Islamabad:
The 21st National Reunion for Children’s Mountain Conservation which was organized by AFP (AFP) from July 11 to 20, 2025 ended in Islamabad today.
As part of this program, each year, a hundred children are selected in all regions of Pakistan to attend a 10 -day environmental education camp in one of the mountainous areas of Pakistan. One hundred children and staff members participated in this year’s camp, which was held in the beautiful Siran valley of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The camp was followed by the Children Mountain Forum held in an Islamabad hotel in which the young participants of the presentations made presentations on the theme “Climate change and its impact on the mountain environment”.
The National Coordinator of the NCMC Meeting Project AFTAB Rana project informed that this AFP flagship program had been launched on the occasion of the International Year of Mountains-2002 in order to educate young people on mountain ecosystems and involve them in significant activities using the mountain environment as an open classroom.
He also informed that this educational program involves young children in learning focused on natural environment and its related problems. Participation in this meeting makes them conscious enough to do something practical for the conservation and preservation of the natural environment by undertaking micro-level projects in their communities and their schools. The children who attend this meeting receive the title of “eco-guards” which gives them confidence in playing an active role in their daily life to raise awareness of the protection of the natural environment and its important role in our daily life.
Based on the first -hand exhibition, the young speakers of their presentations highlighted the problems encountered by the natural environment in mountainous areas and have shared their personal observations with the public. They also made recommendations to the ministries concerned to resolve environmental problems, in particular questions related to climate change. At the end of the forum, a joint petition was presented by the young representative of NCMC Meet 2025.
The ambassador of the Italian Republic to Pakistan, Marina Armellin, was guest in chief of this event. In her closing comments, Marilina appreciated AFP’s efforts to educate young people about the conservation of the natural environment. She said: “In today’s world of digital technologies and consumption, it has become more important than we make an effort to keep young people in contact with mother earth”. She underlined longtime cooperation between Italy and Pakistan in the conservation of mountains and glaciers which has been taking place for more than a century.
