DesertCon 2015: Conference on desert conservation from today

Moot will focus on impact of climate change on Cholistan Desert.

A 20-member delegation from Islamabad left for Bahawalpur  to attend a conference on desert conservation at the Islamia University Bahawalpur.

The moot will begin on Monday (today) at the varsity’s old campus, said a press release issued on Sunday.

The event is being organised by the Development Communications Network (Devcom-Pakistan) in collaboration with Islamia University Bahawalpur and World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Pakistan.

The moot is technically being supported by the Cholistan Development Authority, Bahawalpur Museum, forests and wildlife departments, Pakistan Council for Research on Water Resources and Sustainable Tourism Foundation Pakistan.

Munir Ahmed, director Devcom-Pakistan and founder of DesertCon, said the moot would engage 60 students from various universities and youth from Cholistan Desert.

He said Pakistan had five deserts including Cholistan, Indus Valley, Kharan, Thal and Thar.

Ahmed said Thar was suffering the most at present due to drought and famine that had led to health crises.

He said that despite many interventions, the impact of climate change was taking its toll in the Cholistan Desert.

Before it’s too late, we need to engage civil society especially youth, experts, academia and media to work together to review engagement of various partners in different sectors in Cholistan Desert, Ahmed said.

The DesertCon, he said, would create a replicable model of joint initiative to engage various stakeholders and development partners in public policy and outreach to sensitise general public and push the policymakers and parliamentarians to seriously oversee their engagement on hardcore challenges confronting deserts. WWF Director General Hammad Naqi Khan hoped that the moot would be the first strong initiative to push for desert development strategies.

Beenish Khan, a university student from Peshawar, said the moot would certainly help create awareness about the challenges confronting the deserts in the country.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 9^th, 2015.