Pakistan

This book draws on the papers presented and discussions held at two workshops of biodiversity planners from 15 Asian countries. It is, in essence, a snapshot of the NBSAP process in Asia, and although many practitioners may have moved on since this book was compiled, it serves as an important instrument to share experiences. As every NBSAP process is in a different stage of development, it is important to map the journey so that others may follow.

The Himal region - the Hindukush-Karakorum-Himlayas (HKH)- is the world's largest mountain region extending 3,500km from Myanmar in the east to Afghanistan in the west, from the Tibetan plateau in the north to the Indo-Ganges basin in the south. To develop an IUCN Bangladesh mountain programme for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in this region, a two-day workshop was organized.

The South Asian region can be considered a herpetofaunal "hotspot" with its high degree of species richness and diversity of amphibian and reptilian fauna. Unfortunately, high population density and population growth are putting enormous pressure on the region's natural resources and ecosystems, and as a result five amphibian species and 31 reptilian species from this region are listed as globally threatened in the 2000 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

The commitment of the international community to ensure an equitable supply of food and nutrition to everyone on Earth has been reiterated many times. However, there are very few practical examples on how such equity and benefit sharing principles are to be put into practice. The proceedings of this workshop held in February 1998 relate experiences and lessons from a South-South perspective and critically address the translation of recommendations from this workshop into actions.

A regional workshop was held to develop a shared understanding of the IUCN global Red List criteria, threat categories and the process of listing species according to the threat of extinction with an emphasis on lessons learned, key constraints and priority needs. The report presents country status reports from Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam, plus conclusions and recommendations.