RAWALPINDI: The students from various universities and colleges of the twin cities enthusiastically participated in a live painting competition on the theme “Restoring the Mountain Ecosystems” on Monday at the Rawalpindi Art Gallery.
Over 20 students participated in the competition held by Devcom-Pakistan in connection with the ongoing ten-day-long 13th edition of the Pakistan Mountain Festival (PMF). The collaborating partners included the Punjab Arts Council Rawalpindi and the Snow Leopard Foundation.
The participants used acrylics and oil on their canvases to reflect the mountain ecosystems. They especially underlined the challenges confronting the endangered species, including leopards, markhors, brown bears, snow bears, and several others. They also painted the struggle of communities in combating real-life challenges in the changing climate, females in mountain ecosystem conservation, and cultural heritage from the northern parts of the country. They depicted the impact of climate change’s impacts on life in the mountains besides the aesthetic value.
Speaking on the occasion, Devcom-Pakistan Executive Director and founder of Pakistan Mountain Festival Munir Ahmed said that mountains are the hub of valuable natural resources that are being compromised due to irrational practices. Different organizations, with the participation of communities, are playing an important role in environmental protection and socioeconomic development in the mountain regions.
Efforts Urged to Keep Mountain Ecosystems Intact
He stressed efforts to keep the mountain ecosystems intact, saying that the communities are often the primary managers of mountain resources, keepers of traditional knowledge, guardians of biodiversity, custodians of local culture, and experts in traditional medicine. Somehow, mountain women’s potential and contribution to conservation have been undermined.
The Director of Punjab Arts Council Rawalpindi asked the educational institutions to engage the students in environmental conservation and to reduce the consumption of natural resources.
He said creative arts are the best way to engage students in environmental awareness. He also commended Devcom-Pakistan for its annual flagship event to mark International Mountain Day, that falls on 11 December.
The assistant director of Snow Leopard Foundation, Shoaib Hameed, also visited the competition and commended the participants’ work.
He said restoration of the mountains’ ecosystems under the framework of climate resilience should be the focus to empower people to protect their homelands.
He said the SLF is engaged in snow leopard conservation and protection in twelve nations.
