Islamabad: A recent WWF-Pakistan’s study highlights the severe threat to snow leopards in Gilgit-Baltistan due to infrastructure development, particularly road construction, according to reported article on April 17.
As disclosed in the details, rapid development, mainly roads, encroaches on the leopards’ habitat, disrupting their movement and causing increased human-wildlife conflict. Prey species like the Himalayan ibex and domestic livestock are also impacted by heavy traffic on highways.
The study, part of the BEAST project with support from the With Snow Leopards Small Grant, stresses the need to balance infrastructure development with snow leopard conservation. It found that roads fragment the leopard’s habitat, restricting movement and endangering both leopards and prey.
Data on wildlife-vehicle collisions, human-wildlife interactions, and land use changes were analyzed, focusing on major roads like the Karakoram Highway and Gilgit-Shandur Road. WWF-Pakistan’s Sustainable Infrastructure Initiative aims to promote sustainable infrastructure planning, advocating for measures like wildlife corridors and proactive mitigation strategies.
Director General Hammad Naqi Khan emphasises the importance of balancing development with environmental conservation. While global snow leopard population estimates are uncertain, research suggests fewer than 7,000 worldwide, with 200 to 420 in Pakistan’s northern mountain ranges, including Gilgit-Baltistan.
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