Sustainable
Utilization of Natural Resources: A Community Based Conservation Effort in Bar
Valley, Gilgit, Pakistan
Introduction
Pakistan, with its geography
ranging from sea level to the second highest mountain in the world, hosts a
rich variety of flora and fauna. However, with the increase in population, and
subsequent increase in the demand for fuelwood, timber and grazing grounds,
forest area in Pakistan has been diminishing at an alarming rate. This has
resulted in rapid erosion, severe land degradation and a significant decline in
both the numbers and variety of wildlife.
In order to reverse the
process of deforestation and improve the status of wildlife, the Government of
Pakistan has created a number of environmentally related departments at both
the federal and provincial levels. In addition, several NGOs have initiated
efforts to enhance the process of reforestation. However, local participation,
the essential requirement for the success, has largely been ignored. Local communities were rarely involved in the
protection of natural resources on government land. Likewise, technical and
financial support needed to improve communities’ skill and ability to manage
their resources on private lands was virtually nonexistent.
The World Wide Fund for
Nature/Pakistan (WWF/Pakistan) has been actively trying to improve the
environmental situation by including local communities in natural resource
management. This paper details WWF/Pakistan’s efforts in Bar Valley in the
North Western Frontier Provinces of Pakistan. The project, begun in 1990,
capitalized on the popularity of hunting in the area and the possibilities of
linking ecotourism (based on sustainable hunting), conservation and community
development.
Bar Valley
Bar Valley is situated about
35 kilometers from the town of Gilgit in the Nagar subdivision of the North
Western Frontier Provinces of Pakistan. Bar Valley was once known for its large
number of Siberian ibex (Capra ibex sibirica). However, their numbers have declined due to
uncontrolled hunting by the local people for food and outsiders for trophies.
Although wildlife department staff were present, they were largely ineffective
in controlling and managing hunting inside the valley.
There are three main villages
in Bar Valley with a total of 240 households. These communities depend mainly
on livestock for their livelihood.
Having already overgrazed the areas close to the villages, the people began
grazing their livestock in the alpine pastures that were once the exclusive
domain of wild animals, including the ibex.
Winters are hard in Bar
Valley. The minimum temperature in January often dips well below freezing and
the valley remains covered with snow.
During these harsh winters, the villagers burn large amounts of fuelwood
to keep warm. The main source of fuel is
the juniper tree, which is one of the only forest trees found in the local
mountain ecosystem. It is slow growing
and endangered throughout the country. In addition, the people collect huge
quantities of alpine grasses for stall feeding their livestock in the winter.
The combined effect of deforestation and removal of grasses has resulted in
erosion, and the deterioration of the habitat needed for the ibex and other
wildlife.
The continuous loss of habitat
and uncontrolled hunting of ibex created a dire situation in Bar Valley. In
1990, WWF/Pakistan initiated activities to alleviate the process of degradation
and improve the status of the ibex by establishing linkages among local
communities, local administration and other NGOs, as well as adapting
integrated management approaches.
The core of the plan was to
motivate villagers to take responsibility for protecting the ibex until the
population could grow to a level when commercial exploitation would be
feasible. The objectives of the project were to:
u protect wildlife
species of the area against illegal, uncontrolled and unauthorized hunting;
u generate income
opportunities for the local communities and improve their lifestyle through the
sustainable use of the environment (both natural resources and wildlife);
u preserve and
improve the local biodiversity;
u create awareness
with regards to the value of environmental conservation;
u provide training
and research opportunities to students and graduates of universities, both
local and foreign; and
u provide
practical examples of resource conservation (biodiversity in general and
wildlife in particular) and development through local participation for
replication in other parts of the country.
Project Implementation
Protection of wildlife
After holding several meetings
with the local communities, a protection procedure was suggested and
adopted. Three villages of Bar Valley
elected 10 members to form a management committee for one year. The committee
was comprised of five hunters and five non-hunters. This committee was given
Rs. 4,500 (US$ 150) per month to carry out protection duties and other
conservation-related activities. The project was to stop giving this money when
new sources of income were generated as a result of the project’s activities.
However, activities would continue to be sponsored by the community with the
new sources of income. The local wildlife and forest departments were also
persuaded to appoint two observers to ensure the wildlife protection and forest
rules were not violated.
