News
First ‘Pakistan Moot for Desert Conservation’ in Feb
APP
ISLAMABAD – First Pakistan Moot for Desert Conservation (PMDC) would be arranged here in the mid of February to engage youth in social and scientific research in different parts of the Cholistan desert.
This was revealed by Development Communications Network (Devcom-Pakistan) Director Munir Ahmed here. He said a meeting of the non-governmental organisations hosted by the Devcom - Pakistan decided to launch PMDC to highlight the impact of climate change on the already available meager natural resources and livelihood sustainability of the natives of the Cholistan desert.
Munir said with the increasing impact of the climate change the poor communities such as of the desert are becoming more vulnerable. He added that so, there was a dire need to focus on the more impacted communities with vigorous solutions support by the civil society and the academia to engage the government functionaries in more efficient manner. The Devcom director said that the organising committee of the Moot would include Devcom-Pakistan as the lead organisation.
The other leading partners would be Sustainable Tourism Foundation, UNDP, Ministry of Climate Change, WWF, ICIMOD, Adventure Foundation, Tourism Development Corporation of Punjab, Cholistan Development Authority, Indus Foundation for Human Development, University of the Punjab, University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur Museum, and Directorate of Lalsosanra National Park.
He said that the participating youth would be a mix of urban and community representatives. As many as 50 university students and community youth would be engaged in the field visits to find out immediate challenges to agriculture, water, biological diversity, eco – tourism and cultural mainstreaming. The five youth groups would be supervised and mentored by the subject experts in the field visits to help the groups in finding out the facts directly impacting the concerned communities.
The groups would present their findings at the Pakistan Desert Conservation Forum that would be attended by the relevant UN agencies, the federal and the provincial government departments, academia, non-governmental organisations and the community based organisations. A group of youth would follow up with the concerned government organisations on the implementation of their recommendations presented at the Pakistan Desert Conservation Forum after the Moot.
Munir said that it would help in the sustainability of the initiative. The concluding ceremony would have grand cultural and musical performances by the singers and musicians from the desert communities.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk