Protected Areas of Pakistan

What is a protected area?
A protected area is a clearly defined geographical space, recognized, dedicated and managed,
through legal or other effective means, to achieve the long term conservation of nature with
associated ecosystem services and cultural values. (IUCN Definition 2008)
IUCN Protected Area Categories
Category Ia: Strict nature reserve
Strictly protected areas set aside to protect biodiversity and also possibly
geological/geomorphological features, where human visitation, use and impacts are strictly
controlled and limited to ensure protection of the conservation values. Such protected areas can
serve as indispensable reference areas for scientific research and monitoring.
Primary objective
To conserve regionally, nationally or globally outstanding ecosystems, species (occurrences or

aggregations) and/or geodiversity features: these attributes will have been formed mostly or
entirely by non-human forces and will be degraded or destroyed when subjected to all but very
light human impact.
Category Ib: Wilderness area
Protected areas are usually large unmodified or slightly modified areas, retaining their natural
character and influence, without permanent or significant human habitation, which are protected
and managed so as to preserve their natural condition.
Primary objective
To protect the long-term ecological integrity of natural areas that are undisturbed by significant
human activity, free of modern infrastructure and where natural forces and processes predominate,
so that current and future generations have the opportunity to experience such areas.
Category II: National park
Protected areas are large natural or near natural areas set aside to protect large-scale ecological
processes, along with the complement of species and ecosystems characteristic of the area, which
also provide a foundation for environmentally and culturally compatible spiritual, scientific,
educational, recreational and visitor opportunities.
Primary objective
To protect natural biodiversity along with its underlying ecological structure and supporting
environmental processes, and to promote education and recreation.
Category III: Natural monument or feature
Protected areas are set aside to protect a specific natural monument, which can be a landform, sea
mount, submarine cavern, geological feature such as a cave or even a living feature such as an
ancient grove. They are generally quite small protected areas and often have high visitor value.
Primary objective
To protect specific outstanding natural features and their associated biodiversity and habitats.
Category IV: Habitat/species management area
Protected areas aim to protect particular species or habitats and management reflects this priority.
Many category IV protected areas will need regular, active interventions to address the
requirements of particular species or to maintain habitats, but this is not a requirement of the
category.
Primary objective
To maintain, conserve and restore species and habitats.
Category V: Protected landscape/seascape
A protected area where the interaction of people and nature over time has produced an area of
distinct character with significant ecological, biological, cultural and scenic value: and where
safeguarding the integrity of this interaction is vital to protecting and sustaining the area and its
associated nature conservation and other values.
Primary objective
To protect and sustain important landscapes/seascapes and the associated nature conservation and
other values created by interactions with humans through traditional management practices.
Category VI: Protected area with sustainable use of natural resources
Protected areas are generally large, with much of the area in a more-or-less natural condition and
where a proportion is under sustainable natural resource management and where low-level use of
natural resources compatible with nature conservation is seen as one of the main aims of the area.
Primary objective
To protect natural ecosystems and use natural resources sustainably, when conservation and
sustainable use can be mutually beneficial
Protected areas of Pakistan
From As of present, there are around 157 protected areas in Pakistan that are recognized by IUCN
Statistics
Category Total sites Total area Source site
National parks 26 1,191,323 ha wdpa.org
Wildlife sanctuaries 72 4,912,531 ha wdpa.org
Game reserves 66 3,026,842 ha wdpa.org
Ramsar protected wetlands 19 1,343,627 ha ramsar.org
Marine and littoral protected areas 9 1,186,437 ha southasiamcpaportal.org

Biosphere reserves 2 66,000 ha earthtrends.wri.org
IUCN categories
IUCN Category Total sites
IUCN Category Ia: Strict nature reserves 0
IUCN Category Ib: Wilderness area 0
IUCN Category II: National parks 5
IUCN Category III: Natural monuments 0
IUCN Category IV: Wildlife sanctuaries 62
IUCN Category V: Protected landscapes/seascapes 5
IUCN Category VI: Managed resource protected area 2
Unclassified areas 83
All IUCN Categories 157

The main purposes of the IUCN protected area management categories are:
 To facilitate planning of protected areas and protected area systems;

 To improve information management about protected areas;
 To help regulate activities in protected areas.

Protected Areas of Pakistan

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What is a protected area?

IUCN Protected Area Categories

Category Ia: Strict nature reserve

To conserve regionally, nationally or globally outstanding ecosystems, species (occurrences or

Category Ib: Wilderness area

Category II: National park

Category III: Natural monument or feature

Category IV: Habitat/species management area

To maintain, conserve and restore species and habitats.

Category V: Protected landscape/seascape

Category VI: Protected area with sustainable use of natural resources

Protected areas of Pakistan

Category Total sites Total area Source site

National parks 26 1,191,323 ha wdpa.org

Wildlife sanctuaries 72 4,912,531 ha wdpa.org

Game reserves 66 3,026,842 ha wdpa.org

Ramsar protected wetlands 19 1,343,627 ha ramsar.org

Marine and littoral protected areas 9 1,186,437 ha southasiamcpaportal.org

IUCN Category Total sites

IUCN Category Ia: Strict nature reserves 0

IUCN Category Ib: Wilderness area 0

IUCN Category II: National parks 5

IUCN Category III: Natural monuments 0

IUCN Category IV: Wildlife sanctuaries 62

IUCN Category V: Protected landscapes/seascapes 5

IUCN Category VI: Managed resource protected area 2

All IUCN Categories 157

 To facilitate planning of protected areas and protected area systems;

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