By Ajmal Khan Yousafzai
ISLAMABAD: The two new high-altitude national parks of Nanga Parbat and Himalaya being inaugurated by Prime Minister Imran Khan in Gilgit Baltistan (GB) under his Protected Areas Initiative will boost adventure tourism, sustainable employment opportunities for local communities and ecosystem restoration.
The newly launched national parks were sprawling over an area of 3,600 square kilometers that comprised of five percent of the total area of GB, told APP an official of the Ministry of Climate Change.
He said these national parks owing to their unique geographical location and topography had exotic species of flora and fauna making the region a heaven of various natural organisms belonging to animal, plant and bird life species.
“Nanga Parbat and Himalaya National Parks will serve as a nature corridor among Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, GB and Azad Jammu and Kashmir where the wildlife and birds species will have an unimpeded migration and displacement places to create their habitats with changing weather patterns and ecological conditions,†he added.
These national parks, he said included rare wildlife and plant species including the snow leopard, Ladakh Arial, Markhor, Blue Sheep and Brown Bear where wildlife photographers would have ample opportunities to capture one of the rarest visuals of wild animals living in oblivion.
“A recent video tweeted by SAPM Malik Amin Aslam showing a thriving herd of Markhors on Silk Route went viral on social media and similar one was of Snow Leopard which was captured after numerous strides by the photographers.
All such activities will help project the neglected wildlife and biodiversity potential of Pakistan and also increase awareness among the masses to take ownership of this pristine natural reserve facing risk of extinction due to irresponsible attitude of humans and environmental degradation,†he underscored.
The Prime Minister had inaugurated these protected areas with the aim to convert many potential biodiversity sires as national parks so that better management and conservation of natural resources could be ensured.
“Another aspect has been to limit human interventions and encroachments in natural forests as if human settlements left unabated to grow then it would become impossible to reserve the damage faced in terms of ecological losses,†the Ministry of Climate Change warned.
In 2018, there were 30 national parks existing in the country whereas in the last two years, the number of national parks in all provinces had been increased up to 50 percent. All of these national parks would be administered by the local communities as an income associated opportunity would also enhance community interest and sense of ownership to keep the area safe from encroachments, wild fires, poaching and illegal hunting, he said.
‘The Prime Minister has also approved the National Parks Service, which will create about 5,000 green jobs for young people’.
