Expert calls for preserving biodiversity

Islamabad : Pakistan stands among 20 most polluted countries with increased global warming in northern areas, rapid melting of glaciers, deforestation and water depletion destroying the flora and fauna of lands once enriched with wildlife and therefore, we are in dire need of preserving biodiversity with the help of the Global Biodiversity and Health Big Data Alliance.

This was stated by Dr Amir Ali Abbasi from the Department of Bioinformatics, Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU), who represented Pakistan and QAU in the global platform of the BHBD as co-founding member in Beijing, China.

The meeting was attended by the representatives of China, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Thailand.

Dr Amir said the BHBD Alliance as an initiative of International Union of Biological Sciences (IUBS) was aiming to construct a world-class biodiversity and Health Big Data Center containing a variety of repositories and knowledge bases that were publicly accessible to worldwide communities.

It will also promote the level of participation and influence of BHBD in global biological research.

Pakistan as a co-founding member of this Alliance will ensure to inform scientific communities within its territory about the Alliance activities and promote its aim.