RAHIM YAR KHAN: The Pakistan Army and the Houbara Foundation International-Pakistan broadcasted seeds of desert plants over the Cholistan desert on Friday for the 23rd consecutive year.

Wildlife habitats are being degraded the world over because of wood-cutting by local communities and over-grazing by their livestock. Consequently, wild animals and birds are unable to find their favourite foods in sufficient quantities, resulting in their rapid decline and ecological imbalances.

In 1998, the foundation undertook to reinforce the diminishing vegetation through aerial broadcast of seeds of desert plants in the Cholistan desert, which is the prime wintering habitat of houbara bustard.

Up to 185kg seeds of houbara’s favourite food plants were broadcasted this year bringing the total seeds broadcast in the last 22 years to over 2,612 kg.

The regular monitoring of the habitat shows encouraging results, and higher yields of germination are expected as the work goes on.

Published in Dawn, August 7th, 2021