Trophy hunting program
As mentioned earlier, the core
concept behind the project was for sustainable hunting of the ibex. The project was heavily dependent on the
cooperation of the 41 local hunters. The complete ban on hunting not only
affected the hunters directly, but also other community members. While not all
members of the community hunted, many benefited indirectly from the hunting
activities by receiving meat from their relatives and friends who did. Efforts
were thus needed to appease the hunters as well as the other villagers to avoid
the possibility of poaching. Even if a
few non-hunting families had remained unattended by the project, total control
over hunting, which was the utmost priority of the project, would have become
difficult.
The feasibility study had
already proposed that a sum of Rs. 240,000 (US$ 8,000) be given for
distribution amongst the 240 families of Bar Valley. This would not only compensate the community
immediately for the loss of the wild meat, but also involve every household in the program. Additionally, it was assumed the communities
would either change their food habits or replace wild meat with meat from other
sources. This money was a loan and was
to be returned to WWF/Pakistan upon the commencement of the trophy hunting
program.
Regular censuses were
conducted, and the ibex were counted by age and
sex. It was recommended that 10% of the mature males (over 8 years of
age) could be used for trophy hunting when there was a minimum population of 50
mature and over mature animals in the entire valley (273 km2) and the total
population of ibex was approximately 500.
Except for two minor violations, there were no reported poaching
problems. As a result, the animal
population grew and in April 1994, more than 500 animals were counted.
Based on the population census
of ibex for April 1994, the government of the North Western Frontier Provinces
recommended that five ibex be allowed for trophy hunting. This was endorsed by
the local administration and a formal request was sent to the Federal
Government to lift the ban and issue the permits for hunting to take
place. Because the villages’ protection
activities were successful, the Government of Pakistan allowed five trophy
hunting permits and endorsed the idea that the local communities would earn a
profit as proposed in the project. The
Government of Pakistan allowed five licenses for the hunting of ibex in the
valley; 75% of the revenue was to be given to the local communities and 25% to
the government as a management fee.
A fixed license fee and quota
was agreed upon in consultation with the wildlife department and other partners
of the project. The fee for international hunters was US$ 3,000 while Pakistani
hunters were charged Rs.25,000 (US$ 830).
The local village council and
WWF/Pakistan decided upon the use of revenue from trophy hunting and other
tourist related activities to fund further development and conservation
projects. Government departments were encouraged
to use their share of the income for conservation purposes, preferably in the
project or surrounding areas.
From the revenue collected a
health care center was constructed.
Currently (1996), WWF/Pakistan is also training selected villagers in
organizing tours to some of the famous valleys in the area to further diversify
the ecotourism activities in the area.
Developing Bar Valley as an ecotourism destination
In order to prepare and
promote Bar Valley as a tourist destination, WWF/Pakistan worked with the local
communities to improve tourist facilities as well as develop promotional
material on the valley. Moreover, when the project first began it was uncertain
whether the government would allow trophy hunting in the area, and more
importantly whether the villagers would be permitted to keep the profits
generated from the hunting if allowed. In response to this possibility, the
community identified various aspects of their natural and cultural environment
that were of potential interest to tourists. Campgrounds were designated, and
20 tents and other camping equipment were given to the local communities to
accommodate tourists visiting scenic spots in the valley. Other ecotourism
activities were designed to diversify the range of activities for the tourists.
These activities included:
u the availability
of riding facilities (on horses and yaks);
u cultural shows
for tourists in Dainter Village on weekends;
u training of
guides and porters for trekking and hikes;
u training of
local people in the preparation of hygienic local and foreign foods; and
u the availability
of transport facilities to and from the nearest town where transport services
for other destinations are available.
Many of the activities have
begun and several families are now earning a substantial amount of money. Rates
and charges were fixed through mutual consultations with partners, and the
quality of services in the valley has been regularly monitored.
Bari Darukush, an area which
represents a mosaic of mountain habitats, grasslands and wetlands was closed
for all uses except trophy hunting and limited grazing. This area will be
maintained for limited camping, tourism activities and research studies.
