ISLAMABAD: Managing Director Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) Aftab Ur Rehman Rana, Monday, on World Mountains Day, called for collaborative efforts to preserve the mountain ecosystem intact and protect populations living near mountains and safeguard their natural environment against climate change.
Talking to the state media, he underscored that Mountain’s Day every year on December 11 is an opportunity to raise awareness and call for nature-based solutions, best practices, and investments that can enhance the resilience and adaptability of mountain ecosystems.
He lamented the current threats posed by climate change to mountains, noting the alarming rate at which mountain glaciers are melting, thereby affecting downstream freshwater supplies. He highlighted the substantial challenges faced by mountain communities, particularly those already grappling with poverty.
Emphasizing the theme of the year as ‘Restoring Mountain Ecosystems,’ Rana pointed out that Pakistan hosts eight of the world’s sixteen highest mountain peaks. Furthermore, he mentioned the presence of five lofty snow peaks reaching 26 thousand feet in Pakistan, including the second-highest peak globally, K-2, and the ninth-highest peak, Nanga Parbat.
Expressing the government’s commitment, he stated that the current administration prioritizes the development of tourism in mountainous regions. Efforts are being directed towards enhancing tourism infrastructure, and collaboration with provincial governments and the private sector is underway to promote tourism in these areas.
Rana concluded by affirming the government’s goal of leveraging tourism as a catalyst for economic growth and employment generation in the mountainous regions, aiming to uplift the local communities. —APP
