Sarhad Provincial Conservation Strategy - IUCN

13
B I O L O G I C A L D I V E R S I T Y , P A R K S & P R O T E C T E D A R E A S
development of the Biodiversity Action Plan and the
parks and protected areas system plan as training
opportunities; additional resources will be sought to
implement a major institutional training initiative for
the relevant Government and non-governmental
agencies. Such a programme will include basic biological
training for mid-level professionals,
advanced training for senior management, and
enforcement training for field staff. A cadre of professionals
responsible for systems planning and
implementation will be trained. New mechanisms
for financing parks and protected areas through
their own revenues will be developed.
1 3 . 4
TRADITIONAL ECOLOGICAL
K N O W L E D G E
One of the best sources of biodiversity information
is the traditional ecological knowledge of indigenous
populations. Much of the information about
medicinal plants in northern Pakistan comes from
local people. But as society changes, and urbanizes,
much of this information is lost. An active programme
to collect and use traditional and indigenous
knowledge is needed. This need is partly met
by IUCN’s community-based biodiversity project in
the Northern Areas and the NWFP, but more could
be done.
Many institutions are now working on the collection
and systematic cataloguing of traditional knowledge.
Many individuals in Pakistani universities have
extensive, useful data bases. Institutions and individuals
in the international community are also participating
and taking an interest in the biodiversity and traditional
ecological knowledge of Pakistan. Some of
this focuses on the biodiversity hot spots while much
of the rest focuses on individual endangered species
and habitat restoration.
What is apparent is a lack of a coherent mechanism
to ensure the collection and availability of the
traditional ecological knowledge in Pakistan; efforts
in this regard need to be better coordinated. These
and other related issues must be discussed for an
affirmative action to conserve and use traditional ecological
knowledge.
166 SARHAD PROVINCIAL CONSERVATION STRATEGY
1 3 . 5
I M P L E M E N TAT I O N
The most appropriate mechanism to implement the
proposed reforms and to aid in strengthening the
concerned departments is a Round Table on
Biodiversity, Parks, and Protected Areas, similar to
those suggested for other high-priority sectors. This
group of Government officials, regional experts,
and relevant NGOs will be mandated to oversee
the development and implementation of an action
plan, to implement institution-strengthening initiatives
and systems planning, to oversee basic
research, to provide impetus to the establishment of
parks and protected areas, and generally to oversee
the policy and legislative reform process. Such
a Round Table will provide the resources necessary
to undertake the work through the provision of a
focal point staff person in the department.
To complete the extensive proposed workload, a
major submission to GEF II for institution-strengthening
using a two-track planning and implementation process
should be a priority. Park system planning will begin,
in parallel with the implementation of at least two new
national parks. The latter process will be used to train
staff and to elaborate the system planning work. As
additional sites are determined to be suitable, the training
and implementation process will begin again. In
this iterative fashion, a cadre of professional park managers
and planners will be put in place, and the park
system will eventually be complete.
13.6
C O M M I T M E N T S
During the next three years, a commitment is made to:
■ establish the Biodiversity, Parks, and Protected
Areas Round Table with appropriate support staff;
■ initiate the Round Table process and develop a
work plan;
■ initiate as soon as possible an institution-strengthening
programme;
■ initiate a biodiversity, parks, and protected areas
status review;
■ implement the community-based biodiversity project
in the Northern Areas and the NWFP;