Our Nature, Our Wealth, Our Future

Khunjerab National Park,  Hunza, Gilgit Baltistan 

The World's Nature Conservation Day is observed every year on 28 July. This day is a reminder that we need to give back to the nature. Nature provides enough to satisfy every man's needs, but not every man's greed. We are  utilising natural resources at an exthaustable rate and their conservation is critical for our survival. 

In wildness is the preservation of the world.

Protected areas(PAs) are proven cornerstones for the conservation of nature and sustainable development strategies. For Pakistan, National Conservation Strategy of 1993 was a major landmark of start of conservation of natural resources and wildlife. 

George Schaller, the pioneer for protected areas movement in Pakistan convinced prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto to create the National Park at Khunjerab (G-B) which was followed soon by one at Kirthar (Sindh) and at Lal Soharna (Punjab) around 1970s. Since then, there are around 398 "notified" protected areas in Pakistan which include 31 national parks, 92 wildlife sanctuaries, 97 game reserves, 19 wetland reserves and 160 community reserves. But only 157 protected areas are "recognized by IUCN".

Lal Suhanra National Park   Bhawalpur- Pakistan's first National park est. 1972.

Astola island, Pakistan's first decleared marine protected area-est. 2017.

At present, prime minister Protected Areas Initiative is working towards expanding the protected areas coverage to at least 15% by 2023. The initiative was inaugurated with the announcement of 15 national parks, covering a land area of over 7,300 square km including the northern mountains, shrubland and southern coastline which also include Pakistan’s first marine protected area, the Astolla island. Seven of these national parks are set to be registered for enlistment under IUCN’s “Green List for Protected Areas” which is considered as the international  standard for management of national parks.

Although the protected area cover of Pakistan seem to have expanded form 12% in 2018 to 13% at present, there is still alot to overcome. Furthermore, conservation seem to be more focused towards land than coastal waters which is really alarming. There is dire need to expand protected area coverage twice the rate it is being done to ensure future ecosystem sustentation.

The most important thing we can do to save nature, is to dramatically expand our efforts for establishing protected areas and making sure that critical ecosystems remain undisturbed.