Conserve biodiversity for better lives was the key message of the International Mountain Day celebrations. We would be disregarding our common future if we did not pay attention to mountain ecosystems.

Islamabad, 11 December, 2006 (IUCN/PTDC): The Government of Pakistan is committed to continue working for the conservation of mountain ecosystems and betterment of remote communities living there. This was stated by Malik Muhammad Amin Aslam, Minister of State for Environment. He was speaking as the Chief Guest at the celebrations of International Mountain Day 2006 jointly organized by The World Conservation Union (IUCN) and Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) at the Media Centre in Islamabad, Pakistan.

The highlight of the celebration was the photographic exhibition titled “Stairway to Heaven”. The exhibition emphasized the importance of mountain ecosystems in Pakistan and Nepal and the communities that depend on them. The exhibition, which showcased the work of leading nature photographers from Pakistan and Nepal, attracted a sizable crowd, including photography enthusiasts, diplomats, government officials and journalists.

The Minister particularly talked about the success of Mountain Areas Conservancy Project implemented by the World Conservation Union (IUCN). He informed the audience that the existing project will have another phase with funding from the government and other international donor agencies. He was of the view that ecotourism has great potential in the mountainous areas of Pakistan and stressed on the need for integrated efforts by government agencies to further explore possibilities.

The UN General Assembly declared December 11 from 2003 onwards as ‘International Mountain Day’. This special UN Day serves to highlight the global importance of mountain ecosystems and the unique needs of mountain communities. This year’s theme for International Mountain Day is "Managing Mountain Biodiversity for Better Lives". International mountain day celebrations provide an opportunity for all of us to emphasize the importance of mountains in our daily lives and pay more attention to issues and problems faced by the mountain ecosystem and people living there.

Nature has blessed Pakistan and Nepal with the world’s most unique mountain systems. The mountain regions of both these countries boast some of the world’s highest peaks, rich faunal and floral biodiversity, large glaciers, natural forests and high altitude lakes. Keeping in view this natural wealth, there is an express need to pay attention to protect, conserve and sustain this fragile mountain ecosystem and support the local communities that depend on them.

With more than half of humanity dependant on mountains to provide water they need to drink, grow food, generate electricity and sustain economic development there is an urgent need to pay attention to and conserve mountain ecosystems. Mismanagement of mountain lands may lead to disruption of hydrological processes, resulting in floods, increased sedimentation and landslides. Mountain ecosystems also have tremendous tourism potential, much of which still remains untapped. The World Conservation Union (IUCN) being the global leader in environmental knowledge has already established a comprehensive mountain programme at the global level focusing on achieving the goal of Agenda 21 in promoting development that is integrated with the protection of environment. In Pakistan, IUCN has undertaken significant work on mountain ecosystems, especially in its capacity as the implementing agency for the Mountain Areas Conservancy Project. For its part, Nepal has set an increasing number of innovative examples of integrated approaches to mountain biodiversity conservation that combine both human development and natural resource conservation and give local populations a stake in sustainably managing biological diversity.

In Pakistan, IUCN was partnering with PTDC, which will be celebrating 2007 as the “Destination Pakistan Year”. Other partners included WWF, Alpine Club of Pakistan, and Adventure Foundation Pakistan.

In Nepal, IUCN is collaborating with the Government of Nepal and the Nepal Mountaineering Association in organizing the Himalaya Tourism Conference 2006 to commemorate the Golden Jubilee Celebration of Manaslu and Lhotse mountain peaks.

As part of the inaugural ceremony, Pakistan National Council of Arts organized a cultural show to highlight the dances and folk music of mountain communities in Pakistan. These performances included dances from Hunza, Kalash and Kashmir. The photography exhibition will remain open to the general public on Tuesday, December 12, 2006.

For more information, contact:

Saquib Hanif, Head, Education, Communication and Knowledge Management Group, tel: ++92 21 5861540/41/42/43;
mobile: ++92 300 8242101, email: saquib.hanif@iucnp.org

Shahzad Ahmad, Coordinator Communication and Knowledge Management, tel: ++92 51 2270686;
mobile: ++92 333 5236060, email: shahzad.ahmad@isb.iucnp.org

The World Conservation Union is the world’s largest and most important conservation network. The Union brings together 83 States, 111 government agencies, more than 800 non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and some 10,000 scientists and experts from 181 countries in a unique worldwide partnership.

The Union’s 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.

The World Conservation Union is a multicultural, multilingual organization with 1000 staff located in 62 countries. Its headquarters are in Gland, Switzerland.
http://www.iucn.org

IUCN Pakistan has programmes from the north to the south of the country and multiple field projects. It is one of the nine Country Offices of IUCN's Asia Programme, covering 23 countries with a workforce of nearly 500.
http://www.iucnp.org