Initiative to reduce human-wildlife conflict

Aims to cut retaliatory actions against endangered species, promote sustainable coexistence

ISLAMABAD:

To protect common and snow leopards in Pakistan and improve local livelihoods, the World Wide Fund for Nature-Pakistan (WWF-Pakistan) and Jubilee General Insurance Company Limited signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the WWF-Pakistan office in Islamabad on Tuesday.

The initiative is designed to address human-wildlife conflict, especially between the local communities and leopards in the northern areas of the country, where it will offer insurance coverage to livestock owners.

The pilot programme will be implemented in select parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), where attacks on livestock by wildlife have become a major cause of conflict, threatening both the livelihood of local communities and the population of the endangered big cats.

By providing financial protection to farmers and herders, the scheme will help in the reduction of retaliatory actions against wildlife, which often harm endangered species and disrupt conservation efforts. The scheme will serve as a safety net in regions like KP and GB, where wildlife conservation and farming coexist in a delicate balance. This initiative addresses a critical need for protection and will help safeguard biodiversity in Pakistan's significant ecosystems, ensuring that the human-wildlife conflict does not undermine years of conservation work.

"The signing of this MoU marks a milestone in our ongoing efforts to reduce human-wildlife conflict," said WWF-Pakistan's Director General Hammad Naqi Khan. "This partnership brings a fresh perspective to wildlife conservation by recognising the interconnectedness of human livelihoods and species protection.

By offering this insurance, we are directly supporting the conservation of wildlife and protected areas while providing financial security to communities who have long coexisted with nature.

"We are excited to partner with WWF-Pakistan on this important initiative," said Azfar Arshad, COO at Jubilee General Insurance. "Today's MoU is a significant step in our commitment to ensuring the livelihoods of local farmers while supporting the conservation of Pakistan's rich biodiversity. We believe this insurance scheme will pave the way for long-term, sustainable solutions to human-wildlife conflict and complement the conservation efforts of protecting endangered species."

This scheme is expected to create long-lasting positive effects for farmers, herders, and wildlife populations. By reducing the financial burden on rural communities, the initiative will promote a more balanced and less adversarial relationship between people and wildlife. This, in turn, will allow both local populations and species to thrive in the same ecosystem, ensuring long-term conservation and economic sustainability.