RAWALPINDI: Speakers at a seminar urged the need for conservation efforts and sustainable management of forest resources, drawing parallels with the importance of protecting Pakistan’s diverse ecosystems.

The international seminar on exploring the plant diversity of the Amazon - the world’s largest wilderness was held at Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi organised by the university’s Faculty of Sciences.

It aimed to provide a platform for knowledge exchange between local and international experts, linking the global significance of the Amazon with Pakistan’s rich botanical heritage.

University’s Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Mohammad Naeem was chief guest at the concluding ceremony. He emphasised the need for Pakistani researchers and students to engage with global experts like Dr Balslev to advance their understanding of biodiversity and conservation.

Link global significance of Amazon with Pakistan’s rich botanical heritage

Dr Naeem said the seminar’s insights could inspire local efforts to study and protect Pakistan’s rich plant diversity, particularly in regions like the Potohar Plateau, which is home to a variety of medicinal and economic plants.

He encouraged researchers to adopt interdisciplinary approaches, drawing lessons from the Amazon to address the challenges faced by Pakistan’s ecosystems, including deforestation, habitat loss, and the impact of climate change.

Emeritus Prof Dr Henrik Balslev, an eminent tropical ecologist from Aarhus University, Denmark, in his keynote lecture emphasised the region’s critical role in regulating the global climate, maintaining biodiversity, and supporting indigenous cultures. He shared his 45 years of experience working on the flora of the Amazon forest and conservation efforts.

He spoke about the history of continental drift from millions of years that resulted in speciation and genetic diversity of the flora. Dr Balslev also addressed the growing threats to the Amazon, including deforestation, illegal logging and agricultural expansion.

He warned that the loss of plant species could have dire consequences not only for the Amazon’s ecosystem but also for global biodiversity. He urged the need for conservation efforts and sustainable management of forest resources, drawing parallels with the importance of protecting Pakistan’s diverse ecosystems.

Dean of the Faculty of Sciences Prof Dr Rahmatullah Qureshi, who exposed a powerful connection between the Amazon’s unmatched biodiversity and Pakistan’s diverse flora, said the Amazon rainforest often called the “lungs of the Earth” is the world’s largest tropical rainforest and one of the most important ecosystems for regulating global climate, maintaining biodiversity, and supporting indigenous cultures.

Dr Qureshi emphasised the importance of studying global ecosystems like the Amazon to promote sustainable use and conservation of Pakistan’s plant resources that can serve as a valuable guide in our efforts to preserve and study the plant diversity in our landscapes, whether it be the mountain ranges of the north, the deserts of Sindh and Balochistan, or the fertile plains of Punjab.

Dean of the Faculty of Animal and Veterinary Sciences Prof Dr Arfan Yousaf highlighted the importance of future collaborations between Pakistani institutions and international experts to advance ecological research.

Published in Dawn, October 22nd, 2024