Devcom Webinar Suggests Nature Conservation Emergency In Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 20th May, 2023 ) :Speakers at a webinar have urged the government to impose emergency for nature conservation to protect green and agricultural lands for safeguarding 260 million people from climate impact, water and food insecurity.

They said that the unsustainable housing policies and timber mafia were the biggest threats to the green and agricultural land of Pakistan, causing immense threats to ever-rapidly decreasing forests and biodiversity.

The webinar on 'The State of Pakistan's Forests and Biodiversity and the way forward' was organized by the Development Communications Network (Devcom-Pakistan) on Saturday, said a news release.

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.

ZB Mirza said: "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. Timber foresters and ecologists need to resolve their conflicts on sustainable approaches. The depletion of forests is causing soil erosion, diminution of microbes, reduced fertility, and subsoil water and biodiversity." Rab Nawaz from WWF, commenting on the Pakistan's progress on the Convention of Biological Diversity, said that there had been some great successes in bending the curve such as the Indus Blind Dolphin where the population is recovering slowly but surely.

The national animal of Pakistan, the Kashmir Markhor had been brought back from the verge of extinction, he added. "This is only possible when departments, civil society organizations and communities come together and join hands," he noted. Highlighting the challenges, Rab pointed out that though some species were doing well, there were a few that are dangerously close to extinction such as the Great Indian Bustard and the Arabian Humpback Whale.

Munir Ahmed said Pakistan's all ecological zones were suffering because of rapid urbanization and unsustainable development and the nexus of unwise influence.

It's time to voice the conservation emergency all over the country including Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.

Dr Muhammad Abdullah said the Cholistan desert was facing the challenge of ever fast increasing population, livestock and permanent housing. The barren desert was being converted into cultivable land that would wipe off all the desert species, he cautioned.

To explore and conserve natural resources and alleviate the sufferings of inhabitants of Cholistan desert, the Islamia University of Bahawalpur had established the Cholistan Institute of Desert Studies (CIDS), he informed, adding the Institute had initiated many useful projects for the exploration and utilization of desert's resources.

Muhammad Moazzam Khan said with a long coastline, Marine Biodiversity supports a large seafood industry of Pakistan that produces about 450,000 metric tons of fish and shellfish which is a source of export earnings of around US $ 480 million annually. "It is a major source of livelihood for coastal communities living along the 1,000 km coast and provides employment to about 10 million people. It contributes about one percent to the national GDP and 4 percent of the Agriculture GDP," he added.

Moazzam said Pakistan's marine biodiversity was being threatened by uncontrolled commercial fishing operations in coastal and offshore waters using some deleterious fishing gear and undesirable practices.

"Trawling for fish and shrimp and use of gillnets are most dangerous fishing gear which has led to the destruction of habitat for fishes and shellfishes and marred with bycatch of some endangered, threatened and protected species including turtles, sharks and dolphins," he stressed. Increased pollution from the metropolis of Karachi has led to the elimination of marine life around some areas of Karachi. Dumping of about 400 million gallons of untreated sewage, both industrial and domestic, in the ocean is one of the threats which affects marine life along the coast of Pakistan.

Azhar Qureshi said, "Agro biodiversity plays a crucial role to conserve the environment, restore our ecosystems, mitigate climate change and foster food security.""Our agrobiodiversity is getting seriously affected due to rapid urbanization, chemical pollution through industries, deforestation and melting of glaciers," Azhar warned.