Efforts to expand protected areas coverage by 15% till 2023

Islamabad: The climate change ministry will introduce new initiatives to meet the target of expanding the coverage of the protected area to at least 15 percent by 2023.

According to the details, the modalities are being sorted out to prepare proper ecological management plans, introduce effective governance through community-led conservation funds and further increase the scope of National Parks Service.

The funding line for the Protected Areas Initiative has been secured with Rs4 billion already earmarked by the government, of which 92 percent is targeted to be spent on nature jobs and increasing livelihoods through the engagement of indigenous communities living within this nature reserves.

The expansion of protected areas in Pakistan would also, help protect rare and endangered wildlife species that are facing extinction due to the loss of natural habitats.

The first phase of the Protected Areas Initiative, had to focus on 15 national parks that made up a total of 7,300 square kilometres, spanning from Khunjerab in the north to the area around Astola Island in the south.

The government has also planned to generate some 500,000 jobs especially for youngsters under Protected Areas Initiatives such as park guards and custodians.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam has said that the Protected Areas Initiative aims to guide organizations, agencies, and local communities to collaborate and harmonize their sustainability efforts towards developing new protected areas.

He said “Protected and conserved areas have proved to be essential management tools for conserving biodiversity. They also contribute towards human wellbeing and sustainable development.”

The purpose of the Protected Areas Initiative is to address two national challenges including introducing effective governance and management mechanisms for all the notified protected areas and to increase protected area coverage to ensure the conservation of biodiversity, he said.