Miani Hor. 10/05/01. Balochistan. 55,000 ha. 25°24'N 066°06'E. A large shallow sea bay and estuarine system with several low-lying islands and extensive mangrove swamps and intertidal mud flats, separated from the adjacent Sonmiani Bay in the Arabian Sea by a broad peninsula of sand dunes. The site is the only area of Pakistan's coast where three species of mangroves (Avicennia marina, Rhizophora mucronata, and Ceriops tagal) occur naturally. The Hor receives freshwater input from a number of seasonal streams rising in the hills of eastern Balochistan to the north. The site is important for large concentrations of waterbirds. Smaller fish, shrimp, and crabs are abundant and are both consumed locally and brought to market. The area is archaeologically interesting: Balakot, 16 km to the northeast, was once home to a thriving civilization which flourished around 2000 BC. Domestic waste disposal and accumulated solid waste debris (plastic bags and bottles, etc.) are growing problems. Both IUCN-Pakistan and WWF-Pakistan are very active in the region, in collaboration with local communities, and WWF launched a wetland visitors' centre on World Wetlands Day 1999. Ramsar site no. 1068. Most recent RIS information: 2001.