MKKS National Park Management Plan validated by the stakeholders

MURREE, Jun 23 (APP): The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Pakistan on Thursday organised a one-day workshop on Murree Kahuta Kotli Sattian (MKKS) National Parks management plan validation at Bhurban, Murree, as part of the Karot, Biodiversity Management Plan Implementation Project.

Asim Jamal from IUCN Pakistan provided an update on the development of the National Park Management Plan.
Dr. Z. B. Mirza presented a critical review of the drought management plan and identified areas for improvement in the management plan, said a news release.

Senior Manager Environment KPCL, Mansoor Khan stated that KPCL provided assistance in developing this management plan, and mentioned that the IUCN worked very well.
General Manager, Environment and Social, CSAIL, Naeem Akhtar complemented the point and praised IUCN’s work, saying that a management plan had been developed in such a short period of time, which was a significant effort.

DG Wildlife of the Government of Punjab Malik Sana Ullah Khan praised IUCN for organising this validation workshop and pledged his full support for the implementation of the Karot Biodiversity Management Plan (BMP).

Wetlands, according to Director General of Fisheries Punjab Dr. Sikander Hayat should be included in this management plan. DG Mines and Minerals, Punjab Muhammad Zafar Javed stated that the IUCN has accomplished a significant milestone by developing this plan in such a short period of time.

Chief Conservator of Forests, Punjab, Saqib Mehmood stated that forest fire management should be included because it is a common occurrence these days, and it should be considered at the national park level, and conservation action should be proposed to address this issue in order to protect wildlife habitat.

Country Director IUCN Mahmood Akhtar Cheema, in his concluding remarks, emphasised the importance of strong collaboration between IUCN, Karot Power Company (Private) limited, and government line departments for the successful implementation of the KAROT biodiversity management Plan. He stated that the IUCN has brought renowned international expertise to augment the IUCN Pakistan team in order to improve BMP implementation strategies and turn environmental degradation into opportunities, and that this management plan is one example of this.

Finally, he assured IUCN’s technical assistance in establishing a partnership with a government line department to improve the state of the environment, nature-based solutions, protected areas management, biodiversity conservation, and ecosystem restoration in Pakistan.
The workshop was attended by representatives of the concerned government line departments, academia and private sector.