LAHORE: (APP) A senior official of the Ministry of Climate Change (MoCC) on Monday said that government was pro-active and keen to protect the wildlife and extend assistance to different organisations working in this field.
Talking to APP, MCC senior official Muhammad Yousaf said the government was devising a comprehensive policy for the conservation of wildlife.
He said for the protection and conservation of wildlife, species and their habitat, a network of protected areas was currently in place working under the Provincial Wildlife Protection Laws.
Senior director of WWF Pakistan chapter Dr Ejaz Ahmad said global warming was threatening wildlife, which was an integral part of the country's biodiversity. Dr Ejaz said there were 26 national parks, 92 wildlife sanctuaries, 89 game reserves and 115 community reserve while the network of protected areas covered about 12 per cent of the land area of the country. He said that wildlife was most vulnerable to global warming.
"Global warming and climate changes are forcing wildlife to change their behaviours such as many birds are nesting, breeding, and migrating earlier as spring arrives sooner than before," he added.
He urged the government to protect forest cover which was the main source of conservation of wildlife in Pakistan.