05-03-07 Karakorum Trust, start the activities with WWF

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- The agreement between the WWF Pakistan and the Ev-K²-CNR Committee was countersigned, in the past days, by Ali Hassan Habib, general director of WWF Pakistan. Dr. Valerio Pietrangelo, project manager of Karakorum Trust, gives us the news directly from Pakistan.

        

On 1st March the agreement for the safeguard of the Karakorum natural resources was officialized and is already operative. The document, formerly signed by Agostino Da Polenza, Ev-K²-CNR President, was countersigned in Islamabad also by the WWF Pakistan president.

 “Many activities will start – explains Valerio Pietrangelo- and the Ev-K²-CNR Committee will be an excellent connector between the international organisations and the local authorities, because it is working in Pakistan since early 2003. In particular, the agreement will carry out  concrete initiatives in favour of the Central Karakorum natural resources�. 

The first step, in order to asset the management plan of the Central Karakorum National Park, will be the drawing up of an Environmental Feasibility Study and than a real project proposal. The WWF Pakistan, the Northern Areas Forest Department (NAFD) ant other international organisations will participate at this preliminary work, but also Karakorum Trust project will be involved to give some precious suggestions.

“At the moment - continues Pietrangelo - the Ev-K²-CNR Committeee and the WWF have identified five principal topics : the institutional reinforcement, the protection of the dying species, the management of protected areas, the development of a legislation for a sustainable use of the resources and the increase of the Eco-Tourism�.
 

“Also the project ‘International Partnership DSS-HKKH’ will participate at the drawing up of the Central Karakorum management plan, contributing with its international expertise�, concludes the Karakorum Trust project manager.