Tag: WWF – Pakistan

Lahore, March 28, 2023 (PPI-OT): WWF-Pakistan, in partnership with Engro Foundation, hosted a seminar to highlight the need for greater collaboration between research organizations and academia. The seminar enabled participants to understand the importance of the socio-economic uplifting of the fishermen communities that reside along the coastal areas of Pakistan.

The seminar titled ‘Improving Linkages between Academia/Research Organizations and Coastal Communities’ was attended by scientists from the Centre of Excellence in Marine Biology and Institute of Marine Sciences, University of Karachi; Faculty of Marine Sciences, Lasbela University of Agriculture, Water and Marine Sciences, Jinnah University for Women and Small and Medium Enterprises Authority. Speaking on the occasion, Ghazi Salahuddin, Director (Sindh and Balochistan) WWF-Pakistan, welcomed participants and highlighted WWF-Pakistan’s role as a research-based conservation organization that continues to work closely with the academia and research organizations and seeks to benefit from their findings in the implementation of various initiatives.

Altaf Sheikh, Senior Manager WWF-Pakistan, outlined various activities being undertaken by WWF-Pakistan in partnership with Engro Foundation for improving the living conditions of the coastal communities. Muhammad Moazzam Khan, Technical Advisor, WWF-Pakistan while stressing the need for research on the challenges faced by the fishermen communities, pointed out various initiatives that have been implemented for the improvement of the said sector based on research conducted by scientists and academicians in Pakistan. A total of 12 scientific papers were presented by the participants.

For more information, contact:
Head Office,
WWF – Pakistan
P.O. Box 5180, Ferozepur Road, Lahore, Pakistan
UAN: +92-42-111-993-725
Tel: +92-42-35855145-50
Fax: +92-42-35862358
E-mail: info@wwf.org.pk
Website: http://www.wwfpak.org/

Lahore, February 17, 2023 (PPI-OT):The recent escape and dramatic capture of a common leopard in a residential area in Islamabad is a stark reminder of the urgent need for effective wildlife conservation and management efforts in Pakistan. The leopard is a protected species and keeping it in private ownership is already illegal. WWF-Pakistan strongly condemns the practice of keeping wild animals such as leopards and other big cats as pets, and also demands an investigation to identify the source of acquisition of this leopard as well as strict action against the owner.

WWF-Pakistan is concerned only with the conservation of endangered species and endorses the implementation of the Guidelines of Acquisition and Management of Big Cats in Captivity which were approved by the Ministry of Climate Change as part of the CITES Management Authority in 2011. These guidelines prohibit keeping big cats and taking big cats to public places in a cage or on a leash.

Leopards are apex predators and play an essential role in maintaining the ecological balance in their natural ecosystem. They are meant to roam freely in the wilderness and not be confined to small spaces or kept as domesticated animals. Keeping wild animals in captivity not only causes immense physical and psychological stress to the animals but also poses a significant risk to human safety.

WWF calls for strict laws to be implemented against the illegal trade of wild animals and the practice of keeping them as pets. There is a need for the introduction of new laws in the country that prohibit the keeping of wild animals such as tigers and lions as pets, which also drives illegal wildlife trade.

WWF believes that everyone has a role to play in the conservation of wildlife, and we encourage all citizens to report any instances of wildlife trade to concerned authorities while also demanding for more robust laws that protect animals from illegal trade and trafficking. Presently, not all the existing provincial wildlife protection acts offer legal protection to exotic wildlife species which is a major limitation towards regulating and monitoring their trade.

Despite the huge scale of trade of big cats in Pakistan, the country still lacks established mechanisms for monitoring the scale and scope of their trade and their captive management, including carcass disposal and ownership when specimens expire in private facilities.

WWF-Pakistan has previously flagged several cases of big cats kept in residential areas and their open displays in public places. The organization urges the consideration of following a SAFE System approach to address this issue at a holistic level which integrates the safety of humans and their assets, wildlife, habitats and ecosystems, while assessing and addressing key conservation threats, as well as gaps in legislative and policy frameworks.

