Saving the environment: Govt to revise biodiversity plan
“A workshop would be held in the first week of December to hash out new biodiversity targets and strategies for Pakistan,” WWF-Pakistan Executive Director Dr Ejaz Ahmad told The Express Tribune on Saturday.
He said there was a need to review previous targets to identify loopholes and gaps which made them unachievable.
The environment ministry, which has since been devolved to provinces, had prepared a comprehensive biodiversity action plan (BAP) in 2000 in collaboration with WWF-Pakistan and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN-Pakistan).
The BAP provided a brief assessment of the status and trends of existing biodiversity in Pakistan and outlined strategic goals and objectives. It was prepared in consultation with stakeholders including the government, academia and civil society.
The existing BAP was made up of 13 components corresponding to articles of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) which, under Article 6, requires member countries to develop national strategies for conservation and sustainable use. Article 6 also calls for integrating such plans and strategies into relevant sectoral plans.
The importance of conserving biological diversity in the wake of climate change has been outlined in various government policies and programmes, but no concrete actions have been taken so far.
Pakistan covers a significant number of the world’s ecological regions that support a rich variety of species contributing to the overall biodiversity of the country. These vulnerable resources, however, are continuously depleting due to unsustainable use. Some of them are already on the verge of extinction.
The losses and fragmentation of natural habitats are affecting biodiversity in rangelands, forests, deserts, freshwaters and marine ecosystems.
Environmental experts fear that the toll of climate change on biodiversity will worsen in coming years and calls for immediate response and solid action towards conservation of these resources in the country.
“Steps to conserve biodiversity were taken but results have not been visible, because there are too many environmental issues and limited resources,” said Ahmad.
He said that the government should increase budgetary allocations for environmental issues.
However, WWF-Pakistan Director Biodiversity Uzma Khan said the country has made progress in conserving biodiversity, as populations of Markhor, Ibex, Indus Dolphin and mangrove forest cover have increased significantly over the last 10 years.
She said the organisation has been maintaining 15 vultures in the Changa Manga forest since 2007. They also replaced four birds that died. “Vultures take a long time to pair and start breeding…there is a need to strengthen our forest polices and protect forests from degrading,” she said.
Forests Inspector General Mahmood Nasir said Pakistan’s progress in forest conservation is satisfactory, while warning that “success depends on political ownership at the highest level. Otherwise, forests may disappear”.
The IG said illegal logging and smuggling presents an immediate threat to the country’s biodiversity.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 23rd, 2014.
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No matter how small or big efforts are made in every nook and corner of the world to conserve the biodiversity, the efforts must go on.
No one has talked about population pressure on natural resources but demamded more budgetary allocation and aid for the purpose . Promote family planning or be ready to face the consiquences as it happened in Indian Kashmir .