Unsustainable and exploitative tourism practices in various parts of the country, particularly in biodiversity-rich and environmentally-sensitive areas, over the past several years, have harmed the local fragile ecosystems which house wildlife species and their habitats of global importance. This was stated by Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam on Thursday while reopening the 129-year-old ‘Moto Tunnel’ in Ayub National Park. The biodiversity-rich national park harbours 33 species of mammals, 104 species of plants, 256 species of birds and 19 species of reptiles and several archaeological sites of global significance. “But most of them are at the risk of vanishing because of damage caused due to unsustainable tourism practices and mining of natural resources from the park, particularly tree-felling and contamination of natural water channels,” the prime minister’s aide said. Explaining the tunnel renovation work, the climate change ministry official said it was restored after reinforcement work that involved stone-dressing for stabilising the outer and internal slopes and curves of the tunnel.

Source: The Express Tribune October 30, 2020 07:06 UTC