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ISLAMABAD:
On the eve of International Wildlife Conservation Day, WWF-Pakistan has urged the government to elevate wildlife conservation to a key national priority, warning that the country’s biodiversity faces accelerating threats from climate change, habitat loss, pollution and illegal trade.
The organization stressed that the crisis now requires sustained investment, cross-provincial coordination and stronger enforcement mechanisms.
Citing its latest global data, it added that “according to WWF’s Living Planet Report (2024), wild animal populations have declined by an average of 73% since 1970 – a trend that calls for immediate action”.
The statement noted that “Pakistan has not been immune to this loss”, adding that several iconic species, including tigers, lions, cheetahs and rhinos, have become locally extinct over the past few centuries due to poaching, habitat loss and environmental degradation.
As Pakistan’s largest conservation organization, WWF-Pakistan has worked since 1970 to protect terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems and ensure the survival of vulnerable species.
WWF works with governments, non-profit organizations, the private sector, scientists and communities and has helped numerous species make remarkable recoveries.
In particular, populations of the Indus river dolphin, snow leopard and markhor have shown encouraging increases.
Over the past quarter century, coordinated research, rescue efforts, habitat protection, and community engagement have helped to nearly double the population—one of the region’s most remarkable conservation success stories.
Hammad Naqi Khan, Director General of WWF-Pakistan, stated, “The 2025 theme ‘Wildlife Conservation Finance: Investing in People and Planet’ emphasizes the need for improved and sustained government funding at the federal and provincial levels. The private sector, philanthropists and civil society also play a critical role in protecting wildlife in the ultimate support for wildlife. safeguarding our own future.”
Muhammad Jamshed Iqbal Chaudhry, Wildlife Practice Lead at WWF-Pakistan, warned that illegal wildlife trade continues to threaten Pakistan’s wildlife, from reptiles and birds to mammals.