Provincial wildlife departments need to establish a separate cell for animal handling and rescuing on an urgent basis and build the capacity of field staff involved in the rescue and release of wild animals, which has previously not been adequately incorporated into the existing wildlife management systems. Simultaneously, coordination and harmonization of efforts of different departments is also critical to handle such issues better in future – this will help in countering misinformation and unwanted panic in the future.

For more information, contact:
Head Office,
WWF – Pakistan
P.O. Box 5180, Ferozepur Road, Lahore, Pakistan
UAN: +92-42-111-993-725
Tel: +92-42-35855145-50
Fax: +92-42-35862358
E-mail: info@wwf.org.pk
Website: http://www.wwfpak.org/

Lahore, December 17, 2022 (PPI-OT):WWF-Pakistan has been working with the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) in the rescue and protection of pangolins in recent times. After the IWMB rescued two pangolins (an adult and a juvenile) from poachers involved in their illegal trade, last week, WWF-Pakistan proposed the idea of installing radio telemetry transmitters on them with the help of PMAS Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi. The subsequent installation of radio telemetry devices was successfully done on 13 December.

Poaching and illegal wildlife trade of the Indian pangolin are the main threats that are driving the decline of this endangered species in Pakistan. These threats are exacerbated mainly due to the lack of awareness as pangolins are seen as agricultural pests along with other negative perceptions among the local communities. This has led to their poaching.

WWF-Pakistan aims to strengthen in-situ pangolin conservation by enhancing law enforcement capacity, improving community awareness to effectively protect this species, and implementing a series of conservation interventions for pangolins via different projects.

Telemetry methods are a reliable tool for gathering data on species’ area use and survival rates and will prove to be an efficient technique in finding out the home range of Indian pangolins. Telemetry-based methods have been applied to most pangolin species but this is the first time that this method has been used on the Indian pangolin in Pakistan.

For more information, contact:
Head Office,
WWF – Pakistan
P.O. Box 5180, Ferozepur Road, Lahore, Pakistan
UAN: +92-42-111-993-725
Tel: +92-42-35855145-50
Fax: +92-42-35862358
E-mail: info@wwf.org.pk
Website: http://www.wwfpak.org/

Karachi, November 29, 2022 (PPI-OT):Data collection through modern digital technology is key to managing and conserving fisheries resources in Pakistan. Standard data about fish stocks, their abundance, and diversity would help in informed decision-making and implementation of the fisheries policies in the Arabian Sea. This was stated by the speakers during the training workshop titled ‘Using Fisheries Data Collection Mobile Application’, where they stressed on the collection of fisheries data using latest digital tools to develop evidence-based fisheries policies, plans, and strategies.

The workshop was attended by 25 government officials from the Sindh Marine and Coastal Fisheries Development Department and Marine Fisheries Department (MFD) at a local hotel on Tuesday, 29 November 2022.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Ali Muhammad Mastoi, Director General Sindh Marine and Coastal Fisheries Development Department, said Pakistan is endowed with rich marine biodiversity. The data about fisheries resources is essential for the formulation of plans and strategies for the conservation and management of the fisheries. He said involving fisheries staff and fisher communities in the data collection would contribute towards bridging the knowledge gaps and help improve our understanding of fisheries abundance in Pakistani waters.

He lauded the efforts to integrate digital tools in data collection, emphasizing that this initiative’s replication in the coastal areas of Pakistan, particularly Karachi, Thatta and Badin districts, would render better results.

While Favad Soomro, Head of Engro Foundation, said that, “At Engro, we work to solve the most pressing issues of Pakistan, and we believe that the information collected through this endeavour will be invaluable in understanding and conserving biodiversity within our coastal ecosystems.”

