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ISLAMABAD:
On the eve of International Wildlife Conservation Day, WWF-Pakistan has urged the government to elevate wildlife protection to a core national priority, warning that the country’s biodiversity faces accelerating threats from climate change, habitat loss, pollution and illegal trade.
The organisation stressed that the crisis now demands sustained investment, coordination across provinces, and stronger enforcement mechanisms.
Citing its latest global data, it added that “according to WWF’s 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 rhinoceros, have become locally extinct over the past few centuries due to poaching, habitat loss and environmental degradation.
As Pakistan’s largest conservation organisation, WWF-Pakistan has been working since 1970 to protect terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems and secure the survival of vulnerable species.
Working alongside governments, non-profit organisations, the private sector, researchers and local communities, WWF has helped several species make remarkable recoveries.
Notably, populations of the Indus River dolphin, snow leopard and markhor have shown encouraging increases.
Over the last quarter century, coordinated research, rescue operations, habitat protection and community engagement have contributed to nearly doubling the population — one of the region’s most notable conservation success stories.
Hammad Naqi Khan, Director General WWF-Pakistan, stated, “The 2025 theme ‘Wildlife Conservation Finance: Investing in People and Planet’ underscores the need for enhanced and sustained government funding at federal and provincial levels. The private sector, philanthropists, and civil society also have a vital role in supporting wildlife conservation. Protecting wildlife is ultimately about safeguarding our own future.”
Muhammad Jamshed Iqbal Chaudhry, Wildlife Practice Lead at WWF-Pakistan, warned that illegal wildlife trade continues to endanger Pakistan’s wildlife, from reptiles and birds to mammals.