To promote the area as a
tourist destination, WWF/Pakistan is preparing a video on the cultural and
biological resources of the valley. Likewise, a brochure was prepared and
distributed to important tourist hotels, the Pakistan International Airlines
office and bus stations to attract tourists to the area.
Other development activities
The project also linked
conservation with local development activities. Since the area does not support
a vast array of resources it was important to assist the local communities in
land use practices and improved agriculture techniques. Activities included
assisting local landowners in establishing fruit orchards and improving the
existing agricultural practices. The project also assisted in the
rehabilitation of about 15 acres of land (jointly managed) by constructing an
irrigation channel near Bar Valley.
Moreover, the possibility of soft loans for the purchase of transport,
better breeds of livestock and seed are being explored.
Local communities were also
persuaded to establish nurseries for fuelwood and forage species. The project
and local communities established a demonstration nursery to increase the area
under plant cover. Similarly, areas have been designated as limited-use zones,
where grass cutting and fuelwood collection is banned. In collaboration with
other development projects in the area, fuel-efficient technologies were
introduced and subsidized for adoption in each household of Bar Valley.
In order to improve potential
income generating opportunities, activities such as training in carpet making, the establishment
of a basket and wood cutlery industry, and improved marketing techniques for
local handicrafts are also being explored.
Creation of environmental and conservation awareness
The project also felt that it
was important to create an environmental awareness campaign to educate the
local people in the importance of resource conservation. Local NGOs were encouraged and assisted to
prepare and provide material on environmental education for distribution in the
area. Likewise, the education unit of the project, in collaboration with the
education staff of WWF/Pakistan, conducted special workshops for schools in the
area and prepared special education material for school children, teachers and
other interested groups. Environmental slogans on important environmental
issues were also displayed in prominent locations throughout the valley.
Another important aspect of
this education campaign was to provide training and research opportunities to
students and graduates of both local and foreign universities. Selected graduate students were encouraged to
undertake field oriented research studies.
They were also encouraged to analyze project activities to further
improve the project. Six university
graduates were given training opportunities on various project activities which
eventually helped them find employment in organizations relevant to their
subjects.
Replication of Project in Similar Areas
WWF/Pakistan felt that the Bar
Valley Project could be replicated in similar areas. Two additional project areas were selected
based on the following criteria:
u the area should
have a minimum of 100 ibex, 50 markhor or 10 musk deer within the project boundaries;
u the local people
should be willing to protect wildlife and their habitats; and
u the local people
would sign a written conservation-cum-development agreement with WWF/Pakistan,
whereby they would be bound to abide by the rules and regulations of such
agreement for a specified period of time.
Activities and
strategies were to:
u ensure complete
protection of wildlife species against poaching;
u ensure the
sustainable utilization of natural resources;
u help people to
reduce, and ultimately eliminate, their dependence on critical and endangered
natural resources, especially the forests and wildlife species of the area;
u make the project
sustainable within 10-15 years; and
u persuade and
convince local people, NGOs, and government agencies to replicate these ideas
in other parts of the North Western Frontier Provinces.
Problems Encountered during Implementation
While implementing the
project, a number of problems emerged, some were anticipated while others were
not. Although frustrating and time consuming, the project had to design and
implement various activities to manage such problems. These problems were of
two broad categories: community related and government related.
Community related problems
As mentioned previously the
project had to rely on the cooperation of local hunters. The project plan was
that revenue from licenses and visitation would be distributed equally amongst
the households of the community, without regard to whether or not an individual
was previously a hunter. The hunters
were not eager to cease their activities for the questionable promise of future
revenue. Another problem was if the hunters were given an incentive, villagers
who did not hunt might attempt to become hunters to receive this
incentive.
Not every hunter in the
community was eager to adopt the new rules of the project. The project had
already identified several hunters who might violate the rules and continue to
hunt. A comprehensive monitoring system
was needed in each important ibex habitat to deter such hunters. Since there
was no source of immediate income, and the local people were not accustomed to
investing in such projects, the project had to either rely on volunteers or had
to pay a group people to act as guards to protect the area.