He added that the foundation’s partnership with WWF-Pakistan is of utmost importance, and the research, community involvement, and conservation efforts being carried out play a crucial role in converting fisheries to sustainable methods that are not in conflict with our rich biodiversity.

Altaaf Sheikh, Manager Conservation WWF-Pakistan, said that WWF-Pakistan, with the support of Engro Foundation, has created and piloted the first-ever Mobile Application for Fisheries Data Collection in Pakistan, which now needs to be mainstreamed at the policy level.

“For this purpose, we have arranged a training programme for fisheries staff and local fishers to brief them about the mobile application and its importance as a collaborative approach to the conservation of the fisheries resources in coastal areas of Sindh.

This initiative aims to bring different stakeholders to one platform, build capacity on the latest data collection tools, and share experiences.” He also said that the data collected through mobile applications could be used for stock assessment, strategic planning, conservation, and harvesting of fisheries resources.

He emphasized that compliance of national and international fisheries regulations can only be improved through the authenticity and credibility of fisheries data that can be ensured through regular monitoring and assessment.

WWF-Pakistan, with the support of the Engro Foundation, has been implementing the Sustainable Fisheries Entrepreneurship Project in two coastal union councils of Karachi since 2016. Through this project, the organization has built the capacity of fishers on sustainable fishing practices and the promotion of alternative livelihood options.

For more information, contact:
Head Office,
WWF – Pakistan
P.O. Box 5180, Ferozepur Road, Lahore, Pakistan
UAN: +92-42-111-993-725
Tel: +92-42-35855145-50
Fax: +92-42-35862358
E-mail: info@wwf.org.pk
Website: http://www.wwfpak.org/

Islamabad, August 20, 2022 (PPI-OT):The Ministry of Climate Change, in collaboration with WWF-Pakistan, organized a project inception workshop at Serena Hotel, Islamabad, to launch the ‘Preparation of Pakistan’s Third National Communication (TNC) under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)’, and create awareness among relevant stakeholders about its key components and themes.

Pakistan ratified the UNFCCC in June 1994 and was among the first South Asian countries which realized the need to control the anthropogenic contribution to global climate change and the need to respond effectively to its adverse impact. Under Article 4(1) of the UNFCCC, each party is required to submit periodic ‘national communications’, reporting an inventory of greenhouse gas emissions by sources and removals by sinks, a general description of measures taken or envisaged by the Convention and any other information considered relevant to its objectives.

This TNC will be a follow-up from the Second National Communication that was submitted by Pakistan in 2019 and the First Biennial Update Report, submitted in April 2022 to the UNFCCC. It will entail how the country has been implementing the Convention, whilst also highlighting critical issues, constraints and capacity requirements for climate mitigation and adaptation.

During this opening statement, Hammad Naqi Khan, Director General WWF-Pakistan said that “In the last few months alone, we have witnessed heat waves, forest fires, GLOFs, and altered rainfall patterns- all manifestations of climate change. This is why it is extremely important that this exercise is done to revisit our policies and strategies, identify gaps, and try to plug them to mitigate and adapt to the realities we are facing today.”

The main implementing partners, including Global Change Impact Study Centre (GCISC), National Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (NEECA), Pakistan Council for Renewable Energy Technologies (PCRET) and WWF-Pakistan gave an overview of their planned project activities under seven thematic working groups of the TNC.

Speaking at the event, Joudat Ayaz, Additional Secretary Ministry of Climate Change shared that if steps were not taken to control climate change, by 2100, our coastline would be somewhere between Karachi and Hyderabad, resulting in environmental crises and massive internal migration. He also added that till last year, Pakistan saw an average of four to five GLOF events, whereas this year alone, there have been 17 such events.

“Till about a decade ago, it was thought that environmentally sustainable policies and actions are a priority for rich countries. But it is equally important for developing countries. At the national level, the MoCC is prioritizing this and has initiated programmes like TBTTP, restoration of mangrove forests, the Clean Green Pakistan movement, the global methane pledge, the electric vehicle policy, etc.”

