‘Loss of biodiversity may increase pandemics’

Experts say once secluded Kalash Valleys facing commercialisation threat

The panel of a national webinar on Saturday urged the federal and provincial governments to check rapid urbanisation in forest areas, unplanned housing projects, ruthless commercial development, practice of unlawful change of land-use and the timber mafia to reduce the fast diminishing biological diversity and green cover.

The forest cover has reduced to less than two per cent of the country’s land mass, and the loss of forests and biological diversity has multiplied the impact of climate change in different forms of emergencies and disasters.

These experts were expressing their views at a webinar, ‘Covid-19,  Climate Change and Biodiversity – our all solutions are in nature’ on Saturday in connection with the International Day of Biological Diversity that is commemorated on May 22 by all the signatories of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Development Communications Network (Devcom-Pakistan) and DTN had jointly organised the webinar.

Advisor to Prime Minister on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam while delivering policy statement and Pakistan’s compliance of the United Nations Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD) said the federal government has taken several steps to ensure biodiversity conservation.

Environmentalist Ashiq Ahmad Khan said: “Most of the wildlife issues are related to illegal trade and poaching that occur in places where supervisory staff is either lacking or where community is non-cooperative.”

Sayed Gul said the invasion of traders and other non-local elements have increased illegal and unplanned construction and illegal hunting in the Kalash valleys.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 24^th, 2020.