Story | 25 May, 2018

Celebrating 25 Years of Action for Biodiversity - A message by Mahmood Akhtar Cheema, Country Representative of IUCN Pakistan

The International Day for Biological Diversity Day is being celebrated today all over the world to mark the importance of Biological Diversity on this earth. The theme for the year 2018 is "Celebrating 25 Years of Action for Biodiversity" stresses on the actions taken at the national and international levels for conserving the Biodiversity.

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Photo: ACCA-WWF Pakistan

Pakistan is bestowed with abundant natural resources starting from Himalayan glaciers, lush green plains, fascinating wilderness to golden-sand beaches along its coasts. Pakistan is also a rare country that hosts 10 agro-ecological zones. 

Since it established its offices in Pakistan, IUCN Pakistan has been instrumental in facilitating the federal government in realizing its international commitments. The most recent example is the declaration of the first  Marine Protected Area of Pakistan – Astola Island. IUCN Pakistan facilitated the process of bringing together all the stakeholders that included: the Ministry of Pakistan; Government of Balochistan; Pakistan Navy; National Institute of Oceanography; WWF-Pakistan; Indus Earth Trust; and Sindh Forest and Wildlife Department.

Another recent example is development of the National Action Programme to Combat Desertification in Pakistan - a task for aligning the National Action Programme (NAP) with the 10-year strategy of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. The process of developing NAP was led by IUCN Pakistan which involved engaging key stakeholders at the federal and provincial levels. IUCN has also been instrumental in developing the Pakistan National and Provincial Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans for achieving Aichi Biodiversity Targets and Sustainable Development Goals. 

IUCN Pakistan was also the main partner of the then Ministry of Environment for developing the first Biodiversity Action Plan for Pakistan in the year 2000 which was an important milestone and a major step towards conservation of Biodiversity in the country. 

The Coordinating Council of UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Programme in 2010.  The designating process was initiated by IUCN Pakistan under its UNDP funded project titled: Mainstreaming Biodiversity Conservation into the Juniper Forest Ecosystem Production in collaboration with the Balochistan Forest and Wildlife Department with UNESCO Pakistan’s financial support under One UN Programme in consultation with all the stakeholders, local communities and other relevant government departments. 

In the past some of the successfully implemented programmes and projects of Pakistan for conserving the Biodiversity in Pakistan include: Conservation green turtles along Pakistan’s coasts; conserving vanishing vultures in Tharparkar; conservation of fresh water turtles and the world renowned trophy hunting programme of Pakistan under IUCN’s MACP Programme has helped in increasing the dwindling population of Markhor in Pakistan. It also worked benefitted the local communities through promotion of herbal and medicinal plants.

Keeping in view the immense variety of wildlife, flora and fauna in Pakistan it is extremely difficult for a single entity to salvage the species are on the verge of extinction. It is important for every person being the custodian of the natural wealth to take every possible measure that protects and conserves nature. Since every species has a distinct role on this earth, it is therefore important that every species must survive.