Memorandum- Unawareness Regarding wildlife Biodiversity

Introduction:

In Pakistan most of the people are un-aware of the fact that forests and wildlife biodiversity is the most valuable fortune of a country, which is because of un-awareness. People are destroying nature, just for their pleasure and economic development. As deforestation is the major issue, This Deforestation is not only affecting the natural habitat, it is also leading to other problems like natural disasters and air pollution. And it is leading to the extinction of animals. Deforestation is due to population increase and also, to use land for agricultural purposes and cattle grazing. In agricultural practices, Misuse of pesticides is spreading diseases in insects, birds and aquatic life. Due to deforestation, Animals, in search of food, heads toward villages or populated areas and got Hunted or killed by people. Same way mangroves forests are threatened by land grabbers and government projects.

There are several NGOs affiliated with Wildlife departments of different provinces and WWF Pakistan is working hard to protect wildlife of country. Government has also implemented National environmental policy in 2005 to overcome these problems. However still due to un-awareness and illiteracy among people, problem still persist.

Background:

Pakistan has only less than 5% of area which is covered by forest. Which is decreasing at a constant rate.

Increased rate of deforestation in Pakistan is directly affecting the wildlife of the country because it is destroying their natural habitat; deforestation is estimated 1% annually. If deforestation is continued for another 15 years these natural resources will be totally consumed[1],

More than half of the remaining mangrove forests, more than two-thirds of riverain forests and more than nine -tenths of remaining coniferous forests occupy less than 50% of the area that they originally occupied. [2]

Deforestation is directly linked with population increase, and in order to accommodate expanding urban area trees are being cut down for use in building materials, furniture and paper products.[3]

Other than that hunting has taken deep roots in Pakistan. People are hunting animals for their pleasure which is leading to their extinction. This is happening due to weak legal structure of the country. People are also hunting animals for their skin; various reptiles like snake, lizards and crocodiles are being hunted for their skin[4] . This interference in natural order is affecting the natural cycle of biodiversity. For example increased number of animals like wild boars and jackals is directly related to the elimination of their predators, which are wild cats. And due to reduced number of snakes population of rats is increasing. This leads to post-harvest losses of grains. In nature every living thing has a very complex network of relationship, this is known as symbiosis, for example. When plants need specific nutrient, they release chemicals from their root, which attract certain microbes which produces that specific nutrient. But human interventions like using pesticides disturb this process by killing all kind of microbial organism in soil. But due to increase in population needs of modern technologies in Agriculture become essential. So the use of chemical fertilizer, pesticides and insecticides are spreading diseases in aquatic life, insects and birds.[5]There is International code of conduct for use of pesticides but due to lack of awareness in farmers, problem still persist[6]. Pesticide use in Pakistan has increased 7 fold in quantity between 1981 and 1992 pesticides use increased 1,169% in 20 years[7]

Same way these environmental problems are also affecting mangrove forests. A mangrove forest plays the most fundamental role in the breeding of fishes and other aquatic animals. Discharge of sewage and industrial chemicals in water bodies and marine water is destroying mangrove forest and aquatic life in the coastal areas.

According to Dr Tahir Qureshi of the World Conservation Union (IUCN)

 “The community people and their animals are not threats to mangroves. Marine pollution and unplanned urbanization are real threats to these plants, which may create uncertainty for the residents.”[8]

Criteria:

While considering the above mention situation, four logical criteria seem useful to determine policy alternatives: Effectiveness, Impact on humans, Impact on wild life, Promote sustainable future and. Effectiveness determines the immediate and long-term results of the given option, Impact on human will verify the awareness in people regarding care for wildlife and environment, Impact on wildlife will find out the positive results and improvements, in  biodiversity and environment, Promote sustainable future  refers to awareness regarding sustainability in new generation.

Options:

Currently we have three possible options to overcome these environmental problems. 1. The status quo option: The government can continue the present “National environment policy” and try to enforce and implement policy in stricter manner.

2. Awareness Programs option: The government should introduce awareness programs on national level. And open institutions (such as nature exposition and resource center) in different wet lands of country, or in city center as an educational fun facility.

3. Increased Wildlife Authority option: Government should increase, authority and support to all wildlife departments and their affiliated institutions and NGOs to take action against any institution or individual who tries to cross their legal limits regarding environment policy…

Analysis of options:

Status quo option: Government is trying to solve these environmental problems by introducing national environment policy, which is implemented in 2005.Govt can provide resource and power to Environment protection agency. So EPA will try to implement it in more tougher way. The implementation of the policy would not requires any additional cost and effort, however this policy have been proven ineffective to tackle the problem, and we cannot guarantee long term effectiveness in this policy.

Awareness program option: The government will open institutions in center of city. These institutions will have multiple chambers such as nature exhibition/exposition spaces (which include green houses/artificial forest and aqua centers), resource center, and research labs. And they will provide live interaction of exotic plants and animals with children and students. By this strategy people will eventually develop sympathy and love for nature, over the time. This institution will be affiliated with all wildlife institutions. And will host local and international events, which will generate revenue. This revenue can be used to support wildlife biodiversity. This awareness program will have long term positive results. And awareness in children and students will promote a sustainable future.

Increased Wildlife Authority option:

This option appears more practical because the issue of wildlife and environment protection is very holistic. When EPA and Wildlife departments got authority and power, they can resolve the issues on individual basis, by using their given power. Long term effectiveness of this policy cannot be guaranteed. Because the issue of corruption will again, raise these kinds of problems.

Measurement of policy options

Policy Options	Effectiveness	Impact on human	impact on wildlife	Promote Sustainable future	Total Marks
Status Quo	**	*	*	*	5
Awareness program option	***	***	**	***	11
Increased Wildlife Authority option	**	*	**	*	6

*more asterisk show more acceptability

Recommendation

By Analyzing the criteria provided in the above Table, The most useful option to tackle environmental problem is the Awareness program option.  By implementing this option government will be able to resolve the issue of protecting biodiversity and environment on long term basis.

