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NEWS
RELEASE
A sustainable development agenda for Balochistan being launched today
Islamabad, November 24, 2000 (IUCN) - The Balochistan Conservation Strategy, a
sustainable development framework for the province, will be launched
simultaneously in Islamabad and Quetta today. The Governor of
Balochistan, Justice (Retd) Amir-ul-Mulk Mengal will be the host, and
federal ministers, foreign delegates, donors and the provincial
ministers of Balochistan are expected to participate in the ceremony
in Islamabad. In the provincial capital, Sardar Saadat Ali, Minister
for Health, Industries, Labour and Manpower Department, Government of
Balochistan will preside over the ceremony and read the message from
the Governor of Balochistan.
Balochistan is the second province to develop a strategy for the
sustainable use of its natural resources, its land, water, forests,
minerals and animals. The Sarhad Provincial Conservation Strategy
(SPCS) was the first provincial-level initiative to emerge from the
National Conservation Strategy (NCS). Both, the NCS and the SPCS are
currently being implemented.
The BCS took three years to develop and involved many people from both
the urban and rural areas. Public consultations were held in nine of
the 26 districts, in Mastung, Nasirabad, Pishin, Lasbela, Gwadar,
Kech, Zhob, Quetta and Ziarat. In addition, roundtables/interest group
meetings with a mix of people were held on water; agriculture;
livestock and rangelands; forests and wildlife; coastal and fisheries;
industry; mineral and energy; urban environment; NGOs; cultural
heritage; environmental education and communications. The BCS is a
consensus of research work and issues raised in these meetings, and
hopefully, this strategy will prove to be the province's vision of the
future.
The purpose of the twin-ceremonies is two-fold: to give BCS a high
profile both at the national and international levels through the
launch in Islamabad, and to present the strategy to the people of
Balochistan who participated in its development. One thing is clear:
the BCS will succeed only if all the stakeholders - the government,
the private sector and civil society - are involved in implementing
it.
The BCS was prepared by the Planning and Development Department
Government of Balochistan with technical assistance from IUCN-The
World Conservation Union, and financial support from the Royal
Netherlands Embassy.
For further information, please contact Umer Afridi.
IUCN - The World Conservation Union was founded in 1948 and brings together 79 states, 112 government agencies, 735 NGOs, 35 affiliates, and some 10,000 scientists and experts from 181 countries in a unique worldwide partnership. Its mission is to influence, encourage and assist societies throughout the world to conserve the integrity and diversity of nature and to ensure that any use of natural resources is equitable and ecologically sustainable. Within the framework of global conventions IUCN has helped over 75 countries to prepare and implement national conservation and biodiversity strategies. IUCN has approximately 1000 staff, most of whom are located in its 42 regional and country offices while 100 work at its Headquarters in Gland, Switzerland.
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