With many thanks to all the staffwho contributed.

PhotographsPage 2: Jamshyd Masud

Page 6: Anita D. NasarPage 8: Saeed Khan

Page 12: Chitral ConservationStrategy

Page 14: Kairas N. KabrajiPage 16/17: Nasir Ali Panhwar

Page 18: Javed AhmedPage 20: Jamshyd Masud

Page 23: Abbottabad ConservationStrategy

Page 24: WWF PakistanPage 26/27: S. A. Siddiqui

© 2000 International Union forConservation of Nature and Natural

Resources, Pakistan

AuthorAalia Bux

EditorsNikhat Sattar and

Dhunmai Cowasjee

ISBN969-8141-34-0

Designed byCreative Unit (Pvt) Ltd.

Printed byHamdard Printing Press (Pvt) Ltd.

Available fromIUCN Pakistan

1 Bath Island Road, Karachi 75530, Pakistan.

f o r e w o r d 2

tak ing the programme forward 4

f inancial operat ions 8

implement ing the nat ional conservat ion s t ra tegy 1 0

work ing wi th people 1 4

enabl ing the laws 1 8

i n d u s t r y, economy and the envi ronment 2 0

conserv ing b iodivers i ty , demonstrat ing the 2 4pr inc ip les of susta inable development

abbreviat ions and acronyms 2 8

1999 publ icat ions 2 9

IUCN Pakistan of f i c e s 3 0

c o n t e n t s

f o r e w o r d

3

he year 1999 has been challenging not least because of theeconomic climate in the country and the internationalperception of Pakistan. We have had to chart our way throughthe rough seas of geo-political trends while bringing manychanges on board: preparing for a switch in command and forintegrating the country office with the larger IUCN in A s i a .

This has meant preparing both staff and the partners IUCNworks with for a slightly different organisation, one thatcontinues to work with a large body of government and non-government institutions in Pakistan while engaging with theregional membership. The benefits of regional contacts,access to a larger pool of experts, of transboundary work isall exciting and many opportunities lie waiting to be tapped.There is no doubt that this ‘opening up of the programme’can but bring good to the work in Pakistan.

It is also a time to say au revoir. After 15 years of work inPakistan, I will be moving on as Regional Director, IUCNAsia. It is a challenging role and where IUCN and I will needsupport both within the country and outside it. The PakistanNational Committee, the Commission members and thepartners that we have worked with are resources that havebeen tapped and can be availed of for the greater good ofconservation work in Pakistan and Asia. I look forward todoing that.

ABAN MARKER KABRAJICountry Representative, IUCN Pakistan

taking the programme forward

5

n the final year of the millennium there were significant challenges for IUCN.While the global Union underwent a leadership change and externalevaluation, IUCN Pakistan also prepared to undergo a change of hands. Theexternal environment was harsh, with political and economic difficulties inPakistan peaking during the year, and donor confidence reaching an all-timelow. For IUCN Pakistan, 1999 was a year of transition as the organisationrealigned and restructured to meet these challenges and prepared to usher ina new era of tighter and more integrated operations for the future.

During the year, IUCN’s Global Programme initiated a planning process thatprovided an overall vision for the organisation and set out clear objectives forthe way forward. This was assisted, in part, by an external review of the globalUnion fielded by donors as part of a regular three-year evaluation cycle. Thereview mission visited Pakistan in May 1999 and provided favourable feedbackand recommendations. Key among these was to capitalise on resource sharingregionally, by strengthening the ties between the Pakistan and Asia officesthrough programme linkages, experience sharing and learning, and financialsupport. This was formalised through an expansion of the Asia region that nowextends from Pakistan in the west to Japan in the east.

For the past three years, IUCN Pakistan’s Country Representative had alsobeen holding the post of Regional Director, South and Southeast Asia.Following the Director General’s decision to de-link these posts, a recruitmentprocess for a new CR in Pakistan was put in place. At the same time,discussions on how to facilitate the linkages with the Asia programme wereinitiated. A task force was created within the Senior Management Group to lookinto this and to propose recommendations.

