Nature Conservation
- Mr. Guy Mountfort, a renowned British wildlife expert, in his survey report on wildlife of Pakistan highlighted the dwindling wildlife resources of the country. Under these circumstances, Syed Babar Ali was the moving spirit behind the founding of Pakistan Wildlife Appeal in 1971 which later became a national organization of World Wildlife Fund International (set up in Gland, Switzerland in 1962) as WWF-Pakistan.
- The transformation of World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to the World-Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in 1980s was indicative of the realization by the international conservation movement that conservation of wildlife (animals and plants) is dependent upon conservation of nature: the sum total of physical and biological factors in an area.
- Syed Babar Ali was the President of WWF-Pakistan for nearly two decades before he succeeded His Royal Highness Prince Philip as President of WWF International on January 11, 1997, and he headed WWF untill December 31, 1999. He is now Vice-President Emeritus of WWF International and President Emeritus of WWF-Pakistan.
- WWF-Pakistan aims to conserve nature and ecological processes by:
- Preserving genetic, species and ecosystem diversity.
- Ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable both now and in the longer term.
- promoting actions to reduce pollution and the wasteful exploitation and consumption of resources and energy.
- The Babar Ali Foundation has been a regular supporter of World Wide Fund for Nature-Pakistan activities since 1988.
- As a tribute to Syed Asad Ali’s (1930-99) contributions to wildlife, Syed Asad Ali Award for Nature Conservation was instituted by the Foundation in 1999-2000 under the umbrella of WWF-Pakistan.
- This award recognizes significant contribution to nature conservation in Pakistan. The Award winner receives Rs.50,000 and a certificate. WWF-Pakistan has presented The Syed Asad Ali Award for Nature Conservation every year since year 2000.
- His Royal Highness Prince Bernhard of The Netherlands, the founder President of WWF International, launched “The 1001: A Nature Trust” by inviting 1000 people in the world to join him to donate US Dollars 25,000 each to the conservation of nature. The donated funds remain in the donor’s country for investment by the WWF national organization to use its proceeds for conservation work. Syed Babar Ali became member of the trust in 1973. Nine members of his immediate family (wife, daughter, son-in-law, son, daughter-in-law, and four grandchildren) became members of “The 1001” A Nature Trust” between 1995 and 2002. Returns on these donations, inter alia, provide regular source of funds to WWF-Pakistan for its programmes and activities.
