8/7/2019 WWF conserves vultures

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16 - NGO World - September 2007 www.ngoworld.pk

Vultures are known to play astrategic role in balancing theecological systems. They are

immune to diseases of livestock andwild animals, and help control thespread of diseases from carcasses. Asudden decline in the number of vul-tures could lead to a boom in thepopulation of stray animals thatpose potential health hazards to hu-mans.

“In India, increase in stray dogpopulation has been alreadyrecorded in areas from where vul-tures have disappeared,”says UzmaKhan, Manager Conservation Pro-gramme, World Wide Fund for Na-ture Pakistan (WWF Pakistan). Themajor breeding grounds for vulturesin Pakistan are Changa Manga, near

Lahore, Dholewala near Taunsa inSindh and Multan.“Conservation is not possible

without integrating livelihood in theprocess. All our field-based projectshave some livelihood-based compo-nents attached to them. Before initi-ating the Vulture Restoration Pro-gramme (VRP), we were not surewhether this is something we s houlddo and have a breeding facility. Our

Indus for All Programme is entirelyabout poverty-environment link-ages,”says Khan.

The WWF projects aim at provid-ing details about forests and howtheir communities are to be utilisedfor sustaining wildlife and attaininglivelihoods. In its Dolphin Conserva-tion Project, dolphins that go astrayand end up in irrigation canals are re-turned to the Indus River. “We have aprogramme to capture them, locatethem, and release them back intothe mainstream. The initiative is ledby local fishermen. We have trainedthem and we engage them throughstipends. We hire boats from fisher-men, and use their nets. This pro-

vides them an economic incentive towork with us and help us,”Khan says.

Training is also a key element in

the Snow Leopard ConservationProject of WWF Pakistan. The localsare trained to develop and producehandicrafts and basic amenitiessuch as napkins and table mats toearn revenue. The products areshipped to the US to a WWF partnersupporting the international SnowLeopard Trust. The partner organisa-tions market the products and allthe benefits go directly back to thelocal community in the conserva-tion area.

WWF Pakistan has also intro-duced fuel-efficient stoves in certain

areas under its Forest ConservationProgramme. It provides local com-munity members the option to cutonly those trees that are not endan-gered or are used to produce medi-cines. It encourages local residentsto only use sustainable tree types formedicine, and encourage them tomake use of the branches, whichcan grow back, rather than cuttingthe whole trees.

“We have carried out someethno-botany projects in Ayubia Na-tional Park and helped build capac-ity of communities. We tried to showpeople which trees are used for pro-ducing medicine and how they cangain economic gains by conservingthem instead of using them as fod-der. The government is not spend-ing enough time and money, envi-ronment, it seems, has always been

a low priority for the government,”Khan says.

Some good government policiesdo exist, however. Khan points outthat the wildlife legislation is verygood, has environment protectionclauses but is hardly implemented.“They do not have the resources; if you go to a wildlife protected area;the staff tells you they have awrecked motorbike and money tomaintain it. Not enough resources orstaff to properly guard that area. Thisleads to illegal activities, poachingand forest chopping,”she says.

Environment standards such asthe Pakistan government’s National

Environment Quality Standards,which include laws that state per-missible toxic levels and affluents al-lowed to be released in the drainagesystems. The tragedy is that only afew multinationals are particularabout abiding by these standards,while most of the local industries arepolluting the environment in the ab-sence of a regular monitoring mech-anism. N

September 2007 - NGO Worlwww.ngoworld.pk

The Sustainable Develop-ment Policy Institute (SDPI)is undertaking research for a

water management programmethrough participatory, consulta-tive, and academic interaction.The findings of the research willbe used to create direct messagesto highlight the peoples’perspec-tive and problems emanatingfrom shortage of water.

The programme is part of SDPI’s campaign on sustainablenatural resources managementfocused on resource optimisationrather than resource maximisa-tion. “The water resources of theworld are not likely to increase atthe rate of population growthprovided global warming does

not catch up with us and bringwith it floods of fast melting gla-ciers,” a researcher at SDPI tellsNGO World.

With a first phase budget of GBP 30,000 (PKR 3.54 million),SDPI aims at creating pressureand demand for a paradigm shiftat the grassroots level to encour-age political will for change fromthe top. The project is being

funded by Action Aid Interna-tional; an international anti-poverty agency formed in 1972.

Action Aid is working in over42 countries with local communi-

ties to get a better understandingof their perspectives and prob-lems. With partners ranging from

national alliances to supportgroups in small communities, Ac-

tion Aid has been worhighlighting problems of tand influencing governmecies for over 30 years.

“Women have a distincwater management for doand productive purposthey are hardly represeuser groups. This suggewater management, rathewater availability, is at thePakistan’s water crisis,” SDPI researcher. “The unetribution, coupled with ption pressure, rapid urbanand increasing industriaposes a serious challenge tmanagement in Pakistan21st century.”

SDPI in partnership witizens’Foundation is imping another programme d“Imagine a New Sou(INSA),”which is focusinural Resource Managemecampaign includes glacie

ing and national security iAs a broad based citiz

tiative to advance a sharedof South Asian vision andto promote more policy gence on key issues, inwater, more regional cotion, joint initiatives at ternment as well as civillevel, the campaign seeksmote the vision of a peprosperous and demSouth Asia.

SDPI is analysing popractices on natural mment in South Asia in theof historical practices to

whose interests are beingthrough existing policiwhose are being ignored.ing with policy makers ichallenging, but givenstrong policy focus and lwithin various ministriesgional partners, it is hopchange will be inevitabthe SDPI researcher. N

Ayesh

FEATURE FEAT

SDPI’s Common Vision for Water Management in South Asia pro-gramme covers Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Nepal. The findings

of the research highlight the peoples’perspective and problems ema-nating from Pakistan’s water challenges. The project is due to be com-pleted by the end of August 2007, through a campaign on water sharingin South Asian countries. It aims at formulising a broader researchagenda including the following strategies outlined by the organisation:

I A genuinely participatory approach in water management includ-ing

the voices of all stakeholders, in particular women and the poorI A pro-active approach to tackle landed and bureaucratic power

structuresI Capacity building in user groups and in government agencies,

rather than investment in infrastructure alone

I Economic incentives, such as secure property rights, to improveaccess to water for the marginalised and more efficient use of thescarce resource

I The health implications of water-related interventions should beassessed before embarking on them

I Water conservation should be given priority over large storageprojects. If large reservoirs are constructed, environmental and so-

cialimpact assessments should be conducted with true stakeholderparticipation. N

SDPI campaigns to sustain water resourcWWF Pakistan conserves vulturesUzma Khan, Manager Conservation Programme, World Wide Fund for Nature Pakistan (WWF Pakistan) tells Fakhra Hassan that conserva-tion of important wildlife can be ensured by integrating local livelihoods in the affected areas, government’s proactive participation, and part-nerships with other Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and international NGOs.

Photo: Ghulam Rasool

CONVERGINGFOR A COMMON CAUSE : The SDPI team meets to reach common ground for bet-ter water management in South Asia.