Steps underlined to conserve wetlands

PESHAWAR: Speakers at a seminar here on Monday stressed the need for creating awareness among students to own and encourage conservation measures for wetlands to combat the impact of climate change and avoid loss of biodiversity.

The seminar was arranged by Environment Society of University of Peshawar (UoP) at the Department of Environmental Sciences to mark World Wetlands Day under the theme of ‘Wetlands and Biodiversity’ as approved by the Ramsar Convention on wetlands. Attended by faculty members and students of the university, the seminar was addressed by Prof Dr Hizbullah Khan, Dr Shahla Nazneen, Dr Nafees, Dr Asif Khan Khattak, Atif Rahim and others.

Dr Hizbullah said environmental chemistry of wetlands was changing which was affecting biodiversity on a large scale. “Eutrophication in wetlands is an emerging problem that needs to be addressed properly,” he added.

Dr Shahla Nazneen spoke about the Ramsar Convention under which a total of 19 sites in Pakistan are considered as wetlands. She added wetland biodiversity conservation could be achieved under the 4th Ramsar Strategic Plan (2016-2024). Asif Khan, who serves as the organiser of the environment society, said wetlands were important ecosystems and their biodiversity was under threat in the country. “The wetlands conservation also contributes to achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13: Climate Action, SDG 14: Life below Water, and SDG 15: Life on Land,” he added. Dr Nafees said wetlands associated with Kabul River in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were shrinking after being converted into agricultural land, which was leading to biodiversity loss. He counted pollution as an important factor damaging the ecosystems.