Dragonflies face increasing survival threats

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Dr. Farrukh Chishtie

Dragonflies are more than beautiful insects flashing over ponds and canals. They are guardians of freshwater health. When dragonflies disappear, it is often a warning that wetlands are being pushed beyond safe limits by pollution, habitat loss, and water mismanagement.

Every living being serves an ecological purpose, from the tiniest organisms to the largest species. Dragonflies, members of the insect order Odonata, play key roles in wetland ecosystems. Pakistan has many natural and manmade wet areas, including rivers, lakes, reservoirs, canals, marshes, and seasonal pools, and dragonflies have long been part of that living system. Today, their survival is increasingly at stake due to the same pressures damaging Pakistan’s water and air.

Dragonflies are carnivorous predators with strong mouthparts. Their life cycle is closely tied to freshwater, because their young stages develop in water before emerging as adults. This connection makes them excellent indicators of wetland health. As hunters, dragonflies help keep populations of many insects in check, including mosquitoes and biting flies. They do not attack humans, yet they are fierce and efficient predators that patrol wetlands and surrounding vegetation, reducing the chance that pest populations explode unchecked.

Dragonflies are also remarkable athletes of the insect world. Their agility and speed are legendary. Popular scientific descriptions note that some dragonflies can fly at impressive speeds and can maneuver forward, sideways, and backward with ease. Their endurance is equally astonishing. The species Pantala flavescens, often called the global skimmer, is known for long-distance, multi-generational migrations across regions, including routes linked to the Indian Ocean and beyond. Recent research continues to explore these migration pathways and the role of winds and rainfall patterns in shaping them.

Their eyesight is another marvel. Dragonflies have very large compound eyes that dominate the head and provide them with near-complete visual coverage of their surroundings. This visual advantage helps explain why they are such successful hunters. Scientific observations have described dragonflies as having exceptionally high hunting success rates under natural conditions, making them one of the most effective aerial predators among insects.

Globally, scientists now describe freshwater biodiversity as being under extreme stress. In January 2025, the IUCN reported that one quarter of assessed freshwater animals are at risk of extinction, with major threats including pollution, dams, and water extraction. This is relevant to dragonflies because they are freshwater-linked insects, and freshwater decline is accelerating across the world. A 2025 scientific warning paper on dragonflies noted that a significant share of dragonflies is threatened, and highlighted habitat loss, landscape transformation, and pollution as key drivers.

Pakistan’s situation fits these global patterns. Water bodies are pressured by sewage, industrial discharge, agricultural runoff, dumping, and in some places by the destructive combination of water extraction and habitat disturbance. Wetlands that once supported rich insect life are shrinking, becoming contaminated, or losing vegetation. When these habitats degrade, dragonflies suffer first, and the ecosystem loses one of its natural insect-control services.

A Pakistan-based example remains especially instructive. Research by Jehangir Khan, Saifullah, and Ahmed Zia on dragonflies in Tehsil Chamla and Daggar of District Buner, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, highlighted how local industry can damage wetland life through pollutant release, contributing to population decline. The details of threats can vary from place to place, but the lesson is consistent. When pollution enters air and water, it eventually shows up as biodiversity loss.

There is also a scientific gap Pakistan should not ignore. Dragonfly species documentation is improving across South Asia, and regional checklists have been produced that include Pakistan as part of broader Odonata baselines. Yet monitoring is still limited in many districts, and without regular surveys it becomes easy to lose species quietly without ever recording the decline.

What can be done is not mysterious. Authorities can begin with enforcement of existing environmental laws and standards, especially for industrial discharge into waterways. Monitoring and penalties must be real, not symbolic. Water bodies near industrial zones, including marble processing areas and other high-risk sectors, should be routinely tested and publicly reported. Wetland vegetation and buffer zones should be protected rather than cleared. Community reporting should be encouraged, because citizens often notice changes in local ponds and streams long before institutions react.

Dragonflies are not only an “insect story.” They are a freshwater story, a pollution story, and a public health story. When dragonflies thrive, wetlands are often healthier. When they vanish, we should treat it as an alarm. Protecting dragonflies means protecting the water systems that support life across Pakistan.