The people, although generally
ready to stop hunting, were reluctant to spend days in the remote parts of the
valley to guard against poaching for no financial gain. It was thus decided
that those who were willing to perform
such duties would be paid by the project. Although the guards’ salary
was not high, every adult in the valley wanted to participate. However, the project could only afford to pay
10 guards for a limited period. The project anticipated that once the community
began to collect revenue from trophy hunting, these guards would then be paid
by the community.
Government related problems
In order to be sustainable,
the Bar Valley project relied heavily on the trophy hunting program, though in
fact, the federal government had banned all hunting. A long procedure was
involved to relax the ban. Without
government approval for the trophy hunting permits, the people of Bar Valley
would most likely begin uncontrolled hunting again, and any chance for future
conservation efforts would be unlikely.
Another problem was that the
relationship between the forest department
and the local communities was bad. On several occasions, the local
communities of Bar Valley had negotiated with senior civil administration
officials for a sustainable wildlife-use project, but these discussions were
hampered by serious conflicts with the forest and wildlife department. It was feared these past problems, would
hinder the goals of the project.
However, because of effective liaison by the project between the local
people and the forest department, the relationship improved and now the forest
department is cooperating with the trophy hunting project.
Hunting permits
After the program was
implemented in 1990, uncontrolled hunting in Bar Valley was nearly
eliminated. In the early stages of the
program, there were two violations, which were not unexpected and not a
detriment for the program’s overall success. These violations even lead the
community to impose an internal system of social punishment which helped to
deter future poachers. The people’s
efforts to protect ibex became an example in the region. Consequently, when WWF/Pakistan
requested the local and federal government to relax the existing ban on
hunting, it was done quite smoothly and five permits were allowed for ibex
hunting in Bar Valley, though the ban was maintained in rest of the country.
Sharing revenue with people
Before the initiation of this
project, there had been no precedent in Pakistan where revenue from wildlife
resources had been shared with the local communities. However, the Bar Valley
project had two major strengths:
1. Communities were
involved in the protection of wildlife
2. WWF/Pakistan was
helping communities in its management
The original proposal
suggested that 70% of the revenue generated from trophy hunting should go to
the local communities (and 30% to the local government). However, the Prime
Minister changed the ratio to 75% /25%, and thus a new rule emerged in the
country which allowed local communities to be eligible to share in revenue from
natural resource conservation, provided they participate in its protection.
Sustainability of the Bar Valley Project
Although it is hard to fix
specific rules for the sustainability of natural resources, certain lessons can
be learned from the project in Bar Valley.
Community organization and their improved management skills
Over the last five years, the
local communities have learned the importance of wildlife conservation. The community is well organized and has
developed the necessary management skills to sustain their activities.
One example of improved the
management capacity is the system of protection that was established. The
system for protecting the ibex habitat has been done on a locally initiated
basis which has satisfied all the members of the community. Protection
activities are now being carried out on a regular basis with few conflicts. Likewise, the management committee is taking
on other rural development issues.
Popularity of the program and its replication in other areas
WWF/Pakistan is receiving a
number of requests from communities in other valleys to assist in setting up
similar projects in their areas. Popularity of the program outside the project
area is another indicators of its success.
Cooperation of government agencies
Although essentially a
community-based initiative, supported technically and financially by an NGO,
government agencies are extending full cooperation to the program. This
interest and confidence on part of the government was developed through several
internal and external consultations as well as collaborative research such as
the wildlife census program in the valley.
Availability of non-ambiguous target point
Any project which deals with the sustainable utilization of
natural resources, must have a terminating point - a point where the project
will be taken over by local partners. If such a point is well identified, and
local capacity developed, such a project or activity should be sustainable. The Bar Valley Project has a fixed ending
target. It aims to improve ibex populations to a level when the surplus can be
harvested through trophy hunting in such a way that a viable ibex population is
maintained, while a new and sustainable source of income is generated for the
local community.
Conclusion
The Bar Valley Project has become an example in Pakistan of
participatory natural resource management. The project’s community involvement
and income generating potential show tremendous promise for its sustainability. As of 1996, the available number of ibex in
the Bar valley was about 900 with 50-60 animals ready for cultivation. This could bring much needed income into the
valley and generate further development initiatives that demonstrate to the
local people that conservation of biodiversity and wildlife promise much in
return.
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