The IUCN Pakistan on Monday organised a presentation by Piet Wit, the chairperson of the IUCN Commission on Ecosystem Management (CEM), at the IUCN Country Office, Karachi. Piet Wit shared the work of the commission on ecosystem management carried out over the last four years. He said that the commission worked on specific ecosystems, such as wetlands, mountains, and fisheries and deep-sea mining and it had over 20 thematic groups. Some newer thematic groups included arctic ecosystems, nanotechnology and aquaculture, he added. He encouraged the commission members to come forward with new thematic areas to focus on. Responding to a question, Piet informed that the CEM maintained a Red List of Ecosystems which was compiled using the same scientific rigor and process as that of the IUCN Red List of Species. Wit also highlighted the importance of inclusive thinking where conservation work was concerned and further explained that this had led to IUCN´s increased role in disaster-risk reduction. Mahmood Akhtar Cheema, IUCN Pakistan country representative, highlighted the initiatives of the IUCN for protecting the ecosystems from coast to mountains. He highlighted the significance of the IUCN´s role in mainstreaming of environmental considerations in development works to be undertaken under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Cheema explained that the CPEC was a key area of focus for the IUCN Pakistan and that a meeting with relevant stakeholders would take place soon.
THE NEWS INTERNATIONAL 2016