KARACHI: Speakers on Tuesday called for a sustainable management of the existing natural resources to safeguard and alleviate economic prospects and livelihood of vulnerable communities in the Indus Delta ecoregion.
They also proposed collaborative efforts for green businesses and biodiversity conservation in Sindh.
“It is high time to integrate conservation in businesses and establish and forge alliances with the private sector willing to invest in bankable projects,” Rab Nawaz, Senior Director Programmes, WWF-Pakistan said at the launch of ‘Dutch Fund for Climate and Development (DFCD) Indus Delta Ecoregion Landscape Initiative (IDELI).’
The IDELI is jointly implemented by WWF-Pakistan and the Sindh Enterprise Development Fund (SEDF) of the Investment Department, Government of Sindh.
The idea behind this investment-based conservation model is to bring forth and implement innovative, self-sustaining, for-profit conservation models in the Indus Delta ecoregion, Rab Nawaz said
He said the Indus Delta ecoregion has ranked 40 amongst the most biologically rich G200 ecoregions of the world. It harbors riverine forests along the Indus, wetlands, mangrove forests in the coastal areas, and desert ecosystems that occupy the periphery of the ecoregion.
Stressing on collaborative efforts, he urged the business community to support nature conservation and called for bringing innovation in sustainable management of natural resources, and diversifying alternative livelihood opportunities for the marginalized and climate vulnerable communities across Sindh.
Zahid Ali Abbasi, Secretary Investment Department, Government of Sindh said the department has played a vital role in providing a conducive environment for attracting investment and is keen to boost the country’s growth prospects.
He also said through the SEDF, the department has been supporting businesses in multiple sectors; including fisheries, agriculture, livestock, and energy; which are linked to natural resource management and are incredibly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.
Therefore, the department’s mandate is very much aligned with the DFCD initiative to promote nature-based bankable projects/businesses, he said.
“We need to create synergies amongst key stakeholders and develop bankable projects with private sector entities and ensure that these deliver conservation outcomes, while simultaneously making a return on investment,” he added.
Raphaele Daeu, Market Advisor, Landscape Finance Lab virtually briefed the participants on the landscape approach. She said that to achieve sustainable landscapes and forests, multi-scale collaborations are essential amongst the stakeholders.
The sustainable landscapes help to meet the principles of sustainable development defined in the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). “Landscape programmes are multi-purpose tools that combine and integrate resource management for different users and objectives to solve problems in more efficient ways,” she remarked.
Through partnerships amongst different stakeholders in the Indus Delta, WWF-Pakistan aims to enhance coordination in nature-based initiatives, build capacities and develop synergies for the betterment of the environment and the protection of wildlife and critical habitats.
While thanking the participants, Nadeem Khalid, President, WWF-Pakistan said this initiative would serve as a leading example for institutional partnerships and will deploy public and private capital in well-designed and impactful climate-friendly bankable projects.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
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