Pakistan is participating in a forum at a global level along with 74 other countries for the confrontation of conservation challenges and promotion of biodiversity to balance protection of environment also with the sustainable development of the economy. The 28th International Congress for Conservation Biology (ICCB 2017) has concluded on 27th July.

The Society for Conservation Biology hosted the conference with the theme of ‘Insights for Sustaining Life on Earth’. The theme was convened two times a year. The chief objective of the conference was to respond to the science of conservation for better tomorrow of biodiversity as well as dependents of biodiversity. The conference was attended by approximately 2,000 scientists, conservation professionals and students, policy experts, 74 government officials of participant countries and Pakistan.

The debatable topics under discussion during the conference were illegal wildlife trade and traffic, resource extraction, climate change, human-wildlife conflict, regional and national conservation policies, post-conflict conservation plans of the Colombian government, consistent decrease in habitable areas for wildlife and use of modern technology like drones, acoustic devices, camera traps and DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) bar codes for wildlife conservation.

The venue of ICCB 2017 was Columbia due to its mega diverse biological nature. After Brazil, it is a second richest country in biodiversity. It is claimed that Columbia has more bird species than elsewhere on Earth and 1/5 of known species of orchid.

Minister of the environment and sustainable development Colombia, Luis Gilberto Murillo said, “Time has come for placing limits on the extent of economic development at the cost of nature. Murillo with a background of mining said protected areas in Columbia are increased and banned mining and oil exploration. International strong collaboration is needed to ensure that trans-boundary nature and their involvement”.

Pakistan a blessed nation with flora and fauna is facing increased endangered species because of illegal trade of wild life. Biodiversity is already at elevated risk, the organization counted various factors that are in arrears for the flourishing of wildlife trafficking.  said Wildlife Fund for Nature, Pakistan (WWF).

They indicated that at first poor implementation of the law and frail penalties are feeble restrictions for smugglers and secondly, law enforcement bodies lack the equipment, capacity, and technology to spot smuggler that make their move more calculatedly with sophisticated techniques.

The national exchequer is not facing a bigger loss owing to smuggling but contributing in climate change deadly diseases and socioeconomic problems in their countries.