Protected Areas Initiative (PAI) will help in preserving the distinctive wildlife species like snow leopard, markhor in the North, Blue Sheep, Urial, Marcopolo sheep and blind dolphin
Special Adviser to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam Friday said the government would establish 15 national parks in three years under Protected Areas Initiative launched by the Prime Minister.
Addressing the media on Friday, he said that money has been transferred to the provincial governments to operate these nature sanctuaries which will prove to be a national asset.
Aslam said that national parks will also offer tourism, which in turn will generate jobs and income for the local communities too.
He was addressing a media briefing nd highlighted the core aspects of the project and target areas to be focused in implementation of the project.
Amin said that there were nine new national parks identified under the Protected Areas Initiative project where job generation, local community development, ecological and wildlife preservation would be ensured.
The adviser noted: "Prime Minister Imran Khan has decided that no development will be allowed in the protected areas as they are restricted to avoid damages to the natural habitat. The current area of protected areas is 12 per cent and the PM has decided it to augment it to 15 per cent which will be substantial increase in the forest cover."
He said Pakistan was blessed with natural resources and 12 ecological zones that make it one of the unique countries with exotic biodiversity. Everything can be grown here but the nation is not benefiting from these blessings of the Almighty and also not preserving for the coming generations.
He added that from the world's second highest point K-2 to down the sea level in Karachi it is full of nature and biodiversity. "The project costs round Rs4 billion where special allocation has been made in this year's budget and current financial years funds have been transferred to the provinces for implementation of the project," he added.
Aslam mentioned that these protected areas were identified in the 1970s by George Scaller of the World Conservative Society including Kirthar and Lal Suhanra national parks but lacked organized governance system.
The adviser added that the national parks under Protected Areas Initiative would be made model national parks whereas a National Park Service would be established that would comprise of youth. "As many as 5,000 jobs would be created under this initiative where the local communities residing in the vicinity of these national parks would be given due share in this regard. The aim of this project is to ensure eco-tourism through national parks as the world over national parks had strong linkage with sustainable and eco-friendly tourism."
He went on to mention that proper legislation was required to regulate these national parks where Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa had devised its regulations and Punjab Cabinet had also approved its laws and would be consequently ratified by the provincial assembly.
He added that every national park would have its conservation fund whereas the local communities would be engaged to take ownership in preserving the national parks as their own reserves. "Prime Minister Imran Khan before his venture into politics wrote about dwindling wildlife resources and under pressure forest cover in his book 'The Indus Journey' whereas this initiative is response to that book," he added.
PAI, he said would help in preserving the distinctive wildlife species like snow leopard, markhor in the North, Blue Sheep, Urial, Marcopolo sheep and blind dolphin etc. "There has been record maintained in prior regimes regarding these wildlife species for enlistment as the world identifies such species. This is Prime Minister Imran Khan's vision.
The adviser also noted that the Prime Minister was also given update on mega cities' master plan including the provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and others. "The agricultural land has been consumed into the urban areas and green cover has been ripped off in many cities in the name of development which would be halted to avoid food security, ecological and environmental threats taking place due to rapid and unplanned urbanization.”
Published in The Express Tribune, July 4th, 2020.
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