LAHORE - The third international conference on “Role of Botanic Gardens in Conserving Natural Vegetation” has kicked off at the Government College University under the auspices of Botanic Gardens Conservation International, Higher Education Commission, Pakistan Horticulture Authority, World Wilde Fund for Nature and Pakistan Botanic Gardens Network Secretariat.
The GCU Acting Vice Chancellor and noted biotechnologist Prof Dr Ikramul Haq chaired the inaugural session of three-day conference while Secretary Forestry, Wildlife and Fishery Shahnawaz Badar was the chief guest. The researchers and students from China, United States, Argentina and United Kingdom are participating in the conference which is aimed at sensitising youngsters, scientists and researchers with the plight of continuously decreasing natural forests and the need to devise initiatives to rehabilitate and conserve them by involving government officials and local community.
As many as 51 research papers are scheduled to be presented at nine technical sessions of the conference on topics related to “Gene Banks”, “Ecotourism”, “Habitat Restoration” and “Ethno-botany”.
Addressing the conference, Prof Dr Ikramul Haq said all natural areas were bounded to face fragmentation and deterioration with increasing frequency, and to tackle them, research in the areas of restoration and climate change is bound to become more and more critical. He said maintenance of biological diversity is now being recognized as the single highest conservation priority internationally but, in Pakistan, a tiny fraction of resources, both human and financial, are available to environmentalists and biotechnologists to get their job done.
Secretary Forestry Shahnawaz Badar said that Botanic Gardens all over the world have preserved documented specimen of 80,000 to 100,000 living plant species, providing material for display, research, education, ex-situ conservation and ecological restoration. He said that such distinguished gathering of international and national experts would provide valuable recommendations to government agencies for devising strategies. He highlighted the need for research on reproductive biology and plant-animal interaction to support conservation measures. He pledged to provide more land and conservation projects to GCU Pakistan Botanic Gardens Network Secretariat. He said that the department has most recently embarked 2 acres land to Lahore College for Women University.
Speaking on the occasion, Sustainable Development Study Centre (SDSC) Director Prof. Dr. Amin U Khan said that there is a dire need for changing behavior of local government officials and local community for conservation of local natural habitats. He said that land degradation is an emerging and serious environmental threat in Pakistan. He further said that the native species including Salvadora oleoides, Tamarix aphylla, Capparis decidua and Prosopis cineraria, Olea cuspidate, Acacia modesta and Butea monosperma are rapidly vanishing form Harappa, Shakargarh and Soan Valley and need immediate measures for conservation. He added that the GCU PBGNC is working in close collaboration with World Wild Fund Pakistan, Forest Department and the Government of Punjab to execute the project of BGCI, UK. He also said that the GCU experts and students are also involving the local communities for enhancing the population of these species.
Later, Secretary Forestry Shahnawaz Badar also inaugurated research poster exhibition which was part of the conference. He appreciated the researches of GCU postgraduate students on “Diversity of Plants at Allama Iqbal International Airport”.