Islamabad: Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan on Thursday launched the Protected Area Initiative under which 15 national parks from around the country will be protected under ‘effective’ ecological governance, a news source reported.
The announced national parks comprise of 9 new parks while 6 were previously notified but the said protection was never fully implemented. However, all of these parks will now be protected with effective ecological management and governance.
Reportedly, the initiative will also extend the protected area from 13% (current) of Pakistan’s land area to 15%. The project looks to cover nearly 7,300 sq km of area including mountains in the north, the scrub forests in the plains and marine areas around coastal areas.
The federal government will also issue guidelines for the provinces under the project for the preservation of the protected areas. The project is also expected to produce nearly 5,000 new jobs and will help Pakistan tackle the threat of global warming.
