Pakistan & Gulf Economist

Rethinking the ocean management of blue economy and the future of Ports and shipping logistics in Pakistan

A nationwide campaign of Bahria University to promote Blue Economy

Shipping logistics represents a person or company who contracts to transport cargo from the port or place of discharge of a sea-going or ocean-going ship to another destination by a different means of transport, such as a feeder vessel, truck, train and Glossary of Port and Shipping Terms etc.

The Indian Ocean is a vital part of the economies, livelihoods and cultural identities of the States which border or lie within its boundaries. Fisheries, offshore oil and gas, tourism and maritime industries are already making a significant contribution to the economies of the Indian Ocean states. New opportunities are appearing in these established sectors and new emerging sectors which will require a cooperative approach to capture and exploit in a sustainable manner. The ocean does not recognize geopolitical boundaries and many of its ecosystems and much of its biodiversity are cross-border which can give rise to competitive exploitation.

Development of efficient ports and optimizing maritime routes are key elements to harnessing opportunities from and facilitating international trade, enhancing connectivity and boosting economic growth in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond. With 90 percent of value of global trade carried by ships, economic growth is intricately linked to maritime transport activities and overall performance of the shipping and related industries. It is estimated that there are about 50,000 merchant vessels registered in 150 nations. Aside from the volume of goods traded through ports, the number of passengers traveling by ferries and cruise ships are on the rise. While the value of global trade has slowed down somewhat in recent years, there is continued upward trend in cargo and bulk shipping and explosive growth of the cruise industry. Gwadar Port has huge potential of transforming not only the Blue Economy of Pakistan, but also the game changer for the entire region.

seaport

Pakistan is one of the most strategically significant countries in the region. The geo-strategic position of Pakistan will play a vital role in the future regional economic outlook. For China, the strategic location of Pakistan is vital in formulating its future strategy in the region and, therefore, China and Pakistan have agreed on constructing the economic corridor from Gwadar to Kashghar. CPEC will help reduce sea transportation distance by more than 4,500 nautical miles from Shanghai to major ports of the Gulf region. Gwadar was a small fishing town. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) conducted a report on the coastal line of Pakistan in 1954, which identified Gwadar as an appropriate site for building a sea port without much financial cost. Later, Pakistan purchased Gwadar from the Sultanate of Oman in 1958 and included it as its territory. It was in 1964 that the Government of Pakistan decided to transform Gwadar into a world class sea port.

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Other examples of ports are Port of Pasni, Port of Karachi, Port of Keti and Port of Qasim.

Many of the region’s economies are much in need of an integrated transport system and it is necessary to look at linkages between ports and inland transport systems. In addition to at-the-port logistic services such as cargo handling and storage, there are other facilities associated with port operations such as improving supply chain management at ports, customs facilitation, and hinterland transport. If Pakistan can improve its ports and shipping logistics. Once the developments happens other countries are likely to act in the economic interest of Pakistan, as they provide an excellent opportunity to upgrade its infrastructure and increase revenues to invest in economic revival. This is an opportunity which the Pakistani government cannot afford to miss. The future is bright for Pakistan.

[box type=”note” align=”” class=”” width=””]Ms. Urooj Aijaz (Faculty H&SS Dept) & Noman Ullah Syed (Student of BS-Economics) Bahria University Karachi)[/box]

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