FAO Pakistan urged to gear up SMD agenda

Islamabad : Speakers at the closing ceremony of the 7th Pakistan Mountain Festival voiced for a vigorous and integrated Sustainable Mountain Development. They said the changing climate impact could only be reduced with enhanced community resilience. The inclusive and participatory conservation with the ownership of the local communities would be the only solution to the fast degrading mountain ecosystems and habitats.

Pakistan Mountain Festival is an annual flagship thematic advocacy festival of Development Communications Network (Devcom-Pakistan) to raise awareness on challenges confronting our mountains and the communities. Devcom-Pakistan organised several activities and events spread over a span of three weeks with the support of its partners including United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Pakistan Environment and Energy wing, World Wildlife Fund (WWF-Pakistan), Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA), Institute of Environmental Sciences and Engineering (IESE) of the National University of Science and Technology (NUST), Devcom Centennial Leo Club (IDCLC), Ibex Club and the Adventure Club. All the partners were given away mementos of the festival while some of the participants were also awarded certificated of appreciation for the active and productive engagement in the 7th Pakistan Mountain Festival activities and events.

Speaking at the closing ceremony Devcom-Pakistan Executive Director and founding director of Pakistan Mountain Festival said, the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, having a broader mandate and scope of work, should lead the an inclusive Sustainable Mountain Development (SMD) agenda in Pakistan. He said the Mountain Partnership, established in 2002 by the FAO, UN Environment, and the governments of Italy and Switzerland, has a clear roadmap for the mountain conservation and development since its inception but unfortunate lacks implementation in the developing countries such as Pakistan.

Munir Ahmed said, in the 5th Global Meeting of the Mountain Partnership convened last week in Rome (Italy) a ‘Framework for Action’, stating the global vision and action programme, has been developed to ensure Sustainable Mountain Development (SMD) across the globe. FAO Pakistan needs to adopt it and take up energetically, and gear up SMD interventions. He urged the FAO Pakistan to establish national secretariat of the Mountain Partnership for integrated interventions and sustainable implantation of the ‘Framework for Action’. Aarish Naseem, UNDP Programme Officer, said the UNDP has long history of investments in the mountain environment, conservation of natural resources, and for the well-being of the mountain communities. She said the UNDP and partners would continue with the sustainable development agenda to ensure Pakistan to achieve its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

WWF-Pakistan Programme Officer Muhammad Waseem said the conservation of nature is very important for the sake of wildlife too. There the protection of ecosystems and habitats are very essential. The local and provincial governments need to act proactively. Esam Khattak, CEO of the Ibex Club, said engaging youth in adventure activities help in sensitizing them

|about the unique characteristics of the mountain and their importance.