Experts for declaring nature conservation emergency
Experts have urged the government to declare a nature conservation emergency in Pakistan to safeguard the population from the adverse effects of climate change such as water scarcity and food insecurity.
Nature conservation was discussed at a national webinar titled “The State of Pakistan’s Forests and Biodiversity and the way forward” which was organised by the Development Communications Network (Devcom-Pakistan) on Saturday.
In the webinar, speakers talked about how the unsustainable housing policies and timber mafia were the biggest threats to the green forests and agricultural land of Pakistan. They reiterated that it was causing immense threats to ever rapidly decreasing forests and biodiversity of the country. They further said that the mountain resources are threatened particularly despite several sustainable development and conservation. Pakistan needs to eliminate the highhandedness of the mafias that are over-exploiting natural resources, chopping off forests and damaging ecological habitats and systems. Strict implementation of the legislation is urged to wipe off the hindrances to nature conservation.
The keynote speakers included Pakistan’s well-known and oldest biodiversity scientist ZB Mirza, and WWF-International Senior Expert on Area-based Conservation Rab Nawaz. Other guest speakers were Devcom-Pakistan Executive Director Munir Ahmed, Director Cholistan Institute of Development Studies (CIDS) at Islamia University Bahawalpur Dr Muhammad Abdullah, AJK conservation expert Aftab Hussain Bokhari, marine biodiversity expert Moazzam Khan, eco-conservation expert Azhar Qureshi and National Defense University graduate Mahrukh Khan.
In the webinar, ZB Mirza said that Pakistan’s water resources are depleting fast with degradation of forests and biodiversity despite several conservation efforts and best practices. The conflicts between the stakeholders have added to the vulnerability of the natural resources. Moreover, timber foresters and ecologists need to resolve their conflicts on sustainable approaches. The depletion of forests is causing soil erosion, diminution of microbes, and reduced fertility of subsoil water and biodiversity.
On the other hand, Rab Nawaz from WWF commented on the progress that Pakistan has made on the Convention of Biological Diversity said that there have been some great successes on bending the curve such as the number of Indus Blind Dolphins where the population is recovering slowly but surely. The national animal of Pakistan, the Kashmir Markhor has been brought back from the verge of extinction. He continued to point out that this is only possible when departments, civil society organisations and communities come together and join hands.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 21st, 2023.