The ad hoc coastal development projects, which have been conceived and proposed in total disregard to environmental concerns, pose a serious threat to marine biodiversity and the livelihoods of 500,000 fishermen, besides putting human life at risk. The Sindh-Balochistan coast is very much vulnerable to cyclones and floods and implementation of such projects, without proper scrutiny by independent experts, is like inviting disaster. These views were expressed at a seminar, Coping with coastal and marine challenges: pan-Asia learning, organised by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) at a local hotel on Monday. Expressing concern over the depleting marine resources and lack of government efforts to formulate a strategy in this regard, environmental experts said it was high time that a coastal marine protection plan and law was developed and implemented to conserve what little marine resources had been left. Pakistan desperately needs to learn from international experiences, which have shown that natural disasters increased in recent years and the destruction was aggravated in countries with poor development planning and vulnerability caused by humans. "The environment is no more a luxury. It's a matter of life and death and any negligence on our part could seriously jeopardize the well-being of vulnerable communities. It must be made a top priority and relevant issues and information need to be integrated at all levels of policy-making,' said Ali Raza Rizvi, IUCN's regional group head in Colombo. He said many of the mistakes, which were made during the tsunami response, were repeated in the Pakistan earthquake recovery plans and more recently in Myanmar and China. This was because people had not understood the link between ecosystems and the role of goods and services for the livelihoods and well-being of humans. About the projects proposed for beach-front development in Karachi, he said: "We have already seen cyclones hitting coastal areas, while sea intrusion is a reality. Dubai is not exposed to cyclones, but Sindh and Balochistan are. Initiating projects at the waterfront and others by endangering marine biodiversity and destroying natural barriers is like facilitating disaster. Investment should be made into enhancing communities' resilience for disasters, especially in the coastal areas,' Mr Rizvi observed. Unsustainable development Criticising the mindset behind what he called so-called development projects, Shahid Ali Khan, a leading architect, said that the authorities are deriving inspiration from the most unsustainable of all cities