The Executive Director of Development Communications Network (Devcom-Pakistan), Munir Ahmed, has stressed the need to place ecotourism at the core of Pakistan’s development policies, warning that unchecked mass tourism could erode the very natural beauty it seeks to promote.

He was addressing a national training workshop on “Ecotourism and Sustainable Development” held at the National Centre for Rural Development (NCRD) on Monday. The workshop was attended by participants from various cities across the country.

Opening the session, NCRD Director Dr Abdul Rehman Khan Niazi highlighted Pakistan’s diverse landscapes—mountains, deserts, forests, wetlands, and coasts—emphasizing that sustainable tourism practices can help generate livelihoods without harming fragile ecosystems.

Munir Ahmed, an ecotourism and sustainable development expert, underlined that Pakistan’s tourism cannot revolve solely around visitors, hotels, and attractions.
“If tourism ignores ecosystems and sidelines communities, it will do more harm than good. Ecotourism is the way forward because it balances people, culture, and nature,” he remarked.

Participants actively engaged in discussions on how to integrate ecotourism into local and regional development. Many echoed Ahmed’s views, stressing that communities must remain central to tourism planning and benefit-sharing to create a sustainable economic future.

The workshop concluded with a consensus that ecotourism, if properly integrated into national policy, could play a vital role in promoting Pakistan’s image internationally while ensuring environmental protection and empowering local communities.