BAHAWALPUR City News

Call to make integrated development strategies for deserts
From Our Correspondent
BAHAWALPUR: The First Pakistan Moot on Desert Conservation in Cholistan was inaugurated at the Abbasia Campus of the Islamia University Bahawalpur on Monday.
The moot was organised by a local NGO in collaboration with the Islamia University Bahawalpur and the WWF. The moot was technically supported by the Cholistan Development Authority, Bahawalpur Museum, Forests and Wildlife departments, Pakistan Council for Research on Water Resources and Sustainable Tourism Foundation Pakistan. Speaking on the occasion, IUB acting VC Dr Asghar Hashmi welcomed the participants of the moot and said that it was need of the hour to make integrated and consistent strategies for conservation and development of resources within the desert for sustainability of local resources. Cholistan Institute of Desert Studies director Dr Shazia Anjum urged for desert studies that could help to launch and promote development and livelihood integration. NGO representative Munir Ahmed said that the moot had engaged 60 students from different universities and community youth from the Cholistan Desert. Munir Ahmed said that deserts of the world were threatened by a combination of human exploitation and climate change that could within decades wipe out many unique habitats and rare species. He said that despite of many interventions, the impact of climate change was taking its toll in the Cholistan Desert. WWF Director General Hammad Naqi Khan in a message appreciated the initiative and believed that the moot would be the first strong initiatives to engage urban and the community youth to push forward the desert development strategies. Beenish Khan, a student of the PEF University, Peshawar, said that the moot would certainly help to create awareness and raise voice about the challenges confronting the Pakistan deserts. Sadia Noreen from the Bahawalpur Museum, Cholistan Development Authority director Rana Shahid Nadeem and other speakers stressed for integrated development strategies for the deserts. The experts said that the desert communities were worst-hit by the climate change impact. They asked the government to take immediate steps to engage a consortium of development partners for sustainable natural resource management, agriculture and livestock, development and conservation of water resources. They also urged for the development of desert ecological and culture tourism.