Peshawar: The 10th National Conference on the Impact of Climate Change on Biodiversity, Water, and Natural Resources opened yesterday at the Bara Gali Summer Campus of the University of Peshawar, drawing attention to the urgent threats climate change poses to biodiversity and natural resources in Pakistan.

According to University of Peshawar, the two-day conference, jointly organized by the Centre for Plant Biodiversity of the University and the Directorate of Soil and Water Conservation, Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, features 10 technical sessions with fifty-four experts including scientists, academics, and policymakers. Dr. Asad Ullah, Director of the Centre and the principal organizer, emphasized the critical state of global ecosystems, noting the accelerated rate of climate change and its catastrophic effects on species extinction and ecosystem collapse.

Prof. Dr. Shumaila Rauf, Dean of the Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences at the University of Peshawar, highlighted Pakistan’s vulnerability as one of the top ten countries most affected by climate change. She called for immediate action to mitigate these effects through reduced greenhouse emissions, investment in renewable energy, and the protection of natural habitats.

Mr. Muhammad Yaseen Wazir, Director General of Soil and Water Conservation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the event’s chief guest, discussed the province’s initiatives, including a 25 billion PKR project for water and soil conservation in response to the climate crisis. He detailed the importance of soil and water as critical resources and emphasized efforts in the Hindukush Himalayan region, including MicroWatershed and SpringShed projects.

The conference also addressed the broader implications of biodiversity loss for Pakistan, from the degradation of essential ecosystem services like pollination and nutrient cycling to the threats of deforestation, urbanization, and changing climate conditions on wildlife. The need for robust international cooperation and increased funding for climate research and conservation was a recurring theme throughout the discussions.