Protected areas increased to 15%
The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Wildlife Department has achieved its target of increasing the protected areas from 10 per cent to 15 per cent of the total area of the province with the aim to conserve, protect and increase wildlife and other biodiversity.
The province has now nine national parks, 87 community game reserves, 38 public game reserves, five conservancies, three wildlife sanctuaries, two wildlife refuges and four sites of special scientific interest with an accumulative area of more than 1,564,000 hectares which make 15.38 per cent of the total area of the province.
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This was revealed at the second meeting of K-P Wildlife and Biodiversity Board held here with chief minister Mahmood Khan in the chair.
The meeting was informed that progress was being made to declare some other suitable places of the province protected areas which include Rakh Topi National Park, Gusarrh National Park, Bashqar Gol Biosphere Reserve and Koh-e-Suleman Conservancy.
Speaking on the occasion, CM Khan noted that enhancement of the protected areas up to the set target was a “big achievement” of the provincial government.
He directed the authorities concerned to take necessary measures to increase the protected areas to ensure the conservation of wildlife especially the endangered species.
Provincial Minister for Forest and Environment Ishtiaq Urmar, Special Assistant to CM on Information Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif, chief secretary Dr Shahzad Bangash, Principal Secretary to CM Amjad Ali Khan, Secretary Forest and Environment Muhammad Abid Majeed, administrative secretaries and officials of wildlife department attended the meeting.
The board approved financial assistance to the employees of Wildlife Department in case of death or injury during official duty on the analogy of monetary assistance admissible to other civil servants.
The board also approved to set up Biodiversity Fund as provided in the relevant act for sustainable interventions for the protection and conservation of biodiversity.
Moreover, the board conditionally approved honorarium on annual basis for zoo staff keeping in view the fact that it performed duties round the clock.
The chief minister ordered opening the zoo only for families on weekends and to take necessary measures to protect animals from harsh weather conditions and diseases.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 13th, 2022.