Do you want a Green Card? Who doesn’t, right?
But the new Green Card launched by WWF Pakistan will not only change your identity but give you a sense of purpose and increased happiness and life satisfaction.
WWF-Pakistan has recently launched a nationwide membership initiative to crowdfund environment protection in Pakistan called the WWF Green Card. “The card is a symbol for responsible Pakistanis to take part in a nationwide drive to help protect Pakistan’s environment” according to the official statement of the wildlife organization.
In a country where the Green Card has generally been associated with a Pakistani leaving their nationality, WWF-Pakistan aims to change this conversation and enable the WWF Green Card to become a symbol of demonstrating ones patriotic sentiment to protect Pakistan.
Available to purchase online, the Green Card comes in three different categories: Air, Water and Wildlife where the Air category focuses on reducing air pollution and planting trees, the Water category helps protect marine and freshwater ecosystems in Pakistan while the Wildlife category aims to protect animals.
The WWF Green Card initiative seeks the support of concerned citizens to enhance conservation work in Pakistan such as contributing to the salary of a community member to monitor beaches for poaching of turtle eggs during nesting season, establishing a home-based/kitchen gardening project to support alternate livelihood generation for local communities and reduce pressure on fisheries, and contribute to fuel-efficient stoves for rural women.
Sharing his comments, Hammad Naqi Khan, Director General, WWF-Pakistan said that the organization is making efforts to protect Pakistan’s threatened forests, incredible wildlife, and precious freshwater and other natural resources. Support from the citizens is essential as “any single organization cannot do this alone but this can be achieved by working together with Pakistanis.” He urged people to become the voice for snow leopards, Indus river dolphins and other wildlife that cannot speak for themselves.
The campaign is supported by WWF’s Goodwill Ambassadors Ali Rehman and Adnan Malik along with other celebrities Ushna Shah, Omair Rana and social media influencers who emphasized that everyone should stand up against wildlife crime, deforestation, and many other threats to nature.
Wildlife in Pakistan is facing a crisis as populations of various species are declining due to multiple threats including illegal wildlife trade, loss in habitat due to urbanization, increasing pollution and climate change.
Pakistan is home to magnificent biodiversity most importantly the snow and common leopards, Indus River dolphin, white-backed and long-billed vultures, Arabian Sea humpback whale among others, which need to be conserved with help of the people. In this regard, WWF-Pakistan appeals to individuals, corporates, government organizations and media to support the organization in conservation of the wildlife, water and air in Pakistan.