Biodiversity conservation status in Pakistan - A review
Biodiversity conservation status in Pakistan - A review
Maqsood Anwar1, Abdul Wahid Jasra2 and I. Ahmad3
ABSTRACT
Pakistan possesses a variety of world's ecological regions due to its immense latitudinal and altitudinal variations. These regions include the coastal mangrove forests of the Arabian Sea as well as some of the highest mountains of the world. This diversity contains variety of habitats and landscapes that support a rich faunal and floral biodiversity. During the last two-three decades, a number of animal and plant species have become threatened or endangered mainly due to over-exploitation and loss of natural habitat. Deforestation, overgrazing, soil erosion, salinity and water logging have become major threats to Pakistan's remaining biodiversity.
The Government of Pakistan being aware of the situation recognized the importance to protect country's environment and prepared the National Conservation Strategy (NCS) in 1992. Pakistan also became a party to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in 1994. Under the obligation of CBD, a Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) has been approved by the Government of Pakistan in 2000. Protected Areas System has also been established for in-situ conservation of biodiversity throughout the country. Pakistan Environmental Protection Act 1997 provides legal protection to the overall environment in Pakistan. While keeping in view the biodiversity scenario in Pakistan, a situational response has been proposed in this paper.
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