hilly terrain is the source of many important ephemeral and intermittent streams and rivers, such as Dasht, Jakk, Laura, Pasao, Palleri, Saiji, Akra, Gatti, Shadad, Sur, Barambah, Karwat and Durabale Kaur, Balor, Chilari, Save and Shinzani, which eventually discharge into the Arabian Sea towards the South. The rural areas of Gwadar are vulnerable to drought and flash floods because of low precipitation, low relief and poor soil absorption capacity. The coastal terrain is mostly flat, which causes water to accumulate rapidly, while the soil hinders effective infiltration and results in quick runoff. All these factors contribute to the region’s sudden occurrence of flash floods. Therefore, rainfall and the area’s geology profoundly influence the hydrological behavior of the ponds. Due to the scarcity of groundwater resources, primarily caused by impervious geological formations, rural communities in the Gwadar district have relied on ponds as surface water reservoirs for over a century. Therefore, the region’s ponds have been instrumental in addressing pressing environmental and social challenges [6].

Geological setting

The area under study is on the coastal margin of the Makran subduction, located in Southwestern Pakistan. The Makran subduction zone, one of the world’s most enormous accretionary wedges, was formed when the Eurasian and Arabian plates converged. It has a shallow angle of subduction and an extensive sediment input of 7 km. In Pakistan and Iran, the oceanic Arabian plate passes beneath the continental Eurasian at a rate of ∼4 cm/yr offshore. The accretionary prism extends for about 1000 km from approximately longitude 57°30′ E in southeastern Iran to approximately 66°30′ E longitude in Southern Pakistan and its topography varies from more than 3000 m below sea level to heights of 1500 m above sea level. The study region active tectonic convergence has brought thick tertiary sea sediments onto the continental plate, forming various geological formations such as Jiwani, Ormara, Chatti, Talar and Parkini.

Parkini formation is named after the Parkini Kaur, a tributary of the Hingol river. It is the oldest formation in the study area. It consists of mostly poorly bedded mudstone with minor intercalations of siltstone or finesandstone. Its age is Late Miocene. Talar formation is mostly found in the northern hilly regions. It mainly consists of fine sand, siltstone, shale, mudstone and some clayey limestone, dating back to the Late Miocene-Early Pliocene period. Chatti formation is after the locality of Chatti about 17 miles North west of Gwader. It consists of mostly mudstone which is interbedded with siltstone or fine grained sandstone and marl. The Chatti formation of Pliocene age is extensively exposed, from the Talar region in the east to Jiwani town in the West. The Ormara formation is primarily composed of sandy clay that is soft and poorly consolidated, with a small amount of conglomeratic bed present in its upper part. The youngest Jiwani formation of the Late Pleistocene is primarily made up of shelly and reefal limestone, sandstone and conglomerate. These geological formations serve as the foundation for the ponds in the study area [7].

Sampling

The research site spans a total area of 2690 km2 and is located between latitudes 25.078389, 61.771111 and 25.397287, 63.128682. We collected 26 water samples from ponds used for drinking, agriculture, and livestock. We conducted primary in situ tests on water quality physicochemical parameters, such as pH, TDS and EC and we also acknowledge the limitations of these tests in assessing the water quality of the ponds in the study area. The sampling was done from March 20 to April 30, 2023, without experiencing any rainfall. We determined the locations of the samples using Garmin Etrex 10 GPS devices.

Analytical techniques

To assess the water quality in the pond study area, we used the EZDO 6011 pH meter, the EZDO 6031 TDS meter, and the EZDO 6021 conductivity meter to measure the electric conductivity, total dissolved solids and pH of the water samples. We calibrated each device after every 15 readings and immersed it in the sample for 1 minute and 30 seconds during the sample collection process. The electric conductivity (μS/cm) and total dissolved solids (mg/l) measuring ranges of the devices were “0 to 19990,” respectively [8].

