Protected areas of Pakistan

Last updated

As of present, there are around 400 protected areas in Pakistan that are recognized by IUCN. The total protected land area represents 13% of Pakistan's landmass as of 2020, The Government of Pakistan plans to increase it to at least 15% by 2023. [1] As a signatory of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, Pakistan is committed to expanding its protected areas to encompass 17% of its total territory by the year 2030. This ambitious goal aims to ensure the long-term conservation of nature, safeguard vital ecosystem services, and preserve the cultural values associated with these protected areas. [2]

Contents

Statistics

CategoryTotal sitesTotal areaRef.(s)
National parks 371,191,323 ha [3]
Wildlife sanctuaries 1004,912,531 ha [3]
Game reserves 773,026,842 ha [3]
Ramsar protected wetlands 191,343,627 ha [4]
Marine and littoral protected areas91,186,437 ha [5]
Biosphere reserves 466,000 ha [6] [7]

IUCN categories

IUCN CategoryTotal sites
IUCN Category Ia: Strict nature reserves 0
IUCN Category Ib: Wilderness area 0
IUCN Category II: National parks 5
IUCN Category III: Natural monuments 0
IUCN Category IV: Wildlife sanctuaries 62
IUCN Category V: Protected landscapes/seascapes5
IUCN Category VI: Managed resource protected area2
Unclassified areas83
All IUCN Categories157

Types of protected areas

National parks

Wildlife sanctuaries

Game reserves

Protected wetlands

Protected and reserved forests

Biosphere reserves

See also

References

  1. "Pakistan's 'Protected Areas Initiative'". The Express Tribune. 10 July 2020. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
  2. "Govt notifies 11 sites as 'protected areas' for wildlife conservation". Dawn. 16 January 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 "Protected Planet | Pakistan". protectedplanet.net. World Database on Protected Areas.
  4. "Ramsar Sites Information Service – Annotated List of Wetlands of International Importance Pakistan, 19 Ramsar Site(s) covering 1,343,807 ha" (PDF). rsis.ramsar.org.
  5. "Managing Marine and Coastal Protected Areas: A TOOLKIT for South Asia - MCPAs of South Asia". www.southasiamcpaportal.org. Archived from the original on 14 October 2009.
  6. "UNESCO's Approved Biosphere Reserves in Pakistan". www.pncu.gov.pk. Pakistan National Commission for UNESCO (PNCU). Archived from the original on 4 October 2023. Retrieved 14 February 2025.
  7. Ahmed, Amin (22 June 2023). "Unesco designates two more biosphere reserves". Dawn. Retrieved 14 February 2025.

Further reading