Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The Climate Change secretary has pledged to stem biodiversity loss in the country in collaboration with all provincial forest and wildlife departments and non-governmental organisations.

“We must realise that loss of biodiversity in all parts of the country that has speeded up alarmingly and many wildlife and plant species are on the verge of extinction,” the Secretary Syed Abu Ahmad Akif stressed while addressing a concluding ceremony of the three-day national awareness-raising and training workshop on ‘Biodiversity conservation, Access to Genetic Resources and Fair and Equitable Sharing of the their Benefits under the United Nations’ Nagoya Protocol’ on Sunday, said a press release.

The International Day for Biological Diversity was also celebrated by the Climate Change Ministry to highlight the role of biodiversity conservation for poverty reduction and achieving the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals. The goals were adopted last year on September 25 and are to be achieved by year 2030.

The Biological Diversity Day is celebrated every year on May 22nd. This year it is being marked under the theme ‘Mainstreaming Biodiversity; Sustaining People and their Livelihood.’

The workshop and biodiversity day was organised by the ministry in partnership with the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) under its GIZ Biodiversity Khyber Pakhtunkhawa Project and German cooperation organisation.

The secretary informed the gathering of biodiversity, wildlife, forest, water experts, and conservationists that halting biodiversity loss should be taken as a national duty.

He emphasised, “We must understand that biodiversity is the foundation for the life and for the essential services provided by ecosystems. It underpins peoples’ livelihoods and sustainable development in all realms of socio-economical activity, including agriculture, forestry, fisheries and tourism, among others. By halting biodiversity loss, we are investing in people, their lives and their well-being.”

Pakistan provides habitats for 188 mammal species, out of which six are endemic and 20 are threatened with extinction. There are 666 bird species, out of which 25 are endangered. As many as 174 reptile species are found in the country, 13 of them ranked as endemic species. The reptiles include 14 turtles, one crocodile, 90 lizards and 65 species of snakes. Besides, there are 22 amphibians, nine of them declared endemic.

The total 198 fresh water fish species exist in the country and 29 of them endemics. So far more than 5,000 species of invertebrates have been identified. In addition, there are over 5,700 species of flowering plants, with over 400 species endemic in the country.

The country is also home to 26 national parks, 96 wildlife sanctuaries and 93 game reserve areas. He said that increasing population, spontaneous, reckless urbanisation, deforestation and overexploitation of natural resources are the main causes of the biodiversity loss.

However, the climate change secretary urged the biodiversity experts to prioritise the prevention of the threatened species first from becoming extinct by protecting them from threats like habitat loss due to unplanned urbanisation, population growth and pollution. The Climate Change Ministry’s Inspector General of Forests, Syed Mahmood Nasir, in his inaugural speech said, biodiversity is an important cross-cutting issue in the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

He said that the Goal 15 explicitly recognises the significance and benefits of putting an end to the biodiversity loss and recognising the importance of biological diversity for fighting poverty, providing food and fresh-water, and improving the life.

Syed Mahmood Nasir stressed, “It is critical that we make progress in mainstreaming biodiversity and transforming how societies value and manage it.” The Climate Change Ministry Biodiversity Director, Raja Naeem Ashraf, informed the participants that the ministry has hammered out a draft National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP).

While talking about the aims of draft plan, Ashraf said, “The draft plan or NBSAP aims to check the biodiversity loss by conserving and protecting the wildlife and plant species, restore ecosystems and promote sustainable use of natural resources for the wellbeing of the present and the future generations.”