About Biodiversity Programme:

Though rich in biodiversity, Pakistan today is faced with severe threats to its biological resources. The greatest concern is the continuing loss of species and fragmentation and degradation of natural habitats. Many native species of animals and plants are either threatened internationally or of national concern. Main causes of biodiversity loss and degradation of natural habitats are largely human induced associated with rapid growth in human population and the prevailing poverty in the rural landscape of Pakistan. Over-harvesting, overgrazing, deforestation, soil erosion, desertification, water logging, land conversion, agriculture intensification, alien invasive species, and chemical pollution are all contributing to degradation of biological resources of the country. In addition, weak governance system, low literacy rate and meager resources are the main reasons for lack of effective control over biodiversity use and limited success in conservation measures taken so far.

In the newest conservation and environmental concepts, the emphasis is on using biodiversity to contribute to, rather than compete with, efforts to fight poverty worldwide. This calls to review the current status of knowledge about the relationship between biodiversity and local livelihood systems, and about community integration of diverse livelihood needs in different ecosystems (terrestrial and aquatic) giving particular attention to gender differences in livelihood needs and priorities. Biodiversity programme is also integrating these concepts in its diverse ongoing voyage for biodiversity conservation by helping to develop the interface of the biodiversity and livelihood concepts in Pakistan.

Conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity is at the core of IUCN’s global mandate and it represents the most important technical area of work within the Union. The IUCN Pakistan’s Biodiversity programme works in accordance with the global, regional and national biodiversity conservation mandates, needs, agreements and in close coordination with the various leading environmental institutions in Pakistan especially Ministry of Environment at the federal level as well as government and non-government institutions at provincial and local level. It brings species, protected areas and sustainable use concerns together with the social, economic and political dimensions of biodiversity. The main thrust of the programme is to help implement the Pakistan Biodiversity Action Plan in accordance with other biodiversity conventions.

The objectives of IUCN’s work on biodiversity are three-fold. First, the Union aims to ensure the conservation, sustainable use and equitable sharing of the benefits derived from the use of biological resources, through the implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD); second, IUCN aims to promote synergies between various international agreements; and third, IUCN works to ensure the integration of biodiversity into key agreements and processes.

Currently the programme in Pakistan is implementing the CBD, CITES and other biodiversity protocols in Pakistan by providing technical support to all stakeholders in Pakistan working for the conservation of biodiversity, sustainable use and benefits arising from it; working to strengthen the Protected Areas systems and increase its management effectives in Pakistan as well as to raise the capacity of the local institutions in biodiversity conservation, building baseline information on Protected area’s biodiversity; building capacity, awareness on the key factors and components of biodiversity; putting and developing biodiversity as an important element in the ongoing local level environmental initiatives and putting links on biodiversity conservation. The programme also helped the implementation of provincial level biodiversity action plan needs by developing the guidelines for NWFP under the national level biodiversity action plan.

It has already initiated the preparation of the first national Red Lists and completed the Red Lists on the Pakistan’s Mammals recently by using the CBSG’s CAMP Approach. The freshwater biodiversity assessments are also underway where initial assessments are completed and review of the information is under process. Other emerging areas developing field guides illustrating techniques for the investigation of species, and building invasive alien species information base and human capacity for their appropriate control.