Software and statistical analysis

We use ArcGIS 10.7 for mapping and Google Earth Pro to determine the ponds surface area.

Pond depth

We determined the depth of the ponds using a weight and a footmarked string. We lowered the weight into the water until it reached the bottom of the pond, then measured the length of the submerged line to determine the depth. To find the average pond depth, we measured it along two transects-one along the length and one along the width. We made sure to select transects that represent both the shallow and deep parts of the pond. For example, at sample collection point 2 (Kumb), which has an irregular shape, we took pond depths at six locations across the length and five across the width. We calculated the average pond depth by averaging all these measurements. Surface area of the pond: The surface areas of the pond were measured via imagery from Google Earth satellites.

Determining pond volume: We calculate the volume of water in a pond in acre-feet by multiplying the pond's acreage by its average depth in feet (Figure 2).

Figure 2: The geological map of the study area illustrates the geological setting and the locations of ponds on various geological formations.

Results and Discussion

Ponds in rural areas of Gwadar district provide residents with numerous benefits. They provide clean drinking water to rural dwellers and livestock. Additionally, they support agricultural activities by facilitating the growth of crops such as great millet, finger millet, fodder, musk melon, watermelon, gaur bean, green gram (mung bean) and other pulses. These ponds also act as biodiversity hotspots, store water and help address water scarcity in an area with less than 100 mm annual rainfall. Furthermore, they help mitigate flash floods and provide recreational opportunities. Ponds provide several ecological services, such as reducing flood risk, mitigating climate variability, enhancing runoff water quality, and boosting biodiversity and recreational value. Due to their variety of services, the ponds in the study area are valuable as nature-based solutions. Rural dwellers strategically located the pond to collect water from natural drainage systems, reducing the water’s nutrients by settling suspended particles, absorbing phosphate and nitrogen and interacting with microbes. Ponds can remove scattered contaminants such as sediment, pesticides, phosphorus and nitrogen from surface waters. Ponds provide various ecosystem services that can be harnessed to sustainably address critical water management and climate change issues in the study area.

Climate change adaptation

Despite having a significantly lower percentage of emissions than other developed and underdeveloped countries, the Global Climate Risk Index ranks Pakistan as one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change. The floods in August 2022, which resulted from a 1.2°C rise in global temperatures and were made worse by the melting of Himalayan glaciers, highlighted the country's susceptibility to climate change. In addition, Pakistan had its fifth warmest year on record between March and May 2022 [9].

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) acknowledges carbon sequestration as a crucial strategy for reaching climate goals and limiting global temperature increases. The study area ponds with a relatively shorter surface area and more depth ratio than more extensive water reservoirs provided an excellent tool for climate change adaptation in an arid environment with high evaporation. Ponds sequester carbon by storing organic material in sediments, mitigating carbon dioxide's impact on the atmosphere. Ponds may serve as an effective mechanism for enhancing carbon sequestration at the landscape level. According to Taylor et al., ponds could mitigate carbon emissions if integrated into urban green infrastructure or agro-environmental programs.

Biodiversity: Permanent ponds are essential freshwater ecosystems and centres of biodiversity and in agroecosystems, they act as biodiversity hotspots, providing habitats for various freshwater species and resting and feeding locations for terrestrial organisms. Ponds support birds, insects, mammals and other terrestrial species in addition to endangered aquatic animals and maintain a higher diversity of life at the regional level than other freshwater ecosystems, such as lakes and rivers. Several resident and migrant birds were seen near the ponds during the field visits, namely See-see Patridge, Grey Patridge, Sand-grouse, White-cheeked Bulbul, House sparrow, Red-wattled lapwing, Wild pigeon, Dove, Hoopoe, Little Green Bee-Eater, Common Babbler, Swallows, Hume's Wheatear (flycatcher) and Indian Roller. Besides the birds, jackals, sand foxes, porcupines, cap hares and sand cats were the mammals. We also observed reptiles such as desert monitor lizards, amphibians like frogs and various insects like dragonflies, butterflies, bugs and water beetles. Urbanization, encroachment and developmental activities in the cities have degraded the habitat, making rural ponds a prime habitat for insects, birds, mammals, amphibians and reptiles in the study area. Desert monitor lizards (reptiles), frogs (amphibians) and different species of dragonflies, butterflies, bugs and water beetles were the insects that were witnessed in the rural ponds area of Gwadar. Due to habitat degradation caused by urbanization, encroachment and city developmental activities, rural ponds serve as prime habitats for the study area's insects, birds, mammals, amphibians and reptiles. Additionally, the diversity of ponds is more extensive than larger water bodies (dams) in the area under study due to their dispersed locations. In this context, ponds are a substantial aquatic habitat for biodiversity at the landscape and catchment scales.

