Planning Lesson: A young boy named Ali is looking at a banner,
which says, “Let’s
appreciate the beautiful mountains of Pakistan”. He seemed a little confused
hearing this, as he has never given much thought to mountains
and has always considered them as backgrounds of the beautiful
country landscapes.
Professor Joey Snowcap joins the conversation and says:
Professor: Hi there! My name is Professor Joey Snowcap. You look a bit confused.
Ali: Oh hello, I’m Ali, I was just wondering
what is so great about mountains that we should appreciate.
I mean.... They’re big, but then so is my dad, and I haven’t
seen any banners up for him.
Professor: Hahaha! Well your father might be a big man but he certainly isn’t anywhere near as big as our country’s mountains. Do you know that Pakistan is blessed with three of the biggest mountain ranges in the world?
Ali: No! I don’t know that. What are they called?
Professor: Karakorum, Hindu Kush and the Himalayas.
Ali: Which is the tallest mountain in Pakistan?
Professor: The tallest mountain in Pakistan
is K-2 or “Karakorum 2”. The exact height of its peak is
8,611m. It is also the second tallest mountain in the world
after Mount Everest.
Ali: Wow! That’s really high. I can see why mountains are so barren; I don’t think anything could survive at such heights.
Professor: That’s where you’re wrong my friend. Contrary to what many people think, mountain areas are home to various ecosystems, rich in biodiversity.
Ali: Professor Snowcap, what is biodiversity?
Professor: The term ‘ biodiversity ‘ is the short term used for ‘ biological diversity ‘. Biodiversity refers to the variety of life on earth that includes all genes, species, ecosystems and their ecological processes.
Ali: Oh Ok, so you mean to say that there are animals and plants living around mountains as well?
Professor: Yes, very much so. It is estimated that there are over 54 different species of mammals, 230 different species of birds, 29 various forms of reptiles and amphibians and over 20 kinds of freshwater fish in the Northern Areas of Pakistan alone. Apart from this, out of the estimated 5,700 species of flowering plants found in Pakistan, at least 1000 are found in the Northern Areas.
Ali: So how is biodiversity so important to humans and why should we try to preserve it?
Professor: That is a very good question. You see Ali, because biodiversity is such a broad term, it affects humans in many ways. We depend on it to provide us with clean air, fresh water, medicines and shelter. To give you a couple of examples, forested ecosystems provide us with fuels, medicines, construction material and wildlife habitat; wetlands protect water quality and aquatic life; oceans provide food and regulate climate and agro-ecosystems produce food. So as you see, in protecting biodiversity, we are not only protecting the different species around us, we are also preserving the various resources that are present for our benefit.
Ali: I had no idea how important biodiversity was. Well, what is threatening it at the moment?
Professor: There are a number of reasons threatening the biodiversity in the Northern Areas of Pakistan. Due to deforestation for commercial purposes and overgrazing by the local inhabitants, floral biodiversity has been adversely affected. Pakistan’s mountainous areas are home to a variety of plants having important medicinal values. The over exploitation and abuse of these resources disrupts the functioning of the ecosystem. In this regard, you can think of a chain reaction such as air pollution from the harmful gases released by mining or construction projects damages the ozone layer and contributes to global warming. There is an excessive release of harmful gases in the air such as Carbon Dioxide, which causes the plants and animals to die. As a result, humans dependent on these plants and animals for their own survival have to suffer.
Ali: That seems like a big issue. How come people don’t seem to be worried about it?
Professor: Well Ali, it is because most of the people are basically unaware of the significance of such issues and that is the reason. As far as the commercial world is concerned, being environment-friendly does not seem profitable to them.
Ali: So is anybody doing anything about this at all? Who should I work with if I want to make a difference?
Professor: Yes, fortunately there are a number of people and organizations in the world that have realized the significance of our natural resources and have been working towards the preservation and sustainable development of these resources. These organizations include IUCN- Pakistan (The World Conservation Union), United Nations Development Program, Himalayan Wildlife Foundation, Aga Khan Rural Support Programme, World Wide Fund for Nature Pakistan and many more.
Ali: Well Professor Snowcap, thank you very much for providing me with such valuable information regarding the significance of the mountains of Pakistan. Hope I can make a difference.
Professor: You’re most welcome Ali. Let me tell you that by educating yourself you have already made a great start. You can help by raising awareness amongst your friends and family members and by asking them to do the same with the people they know. In this way, many more people will be able to learn the things you have learnt today and hence make a positive difference in our environment. Good luck and goodbye!
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