IUCN, SECMC ink agreement

KARACHI: The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SECMC) formalised a joint collaboration to undertake biodiversity conservation in Thar at a ceremony on Friday, a statement said.

The first initiative under this partnership aims at protecting endangered vulture species in the region through both in-situ and ex-situ methods of conservation over a period of three years, it added.

The project entails establishment of a Vulture Conservation and Breeding Centre (VCBC), as well as training to Thari communities on preserving and protecting vultures in their natural habitat.

External factors, which have contributed to the steep decline in the vulture population, such as the administration of harmful drugs like Diclofenac to livestock, will also be addressed, it said.

The ceremony was attended by the Ministry of Climate Change, officials from the Sindh Forest and Wildlife Department, private sector representatives, conservation experts, academicians, as well as civil society, it added.