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NEWSBITS
Major threats to eco-region identified
Aggravating water quality, besides short supply of freshwater, land clearance and over-harvesting of resources, are among major risks to Indus delta eco-region (IDER), according to World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-Pakistan).
The nature conservation watchdog has also identified the socio-economic conditions preventing or leading to access to natural resources, seawater intrusion and weak implementation of relevant policy and legal framework as other threats to the region.
Deputy Director General of the WWF-Pakistan Dr Ejaz Ahmed, talking to APP here, called for a rapid implementation of a multi-dimensional approach strategy for conservation and upgradation of IDER where public sector organizations’ individual and collective role should be marked. NGOs, CBOs and local communities should be given due participation to achieve the targets within shortest possible time.
Dr Ahmed said the main features of this conservation plan should be to represent all distinct communities living within the conservation landscapes and protected area networks, maintenance of ecological and evolutionary processes that create and sustain biodiversity, maintenance of viable populations of species, and conservation of the natural habitats large enough to be resilient to disturbances and long-term changes.
He said the planning process should comprise reconnaissance, biological assessment, socio-economic assessment, root-cause analysis, stakeholder identification and assessment, biodiversity vision, conservation targets and milestones, roles of partners, communication strategy, eco-regional plan, monitoring and evaluation framework, and long-term funding.
The senior environment scientist, deliberating upon the proposed IDER planning process, said that the ‘taxonomics’ would include amphibians, birds, fish, invertebrate, mammals, reptiles and vegetation. The objectives are species, habitats, processes and livelihoods.
The IDER should be divided into sub-regions of Guddu, Sukkur, Kotri and coastal belt. The main partners could be the federal and Sindh government departments of forest and wildlife, irrigation and drainage, environment, planning and development, and the WWF-Pakistan. He also underlined the need for a balance between partners and level of intervention.
Dr Ejaz Ahmed said that under the proposed ‘Forever Indus Conservation Plan 2025’ initiated by the WWF-P, 15 priority areas of global, eco-regional and sub-regional significance had been identified, whereas 10 conservation targets for next 10 to 20 years and 43 milestones for the next three to five years were set. Five action plans had also been marked to build relationships for efficient resource-utilization for effective results.
He presented the ‘Forever Indus Programme - Vision’ and said it was based on mankind coexisting with nature in complete harmony within a network of inter-linked wetlands, “where dolphins/otters thrive in their habitats and raptors/waterfowl inhabit lakes and lagoons; aquatic flora and associated biodiversity flourish on the banks and the newly-hatched marine turtles safely journey to sea.”
He said that the IDER Action Programme Steering Committee (APSC), with representation from WWF-Pakistan and other NGOs, CBOs and government departments, had been formed in July this year to execute the IDER conservation programme.
Highlighting the importance of ecoregion-based approach, he said it included all major ecosystems within a region. It considers human use and ecological linkages on a wider scale, recognizes ecological processes and species, harmonizes conservation actions with policies, and facilitates sustainable use on long-term basis.
The IDER accommodates around 80,000 hectares of mangroves that make 97 per cent of Pakistan’s total mangroves, comprising four species. It is the largest arid zone mangrove system in the world.
The riverine area of Sindh has 138,000 hectares of forest which makes 43 per cent total forest area of the province, according to the scientist. — Sci-tech World Report
NCA to train 3,000 computer experts, says Awais
The information technology ministry is providing technical and financial assistance to the National College of the Arts (NCA) to train over 3,000 professionals in the field of computer graphics and animation.
This was said by Information Technology Minister Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari while speaking at an inaugural ceremony of a six-month certificate course in animation and digital film production held at the National College of the Arts last week, says a press release.
The minister underscored the increasing role of computer generated graphics in the promotion and modernization of film industry.
“There is more money being spent worldwide on the gaming industry than on the global music industry, with animation revenues in excess of $70 billion last year,” he said.
The NCA will utilize the services of foreign trainers and will also benefit from the expertise of local artists and authors to prepare students for careers in the animation industry.
Highlighting the role of computer animation and graphics in the film industry, the minister said the percentage of film budgets spent on animation and special effects had increased over the last decade.
“Not only are more animated films being released, but computer graphics, as part of film-making, is becoming a critical element,” he said, adding that “computer graphics will rank among the top 10 careers of choice in the coming decades”.
The minister also elaborated upon various measures being taken by the Pakistan Software Export Board in the area of animation.
A delegation, comprising representatives of various companies, would be taken to South Korea to work with leading computer graphics companies in Seoul, he added.
Mr Leghari said an apprenticeship scheme had also been started by the board to enable smaller companies to hire apprentices and train them on government expense for four months.
Leading Pakistani graphic artists, who had worked on international projects abroad, had been invited to visit Pakistan and conduct short-term training for professionals. — Sci-tech World Report
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