Water resource management: Ponds in the arid rural region of Gwadar are practical tools for water management and water scarcity mitigation. The average depth was 2 m, the surface area was 10670 m2 and the pond volume was 11 acre-feet. Moreover, they partially mitigate flash floods and offer excellent recreational opportunities. The lack of groundwater resources, an arid environment and climate change impact on the water resources could potentially limit socioeconomic development and threaten water security in such regions. Climate change presents a substantial environmental barrier to development because of its negative impact on water security, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions. Ponds are an effective and efficient way to manage water resources and help prevent water scarcity in the Gwadar district of Baluchistan due to their spatial suitability.

These ecological services highlight that the ponds in the study area play a vital role in climate change adaptation, biodiversity preservation, water management, quality maintenance and overall environmental health.

Geological conditions favoring pond formation in Gwadar: The high sedimentation rate in the Makran subduction zone is attributable to the interaction of tectonic processes, uplift, erosion, river discharge and climatic factors. The convergence plates and the associated geological dynamics create an environment conducive to the rapid accumulation of sediments in the study area. The buildup of sediment shortens the useful life of the reservoir. Therefore, large dams in the study area have shorter estimated lifespans due to the increased sediment load in the rivers and reservoirs. For instance, high sedimentation caused the Akra Kaur dam (17000 acre-feet), which supplied water to Gwadar city and neighbouring towns, to lose 70% of its storage capacity, despite its construction in 1995 and estimated life of only 30 years.

Water quality of ponds:

Statistical parameters: pH indicates the relative concentration of hydrogen and hydroxyl ions in water. Water with a higher concentration of hydrogen ions is acidic, whereas water with a higher concentration of hydroxyl ions is essential. The estimated pH (7.1-8) of 26 pond water samples is within the specific range (6.5-8.5) set by the World Health Organization.

The study area’s Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) range between 170 and 1200 mg/l, with an average TDS value of 463 mg/l (Table 2). Except for sample no. 19 (Bundi Kappar), which has a TDS value of 1200 mg/l, slightly higher than the limits set by the WHO and NSDWQ Pakistan, the remaining 25 samples had TDS values within the limits set by the WHO and NSDWQ Pakistan.

Table 2: The physiochemical parameters of the pond water samples.

Caroll proposed four classes of water based on TDS values.

• Freshwater with TDS 0-1,000 mg/l.

• Brackish water with TDS between 1,000-10,000 mg/l.

• Saline water with TDS from 10,000 to 100,000 mg/l.

• Brine water with TDS>100,000 mg/l.

According to Caroll classification, most of the studied samples (25) fall into class 1 (freshwater), with only one pond water sample classified as type 2 (brackish water), whereas no water sample belongs to class 3 (saline water) and class 4 (brine water).

The EC of the pond water samples varies from 240 (μS/cm) to 1550 (μs/cm), with a mean value of 702 (μs/cm). Except for one pond water sample (1550 μS/cm) out of 26, all values are within the WHO maximum permissible limit of 1500 μS/cm.

The EC classification divides water into six types:

• Non-saline if EC<700 μS/cm.

• Slightly saline if EC is between 700 and 2,000 μS/cm.

