Research stressed to curb over-exploitation of forest, wildlife resources

ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam has said that boosting research in the country can significantly help stem over-exploitation of forest and wildlife resources and promote their sustainable management.

Talking to the media, he said that low policy priority, lack of development vision on the part of forest planners and managers and shortage of funds have long blocked efforts for conservation and protection of the forest and wildlife resources.

“Given the reasons of research and monitoring gaps, the forest and wildlife resources, which feed various socio-economic goals including poverty reduction, environmental development and climate change resilience, have suffered only over-exploitation, increasing country’s vulnerability to climate change-induced disasters, air pollution and loss of overall biodiversity in the country,” he said.

He emphasised that removing the constraints to the enhanced forestry and wildlife research is vital to enabling research institutions and researchers to plug the forestry research gaps to meet sustainable forestry and wildlife for achieving various socio-economic and environmental development goals.

He said that as part of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s vision and programmes for protection and conservation of ailing forestry and wildlife resources, a national forest and wildlife research and monitoring centre has been established in picturesque Nadi Bunglow forest area of Balakot town in Mansehra district.

The forest and wildlife research centre has been jointly established by the Ministry of Climate Change and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Forest and Wildlife Department, in collaboration with the UN-funded Sustainable Forest Management project.

Pakistan is home to rich and diverse flora and fauna in a wide range of habitats from sea level to high elevation areas in the mountains, including around 177 mammal and 660 bird species. “I pushed for the case with the Prime Minister and persuaded him for establishing a much-needed forest and wildlife research center, which could meet global research standards and help protect and conserve the country’s forest and wildlife resources,” he said.