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Background
  Human life and prosperity directly depend upon continued availability of natural resources, true synthetic resources being few and have unlimited production. Natural resources can be non-renewable, like fossil fuel (coal, mineral oil, natural gas, geo-thermal energy), minerals and nuclear energy, when their supply is limited or renewable, like biodiversity (agricultural crops, livestock, wildlife, forests, fisheries, etc.), sun energy, wind, water, soil, when these are replenished with the passage of time. Natural resources appeared unlimited when human population and its demands were limited, but with the recent increase in the human population and its increasing demands in this era of science and technology the natural resources started falling short of the human demands, resulting in ever increasing prices, malnutrition, hunger, socio-economic problems and ultimately political crises. Wise balanced management of the available natural resources is a key to human survival, peace and happiness, as also Honour and dignity for a nation.                                                     

Problem
Total global resources are limited and their demand is ever increasing. Non-renewable resources have a fixed supply and these resources gradually deplete with the use. Searching for hidden resources, finding alternatives, limiting use, recycling or increasing their efficiency are only management alternatives. Renewable resources are though replenished with the passage of time, yet this replenishment is not unlimited. Exploitation of such resources is a tricky; under-exploitation is a loss for ever, while over-exploitation may totally break the system when this resource is no more available. Under the present stresses the management of natural resources is placed on very delicate wedge: the system being too delicate, complex and intricately connected. One wrong step can lead to many irreparable damages, pushing the world into a blind corner. Unwise introduction of chemical control of harmful insects has lead to world to a stage, where withdrawal of such chemicals mean an eminent famine, while sustained maintenance requires increasing cost of production, intro duction of more lethal chemical, breaking biological control systems and health hazards. 

Solution
Natural resources have now a price and its management a science. Musk now can be harvested from musk deer without killing the animal and can be sold in the market at a price more than gold. Cumin is getting expensive as improper harvesting is depleting its stock in wild. A proper hunting of an old, reproductively inactive male markhor can fetch local community revenue of US $ 60,000. Some 40% of the energy is lost due to mismanagement. Increasing area under rice or wheat causes problems with cotton, vegetable oil or pulses. Eastern building architecture is more energy saving.

Continued availability of natural resources requires their optimal exploitation through a careful strategy. Development of such strategy has to be based upon research data on present status, stresses, mode of exploitation and future trends and modeling, along with finding alternate resources and mustering the support of general public. This can not be achieved until trained human resource is not available in such a field. The problem is tricky and hence a resource manager requires a fuller understanding of dynamics involved with natural resources, under a natural system and under different levels of human exploitation. He requires a full training in ecology, with sufficient expertise in computer modeling, a good managerial skill, and sufficient convincing power to lead mass awareness and community organization, and command on economics of such resources.

Stage Set
BioResource Research Centre (BRC) is set to play a leading role in the bio-resource management of Pakistan and its adjacent tract. It is working under four independent, yet interactive Divisions, i.e., Research, Management and Awareness, Research Dissemination and Human Resource. Up till now it has managed to collect:

1. A human capita of 14 (Ph.D. = 7; M.Phil. = 3; M.Sc. = 4) active researchers and teaching scientists; and 32 operational staff.

2.  Headquarter at Islamabad and 12 hectare fenced bear sanctuary at Kund.

3. A fleet of 5 field vehicles, 2 with regional mapping system.

4. Two established laboratories and facilities for animal immobilization; Global Positioning System (GPS), video- and micro-photography; photographic and video processing, animal physiology and histology studies.

5. 18 motivated field staff and links with field department to provide base for field research.

6. Library with more than 1,000 titles.

7. Internet for all researchers.

8. GIS and Computer Laboratory.

9. Two conference/ lecture halls with audiovisual system.

10. Complete field kits, with binoculars, spotting-scopes, motion stimulated camera traps, and camping accessories.                                

Using its facilities, BRC has supported 1 Ph.D. (Zoology), 1 M.S. (Range Management), and 64 M.Sc. project researches, 150 trained technicians in assorted fields and sanctuary management techniques. 2 Ph.D. and 4 M.Phil, scholars are presently attached with the Centre for their research.

Looking Ahead: INaR
BRC has gradually developed a feeling that bio-resource management in the country is facing a serious shortage of qualified human resources. Passive efforts of the BRC have though produced some motivated scientists, yet these are grossly insufficient to support massive activities required in this field. BRC plans to have a separate Institute of Natural Resource Management (INaR), where a degree programme can be offered in Natural Resource Management and Allied Fields. This is completely new field and none of the institution is offering such a degree programme. Courses on natural resource management, environmental sciences, environmental education, sustainable energy development, environmental economics, environmental monitoring, environmental impact assessment, climate change, hazard waste management, etc. are though management.

BRC plans to offer this degree programme under a missionary zeal. INaR will be supported in its research and teaching activities by the other Divisions of the BRC, the scientists sharing the teaching load on voluntary basis and acting as supervisors to guide the research through its on-going projects. This will facilitate grooming of the students under actual field conditions and problems of the area, and will provide research scientists of BRC with honest scientific work force to support their research. The scholars, thus trained, will provide many working hands and minds to support the mission of BRC.

Keeping the presently available resource, INaR will initially accept a batch of 15 students leading to M.Phil degree with a fee structure (Rs. 12,000 – 15,000 per semester) affordable for a common man. BRC might provide some assistance-ships to hard working and shining students, as available with different research projects. Student intake will be increased as the facilities at the Centre increased, when courses will be diversified keeping in view the market demand. Ph.D. programme will be initiated at a later stage, as per available facilities. Course work and thesis research evaluation shall follow the prevalent regulations and standards of HEC (Higher Education Commission of Pakistan).