LAHORE: On World Wildlife Day 2026, WWF-Pakistan calls for urgent action to curb illegal wildlife trade and unsustainable harvesting practices that are placing Pakistan’s rich biodiversity under increasing threat.

Wildlife trafficking remains a serious conservation challenge globally, with Pakistan functioning both as a source and transit route for illegal wildlife trade, endangering species and weakening already fragile ecosystems.

From reptiles and mammals to high-value medicinal plants, illegal extraction continues to erode natural resources and ecosystem services that communities rely on.

To address this challenge, WWF-Pakistan is working with partners and government departments to strengthen enforcement systems, improve inter-agency coordination, and build the capacity of front line wildlife staff and judicial actors to effectively prevent and prosecute wildlife-related crimes.

“We have developed a comprehensive training curriculum and an ‘Illegal Wildlife Trade Prevention Strategy’ and are conducting trainings nationwide on SMART monitoring, species identification, wildlife crime investigation, ranger safety, safe animal handling, and community engagement,” says WWF-Pakistan Senior Manager Conservation Muhammad Jamshed Iqbal Chaudhry in a press release on Tuesday.

“More than 1,200 individuals, including community members, students, journalists and local leaders, have been engaged through awareness sessions and webinars,” he adds.

He says recent field-based conservation efforts at Deva Vatala National Park, carried out in collaboration with local communities and the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Wildlife Department, have resulted in the rescue and release of several species, including rock pythons, Indian pangolins, barking deer, and Alexanderine parakeets, demonstrating the impact of coordinated enforcement and community stewardship.

“Effective conservation cannot succeed without strong enforcement and informed communities,” says Rab Nawaz, Senior Director Programmes at WWF-Pakistan.

“By strengthening institutional capacity and engaging local stakeholders, we are improving Pakistan’s ability to prevent wildlife crime and protect vulnerable species before they disappear from the wild.”

Speaking about the 2026 theme, ‘Medicinal and Aromatic Plants: Conserving health, heritage and livelihoods’, which highlights another critical dimension of biodiversity conservation, Rab Nawaz adds that Pakistan is home to a rich diversity of medicinal and aromatic plants, including Asparagus racemosus (Shatavari), Viola odorata (banafsha), Nardostachys jatamansi (Jatamansi), and Saussurea costus (Kuth), which are widely used in traditional medicine and the herbal industry.

He says that in arid and semi-arid regions like Balochistan and Sindh, Commiphora wightii (Guggal) is harvested for its valuable resin, while high-altitude species like Ephedera and Bergenia ciliata (Zakhm-e-hayat) are sourced from northern forests for medicinal use.

However, he says, increasing commercial demand has led to widespread unsustainable harvesting. High-value species such as Kuth, Jatamansi and Guggal are often extracted indiscriminately, frequently cut entirely, limiting their natural regeneration. This over exploitation threatens not only the survival of these species in the wild, but also ecosystem stability and the livelihoods of the communities dependent on them, he warns.

“Medicinal and aromatic plants are deeply intertwined with Pakistan’s natural heritage, healthcare systems, and rural economies,” adds Rab Nawaz. “Protecting these species through sustainable harvesting, stronger regulation, and community engagement is essential to safeguard both biodiversity and livelihoods for future generations.”

Globally, more than 20 percent of medicinal plant species are now threatened with extinction due to habitat loss, climate change and illegal trade -- a stark reminder of the urgent need for coordinated conservation action at national and global levels.

Published in Dawn, March 4th, 2026