In the closing remarks, Muhammad Farooq, Joint Secretary Development, Ministry of Climate Change said “Mitigation and adaptation remain the top challenges for us. While we are addressing the mitigation side through a number of projects, we need to work hard on adaptation, specifically at the provincial and local levels where people in the lowest strata of society are suffering the consequences of climate change. Similarly, on the governance side, we need to work more on coordination and implementation.”

The one-day event was attended by relevant departments of ministries, including but not limited to the Ministries of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, National Food Security and Research, and Water Resources; public/private organizations, INGOs/NGOs, and academia.

For more information, contact:
Head Office,
WWF – Pakistan
P.O. Box 5180, Ferozepur Road, Lahore, Pakistan
UAN: +92-42-111-993-725
Tel: +92-42-35855145-50
Fax: +92-42-35862358
E-mail: info@wwf.org.pk
Website: http://www.wwfpak.org/

Karachi, August 20, 2022 (PPI-OT):Smart and innovative solutions to conserve water, energy and other natural resources in textile and leather sectors can help reduce adverse environmental impacts, provide cost-saving opportunities and enhance overall revenue of industries. These solutions should be implemented in the industrial sector at a larger scale across Pakistan’.

This was stated by speakers during the media briefing workshop organized by WWF-Pakistan under its 6-year International Labour and Environmental Standards Application in Pakistan’s SMEs (ILES) project, funded by the European Union.

The project is implemented in four major cities across Pakistan; which include Karachi, Lahore, Faisalabad and Sialkot; and aims to support the economic integration of Pakistan into the global and regional economy by increasing exports through improved compliance and gaining confidence of international buyers.

Speaking on the occasion, Rashid Ahmed, Manager ILES WWF-Pakistan shared the project’s successes and highlighted that the project contributed towards the reduction of carbon emissions and chemical usage and promoted the efficient use of energy resources.

He further said that over 21 textile and leather industries in Pakistan have collectively saved 226.39 million rupees by implementing sustainable environmental management practices introduced by these initiatives. To enforce environmental laws and standards in Pakistan, the project built the capacity of relevant government officials and financial institutes.

Textile and leather sectors, despite being the two largest export earning sectors of the country, face several challenges such as compliance issues, availability of the raw material, and international market competition. He lauded the efforts of the government for approving a new textile policy, which envisages to double its export target up to USD 42 billion over the next three years.

Ashiq Ali Langah, Director Technical, Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) said that the agency, in collaboration with WWF-Pakistan, has drafted the Cleaner Production Policy which is the first of its kind in the industrial history of Pakistan.

He said that the policy aims at providing technical and professional support to industries to adopt sustainable practices, environmentally sound processes and equipment in line with international standards. He was of the view that Sindh faces several environmental challenges but consolidated efforts are required to tackle them in time. He emphasized on the need to improve the law enforcement mechanism in the province.

Furqan Ullah, Manager Compliance and Sustainability at one of the leading textile industries shared that the textile industry is facing multiple challenges, including gaps in environmental laws, lack of guidelines on carbon emissions, poor handling of resources and waste disposal. Through the ILES project, many of the issues have been addressed while some still need to be considered.

The textile and leather sectors are key drivers of Pakistan’s economy and represent the bulk of industries which provide employment to a considerable population. However, the industries employ potentially pollution-intensive processes with water discharge and use of chemicals deemed harmful for the environment. The ILES project is striving hard to build the capacity of the public and private partners, providing them with technical support to achieve sustainable industrial growth.

For more information, contact:
Head Office,
WWF – Pakistan
P.O. Box 5180, Ferozepur Road, Lahore, Pakistan
UAN: +92-42-111-993-725
Tel: +92-42-35855145-50
Fax: +92-42-35862358
E-mail: info@wwf.org.pk
Website: http://www.wwfpak.org/