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[1]  Deforestation rate alarming: Report by Peninsula -Retrieved on 4^th feb2011

http://www.illegal-logging.info/item_single.php?it_id=1482&it=news                   

[2] Pakistan Environmental Issues- Retrieved on 4^th feb2011

http://www.greenlivingasc.org/pakistan2.htm

[3] Deforestation level alarming -Retrieved on 9-feb-2011

http://splus.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/print/Environment/04-Nov-2009/Deforestation-level-alarming

[4] Threats to Wildlife Biodiversity  -Retrieved on 5-feb-2011

http://www.wildlifeofpakistan.com/WildlifeBiodiversityofPakistan/threatstowildlifeinPakistan.htm

[5] Palmer, WE, Bromley, PT, and Brandenburg, RL.Wildlife & pesticides - Peanuts. North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service. Retrieved on 2007-10-11.

[6] COUNTRY REPORT ON INTERNATIONAL CODE OF CONDUCT ON THE DISTRIBUTION AND USE OF PESTICIDES By Raashid Bashir Mazari Adviser and Director General

[7] Daily times: Use of Pesticides By Shahid Husain Retrieved on 5-feb-2011

[8] Mai Kolachi mangrove drama continues unchecked by Dr.Tahir Qureshi-retrieved on 10-feb-2011

http://www.apnakarachi.com/Mai-Kolachi-mangrove-drama-continues-unchecked.html

Education and Educational Institutions

Education is the most the most important aspect of our life. Education doesn’t only mean an institutional education. We start to educate our self from infancy by understanding our surrounding and then start to learn through our senses which construct personality. The interaction increases the chaos of understanding. and then gradually it increase our knowledge time by time,

as philosophers said that “we construct ourselves through interaction "we are what we expressed"

Learning involves interpretation, which depend on our perception, as the st.augustine picture theory defines. for example when we point the child towards the ball and we say the word "ball" child start to relate the word "ball" and that round object on which we are pointing. in the same manner gradually our intellectual level increases and then we understand and learn scientific and philosophical statements. For example we relate the word "speed" with the fast moving object. later we understand light then speed of light, then light years then relation of the mass and energy with respect to speed. and so on. So the observation and understanding seems the most important thing in scientific education. and the interaction I think is the most important thing in social education. in which the justice, beauty and goodness, discipline us

Educational institution should have a very delicate manner of teaching. teacher should understand the psychology of the students individually and focus on their point of interest.because the child only learns when he/she listen, and child only listen when he/she wants to listen. behavior of both students and teachers depends on the environment. if they r in a peaceful and calm environment they may become sleepy. so environment should have naturality like proper natural lighting ,colors ,sense feeling through ventilation ,sounds etc. because these thing directly affects the behavior and make a person active and energetic. every thing has its own psychological impact. like colors in which for example orange color make a person energetic, green color may improve vision, red increase heart beat and emotion.etc

school should have a very anthropometric design which should facilitate the needs of student.

Tahwer Mohibullah

3^rd year Architecture

sept-2009

Op-Ed

Awareness regarding wild life biodiversity and their natural habitats in Pakistan

By Tahwer Mohibullah

Pakistan is the only country which has one of the highest rate of de-forestation, this deforestation directly affects the natural habitat of wild life of Pakistan. Pakistan has only less than 5% of area which is covered by forest. Deforestation is estimated 1% annually .this unsustainable and uncontrolled cutting is not only affecting wildlife but its also exposing regions to natural disasters. Deforestation is directly linked with increased population as well; lack of fuel alternatives and lack of awareness about use of these sustainable resources, are some of its reasons.

Wild life threats also include human activities such as hunting, fishing & agricultural practices.

Even in this age we are still illiterate, in our culture hunting has taken deep roots. Peoples are hunting animals to their extinction. In Pakistan hunting has its origin from Mughal emperors and its still getting popular. Even various reptiles like snakes, lizards and crocodiles are hunted for their skins. And this is also affecting natural balance. For example fewer numbers of snakes would eventually causes increased numbers of rats. It is also causing increase number of animals like jackal s, wildcat, wild boars and porcupines, In search of their food they head towards villages and got killed by peoples.

Few years from now, in 2006, a rare leopard was killed by security guards on mountain top in Muzaffarabad. Which didn’t even came near the people’s way. Poor animal was searching for the food and got killed by guards. And later officials were measuring it weight and taking information. It appears that the easiest way for the people is to kill animals like this.

Later on, another young female leopard was caught near Kashmir point in Murre and brought to the Lahore zoo. And place in the cage on the concrete floor. Where she get sick. And never eats because these wild animals usually eat by hunting. I mean what’s the point of that? Torture the Animal lovers?

As one of citizen from khanpur town said “Most of the wild animals are found wandering around the human settlements now a days in search of food as nothing is left in the forests. The lush green forests of Hazara have been converted in to bare brownish mountains and steeps.”

I understand that it is unacceptable to get injured or killed by wild animals. But en captivity is also questionable.

Other than that, use of modern technology in Agriculture like chemical fertilizer, pesticides and insecticides are also leading to diseases in wildlife especially insects, aquatic plants, fishes, and birds.

Whether it is about deforestation or about wild life biodiversity we are destroying the beauty of nature, knowledge is the only thing which will leads to awareness. Only then people will concern about the implications of these acts. And then peoples will try to find alternative solutions for it. Schools are not enough there must be proper institutions with interactive fun facility in the different spots of the country. Something likes nature exposition centers or equivalent. Where people would learn about sustainability and environment in an indirect manner.