NATIONAL PARKS:

The definition of National Park approved by IUCN is:
“A National Park is a relatively large area (at least 1000 hectares)”.

• Where one or several ecosystems are not materially altered by human exploitation and occupation, where plant and animal spp, geomorphologic sites and habitats are of special scientific, educative and re-creative interest or which contains natural landscapes of great beauty.
• Where the highest competent authority of the country has taken steps to prevent or eliminate as soon as possible, exploitation or occupation in the whole area and to enforce effectively the respect of ecological, geomorphologic or aesthetic features which have to its establishment
• Where visitors are allowed to enter, under special conditions, for inspirational cultural and recreative purposes.

In simple words, “An area owned by the government and set aside for the protection and preservation of its outstanding scenery, flora, and fauna in the natural state. It is accessible to the public for recreation, education, and research activities”.

• The following acts are prohibited under laws in a National Park:
  • Hunting, shooting, trapping, killing, or capturing of any wild animal inside or within a radius of three miles of its boundaries.
  • Firing of guns or any other acts which may disturb the wildlife or interfere with their breeding places.
  • Felling, tapping, burning, or in any way damaging or destroying, taking, collecting or removing any plant or tree therefrom.
  • Clearing or breaking up any land for cultivation.
  • Construction of human settlements, roads, highways, railway line or damaging land for mining or oil and gas exploration
  • Polluting water flowing in and through the National park.

National Parks of Pakistan

Pakistan has 29 protected areas known as national parks‎. As of 2012, 22 of these are under the supervision of respective provincial governments and remaining are in private care. Only some of these are under the conservation scope of IUCN.
Protection and conservation of the environment of Pakistan were included in the concurrent constitution of 1973. As a result, Environment Protection Ordinance was enacted in 1983, which was mainly regulated by the Environment and Urban Affairs Division. Later, a new system of ‘Modern Protected Areas’ legislation began at the provincial level which assigned the protected areas with designations such as national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, and game reserves. Further recommendations of the national parks of the Indomalaya ecozone were highlighted in the IUCN review of 1986. Nevertheless, the development of national parks was mainly carried out by the National Conservation Strategy of 1992. Due to more awareness about their importance in conservation of biodiversity, 10 national parks have been established during the time period from 1993 to 2005.

According to the ‘Modern Protected Areas’ legislation, a national park is a protected area set aside by the government for the protection and conservation of its outstanding scenery and wildlife in a natural state. It is accessible to the public for research, education, and recreation.

In order to promote public use, construction of roads and rest houses are permitted. Use of firearms, polluting water, cleaning of land for cultivation, destruction of wildlife is banned in these areas. The oldest national park is Lal Suhanra in Bahawalpur District, established in 1972. It is also the only biosphere reserve of Pakistan.
The main purpose of this area was to protect the wildlife of Cholistan Desert. Central Karakoram in Gilgit Baltistanis currently the largest national park in the country, spanning over a total approximate area of 1,390,100 hectares (3,435,011.9 acres). The smallest national park is the Ayub, covering a total approximate area of 931 hectares (2,300.6 acres).

Lists of National Parks of Pakistan

1. Ayub
2. Ayubia
3. Broghil Valley
4. Central Karakorum
5. Chinji
6. Chitral Gol
7. Deosai
8. Deva Vatala
9. Ghamot
10. Gurez
11. Hazarganji-Chiltan
12. Hingol
13. K2
14. Kala Chitta
15. Khunjerab
16. Kirthar
17. Lal Suhanra
18. Lulusar-Dudipatsar
19. Machiara
20. Margalla Hills
21. Murree-Kotli Sattian-Kahuta
22. Pir Lasura
23. Poonch River Mahaseer
24. Qurumber
25. Saiful Muluk
26. Shandur-Hundrup
27. Sheikh Buddin
28. Toli Pir

Courtesy & Source: Wikipedia

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