April 28, 2007	Saturday	Rabi-us-Sani 10, 1428

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RAWALPINDI, April 27: Participants of an international conference have urged upon the government to take concrete measures to conserve biological resources of the country.

They were speaking at the concluding session of an international conference titled ‘Biological Resources of Pakistan: Problems, Success and Future Perspective’ at the University of Arid Agriculture Rawalpindi (UAAR) on Friday.

The speakers, while presenting the recommendations, said the government should encourage research in areas of biodiversity, germplasm conservation and prohibit export of germplasm until shared in publications.

The participants of the three-day conference, organised by the university’s department of botany in collaboration with the Higher Education Commission (HEC), thoroughly discussed the problems and stakes of natural biodiversity in Pakistan.

Researchers, including two foreign delegates, presented as many as 32 research papers and 22 poster presentations in nine technical sessions.

In the concluding session, researchers gave various recommendations for better conservation of the country’s ecological system. They advocated allocation of funds to properly document the local flora and fauna, provide relevant information about the effect of certain diseases on different crops and suggested participation of local community in conservation activities. They recommended establishment of plant disease diagnostic service to control the bad effects of pests and diseases. It was also suggested that the products of local livestock must be patented in order to reduce the influence of foreign investors for the betterment of local farmers.

Awareness among the farmers regarding the significance of natural biodiversity must be enhanced and advanced farming should also be introduced for improved results.

Soil micro and macro fauna is lost due to indiscriminate use of pesticides, fungicides, insecticides and herbicides. Excessive and unauthorised use of chemicals must be discouraged to lessen the bad effects and to restore lost natural treasure. In future efforts should be made to maintain an ecological balance between the prey and predator.

The researchers emphasised the active participation of all stakeholders i.e. government, scientists and farmers, for successful remedy of the current situation.

Frequent workshops, symposia, conferences and discussions about the prevailing ecology in the country are encouraged. They also recommended participation of students in such workshops besides paper presentations.

The two researchers from Japan offered their cooperation to save the fast depleting natural habitat of Pakistan. They also urged the need for more cooperation at international level to tackle the threat.