As part of the visit of the Royal Couple to Pakistan, HRH Prince William and Princess Kate Middleton arrived in Chitral on Wednesday to observe the damages caused by Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) in 2015, which resulted in extensive loss of property, infrastructure and affected more than a quarter of a million people in the area
Islamabad (Pakistan Point News - 17th Oct, 2019) As part of the visit of the Royal Couple to Pakistan, HRH Prince William and Princess Kate Middleton arrived in Chitral on Wednesday to observe the damages caused by Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) in 2015, which resulted in extensive loss of property, infrastructure and affected more than a quarter of a million people in the area.
The objective of this leg of the royal visit was to meet local communities and gain on-ground knowledge of the fast pace at whichglaciers were melting. During their trip, the Royal Couplevisited different historic sites and met local communities and conservationists including WWF-Pakistan officials working in the area. They also visited the Broghal and Bombaret villages in Chitral, which were severely affected by flash floods in 2015. WWF-Pakistan officials briefed the Royal Couple about rich wildlife of the area and informed them about conservation measures being taken.
WWF-Pakistan appreciates the efforts of Royal Couple for highlighting the extent of climate change impacts in Pakistan and taking interest in wildlife conservation in the country. Chitralis the centre of a rich cultural heritage and key tourist spot, but isadversely affected by climatic change since the last decade.Although a low emitter of greenhouse gases, Pakistan regularly ranks in the top ten countries most affected by climate change in the Global Climate Risk Index. Pakistan is at risk of climate related natural hazards as witnessed by widespread rains, super floods, frequent heatwaves and temperature rise and incidences of coastal flooding and sea intrusion. WWF-Pakistan promotes nature-based solutions such as large-scale plantation drives, protection of existing forests, promotion of renewable energy and conservation of water resources that should be adopted to address this grave challenge.WWF-Pakistan in collaboration with government departments and communities has initiated projects for the conservation of iconic species in the area mainly thesnow leopard, markhor, and Ladakhurial among other endangered species.
Earlier in the week, during the visit to Margalla Hills National Park, HRH Prince William and Princess Kate met
Rab Nawaz, Senior Director Programmeswith WWF-Pakistan Green School students. They were briefed the environmental education and outreachprogrammes and the use of camera traps for developing documentaries andthe management of wildlife. The Royal couple inquired about the interest of schools in including environment in their curriculum and also discussed several ways to mitigate human-wildlife conflict through alternatives such as responsible tourism.
During the reception for the Royal Family atthe National Monument,Rab Nawaz, Senior Director Programmes, WWF-Pakistan, said that Pakistan is home to rich biodiversity from snow leopards and markhors in the Himalayas to Indus river dolphins in the waters of our rivers. Conservation of these diverse species is a symbol of national pride for the country. Talking about the Margallah Hills National Park, he said that the park harbours many species of birds and mammals and it is instrumental in educating the youth about the ecological significance of wildlife. He further said that obtaining images of wild animals through camera traps from nature is a crucial part of educating students, wildlife managers and general public at large. In this regard, he also acknowledged the supportive role of Islamabad Wildlife Management Board (IWMB) in the conservation of the area.
