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ISLAMABAD:
Ahead of International Wildlife Conservation Day, WWF-Pakistan has urged the government to elevate wildlife protection to a central national priority, warning that the country’s biodiversity faces increasing threats due to climate change, habitat loss, pollution and illegal trade.
The organization highlighted that the crisis now requires sustained investment, coordination between provinces and stronger enforcement mechanisms.
Citing its latest global data, it added that “according to the WWF Living Planet Report (2024), wildlife populations have declined by an average of 73% since 1970, a trend that demands immediate action.”
The statement noted that “Pakistan has not been immune to this loss,” adding that several iconic species, including tigers, lions, cheetahs and rhinos, have become locally extinct in recent centuries due to poaching, habitat loss and environmental degradation.
As Pakistan’s largest conservation organization, WWF-Pakistan has been working since 1970 to protect terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems and ensure the survival of vulnerable species.
Working alongside governments, non-profit organizations, the private sector, researchers and local communities, WWF has helped several species make remarkable recoveries.
In particular, the populations of the Indus River dolphin, snow leopard and markhor have shown encouraging increases.
Over the past quarter century, coordinated research, rescue operations, habitat protection and community involvement have contributed to a near doubling of the population, one of the region’s most notable conservation success stories.
Hammad Naqi Khan, Director General of WWF-Pakistan, said: “The 2025 theme ‘Financing for Wildlife Conservation: Investing in People and Planet’ underscores the need for improved and sustained government funding at federal and provincial levels. The private sector, philanthropists and civil society also play a vital role in supporting wildlife conservation. Protecting wildlife is ultimately about safeguarding our own future.”
Muhammad Jamshed Iqbal Chaudhry, wildlife practices leader at WWF-Pakistan, warned that the illegal wildlife trade continues to endanger Pakistan’s wildlife, from reptiles and birds to mammals.
