KARACHI: Ahead of International Wildlife Conservation Day, observed globally on 4 December, WWF-Pakistan has urged the government to strengthen its commitment to protecting the country’s rapidly declining wildlife.
The call comes as the world continues to face a deepening biodiversity crisis driven by climate change, habitat loss, pollution, and overexploitation. According to WWF’s Living Planet Report 2024, global wildlife populations have fallen by an average of 73% since 1970—an alarming trend demanding urgent action.
Pakistan has experienced similar declines. Several iconic species—including tigers, lions, cheetahs, and rhinoceros—have disappeared from the country over the past few centuries due to poaching, shrinking habitats, and environmental degradation.
WWF-Pakistan, the nation’s largest conservation organization, has been working since 1970 to protect terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems. Through collaborations with government agencies, civil society, researchers, the private sector, and local communities, the organization has contributed to notable recoveries of species such as the Indus river dolphin, snow leopard, and markhor.
This year marks 25 years of WWF-Pakistan’s sustained efforts to protect the Indus river dolphin. Over this period, research, rescue operations, habitat conservation, and community involvement have helped nearly double the dolphin’s population—one of the region’s most significant conservation achievements.
Hammad Naqi Khan, Director General WWF-Pakistan, said the 2025 theme, “Wildlife Conservation Finance: Investing in People and Planet,” emphasizes the need for stronger and more consistent funding from both federal and provincial governments. He added that the private sector, philanthropists, and civil society also have vital roles to play. “Protecting wildlife is ultimately about safeguarding our own future,” he said.
Muhammad Jamshed Iqbal Chaudhry, Wildlife Practice Lead at WWF-Pakistan, warned that illegal wildlife trade continues to threaten species ranging from reptiles and birds to mammals. He noted that WWF-Pakistan works closely with enforcement agencies to strengthen the national response through training, intelligence sharing, and awareness campaigns.
Addressing marine conservation, Muhammad Moazzam Khan, Technical Advisor WWF-Pakistan, stressed that marine ecosystems often receive insufficient attention in national planning. He highlighted WWF’s work in generating scientific data on marine mega fauna, promoting sustainable fishing, and advocating for marine protected areas.
“Through our collaboration with fishing communities, we have helped eliminate dolphin mortality in certain fishing gears—a number that once reached into the thousands,” he said, calling for greater investment in marine conservation to ensure healthy oceans.
As the world prepares to observe International Wildlife Conservation Day, WWF-Pakistan reiterated that wildlife protection must be treated as a national priority requiring long-term investment, science-based policies, and collective responsibility.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025