Contribution of livestock to the conservation of biodiversity ofPalas Valley [NWFP] Pakistan
2003
Euler, K. | Qazi, Z.A.,Palas Conservation and Development Project,Palas, NWFP (Pakistan)
Palas Valley is globally known for the last intact Moist TemperateForests of the Western Himalayas and its unique fauna, including theendangered Western Tragopan. Palas Conservation and DevelopmentProject (PCDP) is active in the Valley to conserve its uniquebiodiversity through community participation. Spaced over 135, 300ha, the Valley has 27.4% of its area under forests, 24.2% underrangelands, 39.4% under wastelands, 7.6% under water bodies andpermanent snow, while 1.4% of its area is under agriculture.Livestock rearing and subsistence agriculture is the mainstay of thelocal economy. With about 32,000 livestock heads, there is atremendous pressure on the rangelands. Reduction in the numbers,better breeds, stall feeding, better marketing facilities, awarenessraising, etc. are some of the possible remedies to reverse the trendof degradation. In order to reduce pressure on forests as a sourceof income, improved livestock health could be one way to do so.Based on a recent survey, the local people loose a staggering amountof 42 million rupees each year because of the livestock causalitiescaused by various diseases in 2003, about 10% of the livestock wasvaccinated. This came to a net saving of about 4.2 million rupees.While comparing it to the net income of Rs. 730,000 - that the peopleof the Valley receive as revenue from timber - they are well off bya respectable margin of Rs. 3.470 million rupees. If somehow, thismessage is made clear to the local people, a possibility exists thatthey might opt for better animal husbandry practices, than to go fortimber.
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