IUB Biodiversity Park - Fort Derawar

A Desert Tree Blossom
Tecomella undulata, commonly referred to as Lahura or Rohida, is a vital desert tree species highly valued for its resilience and ecological significance in arid and semi-arid regions, particularly the Cholistan deserts of Pakistan, where its population, previously in decline, is now thriving in the IUB Biodiversity Park Fort drawer Cholistan Desert. 🌳💚🌴🏜️

DG EPA Dr. Imran Hamid Sheikh sab, Director General, Environmental Protection Agency, Punjab, visited the IUB Biodiversity Park Fort Derawar at The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, accompanied by his official officer team. Director Biodiversity Park Dr. Muhammad Abdullah briefed them on the biodiversity of the Cholistan desert and the ongoing field and research activities at the park. The IUB and EPA team decided to enhance the park's research orientation, focusing on conserving the fauna and flora of the Cholistan desert. 🌳🐝🌴🏞️💚🌸

The Honourable Vice Chancellor, Engr. Prof. Dr. Muhammad Kamaran, accompanied by delegates of the International Conference on Seerat-un-Nabi (Peace Be Upon Him), visited the IUB Biodiversity Park Fort Derawar, where Dr. Muhammad Abdullah, Director of the IUB Biodiversity Park, provided a briefing on the biodiversity of the Cholistan Desert and the Park's ongoing field and research initiatives. During this visit, Engr. Prof. Dr. Muhammad Amjad, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering; Prof. Dr. Sheikh Shafiq-ur-Rehman, Dean of the Faculty of Islamic and Arabic Studies; and Major (r) Tahir Majeed, representative of the Houbra Foundation International Pakistan (HFIP), were also present. The Vice Chancellor and all delegates commended the entire team of the Biodiversity Park for their exceptional conservation efforts.

A delegation led by Dr. Javed Iqbal from the Department of Forestry, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University Sheringal, Dir U, KPK, paid a visit to the IUB Biodiversity Park Fort Derawer. Director IUB Biodiversity Park Dr. Muhammad Abdullah and his team extended a warm welcome to the delegates, and Dr. Muhammad Atif Latif provided them with an overview of the ongoing projects and research initiatives at the Park, with a particular focus on the biodiversity of the Cholistan Desert. 🌳🌴🌻🎉

Empowering future generations to thrive! From the Nursery of IUB Biodiversity Park Fort Derwer, 100 indigenous plants, including Desi kikar, Beri, Frash, and Jand, were distributed to the students of Government Elementary School, Qila Derwar, under the guidance of the Head Master. Through its annual initiative, IUB Biodiversity Park nurtures native tree species in its Nursery, fostering a greener future for the community. 🌳🌲🌴🌿💚🌸

One Day study Tour *Dated:-18-12-2024 𝐑𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐕𝐞𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐭 𝐈𝐔𝐁 𝐁𝐢𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐤, 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐃𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐰𝐞𝐫, 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐭. Faculty Members & Students of 𝑰𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒕𝒖𝒕𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝑭𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝑺𝒄𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔, 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑰𝒔𝒍𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒂 𝑼𝒏𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝑩𝒂𝒉𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒍𝒑𝒖𝒓, 𝑷𝒂𝒌𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏 conducted a one day long tour of the IUB Biodiversity Park, Derawar Fort, Cholistan. The students were briefed about various aspects of biodiversity conservation. Range vegetation survey was conducted through various sampling techniques. The students and Faculty members thanked Dr. Muhammad Abdullah Director IUB Biodiversity Park for providing facilities during the tour. ............................................ Institute of Forest Sciences Faculty of Agriculture and Environment The Islamia University of Bahawalpur ..................................................... Together let's create a world where biodiversity thrives. #floraandfauna #Institute of Forest Sciences #instituteofforestsciences| #PSFS #Pakistan #facultyofagricultureandenvironment| #iubbwp #ViceChancellor #theiubsports #Climate #IUB #IUCN| #climate #iucn

The Sustainable Development Goals are our blueprint for a better, more sustainable world.

They are a call for action by all countries to promote prosperity while protecting the planet.

From ending hunger and ensuring quality education to improving access to clean water and sanitation, the 17 global goals aim to transform our future.

Seed Broadcast in Cholistan Desert to Restore Indigenous Desert Biodiversity

Houbara Foundation International Pakistan (HFIP), in collaboration with the Pakistan Army and The Islamia University of Bahawalpur (IUB), has successfully conducted an aerial and manual seed broadcast of indigenous desert plant species (Beri, kikar, jand, peelu, lathia, phel, damasa, karir, dhaman, sewan etc) in the Cholistan Desert. This annual initiative is part of ongoing efforts to restore and enrich the degrading habitat of the region, which is home to unique and diverse fauna & flora.
The activity was carried out under the framework of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Cholistan Institute of Desert Studies (CIDS) and HFIP. This partnership is dedicated to the exploration, conservation, and restoration of biodiversity across the Cholistan Desert.
Throughout the year, CIDS and HFIP collaborate on the collection of seeds from native plant species. These seeds are used for multiple purposes, including the establishment of desert plant nurseries, research support, and large-scale seed broadcast across various desert sites.
This seed broadcast will definitely restore the native desert vegetation, wildlife & livestock feed and will promote the socioeconomic of the local community and this region.
Dr. Muhammad Abdullah, Director CIDS, participated in the activity and commended the dedicated conservation efforts of the Houbara Foundation International Pakistan and the Pakistan Army. Further Major (R) Tahir Majeed representative of HFIP emphasized the importance of such initiatives in preserving the ecological balance and biodiversity of the Cholistan Desert. Engr. Prof. Dr. Muhammad Kamran, Vice Chancellor IUB; and Prof. Dr Tanveer Hussain Turabi, Dean-FA&E appreciated the such field based preservation missions to protect and restore the nature especially the role of HFIP and Pak Army.

Alhamdulelah, following a prolonged dry spell, a substantial Monsoon Rainfall occurred at IUB Biodiversity Park on 31-07-2025 🌧️💧🌿. Now is the time for restoration of fauna and flora of desert habitat, especially ephemeral plants.