• Moderately saline if EC exceeds 2,000 but less than 10,000 μS/cm.

• Highly saline with EC values from 10,000 to 25,000 μS/cm.

• Very highly saline if EC values are between 25,000 and 45,000 μS/cm.

• Brine water with EC greater than 45,000 μS/cm.

Type 1 (non-saline) accounts for 65.39% of pond water samples, while type 2 (slightly saline) accounts for 34.61% of the studied sample. Whereas no sample value of the study area is categorized into moderately saline (type 3), highly saline (type 4), very highly saline (type 5) or type 6 (brine water) (Figure 3 and Table 3).

Figure 3: The EC, TDS and pH of different pond water samples in the study area.

Table 3: The basic statistical parameters of pond water samples in the Gwadar district.

Conclusion

The TDS values of the pond water samples rose from 170 mg/l to 1200 mg/l within an average of 463 ppm and the EC values varied from 240 μS/cm to 1550 μS/cm within an average of 702 μS/cm. The average pH was 7.4 and varied from 7.1 to 8. The average depth, surface area and volume of the ponds in the study area were 1.95 m, 10670 m2 and 11 acre-feet, respectively.

The pond water of rural areas of Gwadar is analyzed to assess its quality for drinking purposes. The pH, TDS and EC values of studied pond water samples are within the permissible limit of WHO and NSDWQ Pak. However, Sample no. 19 is slightly saline (1550 μS/cm) and has TDS concentrations of 1200 mg/l. This slightly high salinity of the pond water sample may be due to the catchment area's geology, the pond's low height about mean sea level and its closer location to the sea in the study area. The analysis findings show that the pond water at the research location is fresh.

The variability in pond water quality is relatively low, as indicated by the low standard deviations. This may be influenced by the geology of the catchment area and the elevation of the ponds above mean sea level. In contrast, the measurements of pond height (m), surface area (m2), average depth (ft) and volume show significant variability in the dataset, which may depend on water demand.

In the Gwadar district, rural ponds sustain rural communities, enhance their livelihoods and well-being and strengthen social and cultural advantages. Nevertheless, ponds, being smaller than rivers and lakes, continued to be largely absent from provincial and national water policies. The policy circle has yet to recognize the contributions and potential of ponds due to their small size, vulnerability to drought and inadequate data about ponds in the study area. Therefore, ponds are undocumented and lack environmental regulations in the province. Despite the significant roles and provision of nature-based solutions by ponds, they have failed to seek attention from conservationists, water resource managers, climate scientists and environmentalists in water policies.

Conversely, ponds in the arid rural Gwadar areas provide many benefits to the locals, recognized as Nature's Contributions to People (NCP). These ponds offer a variety of nature-based solutions for the sustenance of local communities and their livestock, including the provision of food and drinkable water, adaptation to climate change, management of water scarcity, carbon storage and other diverse ecosystem services like flood mitigation, biodiversity hotspots, water purification and recreational areas. The study area's arid climate and geological conditions also promote pond formation. Accordingly, the ponds in the research region are pertinent to the rationale of the land. Therefore, it is crucial to consider them as an integral part of the water framework policy to ensure sustainable development and effective water management. By properly conserving, managing and increasing the number of ponds, we can enhance water storage, boost the socio-economic status of rural dwellers and provide practical solutions to water scarcity. This research will help policymakers, water conservationists, hydrologists, water managers and engineers understand ponds' potential as nature-based solutions in drought-prone rural areas of Gwadar district, Baluchistan.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the local communities of Gwadar district for their support and cooperation.

Funding

This research received no external funding.

Contributions

Both authors played a crucial role in designing and conceptualizing the study. Pazeer Ahmed wrote the main manuscript and prepared all the tables, while Nadeem Ahmad Usmani created the maps. Both authors visited the study sites, collected primary data, and observed how the community relies on ponds and the role these ponds play in the area. Both authors also reviewed the manuscript.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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