The six-year strategic framework for IUCN Pakistan was finalised in 1999after an extensive year-long consultative process with members, partnersand staff. Key objectives include integrating environment and development;supporting institutional and human resource development; facilitating asupportive policy and legal framework; and increasing popular support for the

environment. In meeting theseobjectives, IUCN Pakistan hasshifted focus towards consolidationrather than expansion, capitalisingon existing strengths andrestructuring in response to externaldynamics. Following up onsuccessive management reviewsover the past few years, adecentralised organisation structure— with strong technicalprogrammes — will need to bedeveloped. An on-going challengefor the organisation over the nextfew years will be to eff e c t i v e l yoperationalise this strategy. .

A start at implementing the strategywas made with work in freshwaterecosystems. On the request of theGovernment of Punjab and the ADB,IUCN may assist in carrying outenvironment audits of the large, 25-

year National Drainage Programme.IUCN members have supported thisinvolvement, and discussions areunderway to finalise the scope ofwork.

Besides national issues, IUCN needsto keep abreast of emerging globalenvironmental issues. To this end,IUCN HQ initiated studies at theregional and national level that wouldhelp determine the scope of futurework in emerging areas. IUCNPakistan played a leading role ininitiating studies in climate change,environment and security anddesertification in Asia, andparticipated in another study on alieninvasive species.

Although IUCN Pakistan has beenreasonably successful in attractingdonor funds for projects, donor

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confidence in the country fell rapidlyin the wake of the May 1998 nucleartests and the political uncertaintyfollowing the October 1999government change. By the end of1999, the donor profile for Pakistanhad changed significantly — theDutch had withdrawn, Norwegianfunding was curtailed, anduncertainty prevailed amongst mostof the remaining donors including theCanadians.

Fortunately IUCNP’s relationship,built up over years of workingtogether, ensured that currentprogress continued as planned. Themajor progress that did emerge in1999, was that GEF-UNDP funds forthe US$ 8 million, seven-yearMountain Areas Conservancy Projectcame through.

In many ways, 1999 was one of themost difficult years for IUCNPakistan, highlighting the challengesof a rapidly changing environmentfor conservation both in Pakistan

and internationally. IUCN Pakistanwill continue to operationalisestrategies, strengthen systems andbuild capacity, while maintaining theflexibility to continue to meet thechallenges of the future. Lookingahead, the NCS mid-term reviewhas been slated for March 2000; itwill evaluate the progress made sofar and provide recommendationsfor the future. The review is likely tobe critical for Pakistan, redefiningthe role of government and civilsociety organisations, includingIUCN, in taking the environmentagenda forward.

financial operations

9

inancially, 1999 was a difficult year withPakistan-specific impediments affecting aid tothe country generally. However, internationalgrant aid support for IUCN-implementedprojects was generally forthcoming.

During 1999, new phases of the SarhadProvincial Conservation Strategy, the NorthernAreas Conservation Strategy and the MountainAreas Conservancy Project started. A reprofilingof the Pakistan Environment Programme wascarried out during the year and a new phase ofthe NORAD Frame Agreement was developedand sent for approval.

The total turnover was approximately Rs. 188million in 1998 and Rs. 227 million in 1999, anincrease of 27% and 20% respectively over theprevious years. Almost this entire turnover wasmade up of project funds. Staff went up to 260in 1999 through recruitment for SPCS, NACSand MACP.

The continuity of our donor base gives usconfidence for the future. However, the FinanceProgramme has begun revamping itsmanagement systems to enable betterinformation flow for managers. Also, the financefunction in the north, based in Islamabad, hasbeen strengthened to give greater autonomy tothese offices. No doubt 2000 will be aschallenging as the previous year. We believe weare well-placed to meet what lies ahead.

implementing the nationalconservation strategy

11

he most notable breakthrough for the conservation movement in Pakistan wasthe development of the National Conservation Strategy in 1992.Implementing the NCS is the guiding force that provides direction and focus toI U C N ’s programme strategies in Pakistan.

Capacity building interventions play a pivotal role in developing the knowledgeand skills necessary to achieve NCS objectives. Recognising this, efforts to buildcapacity within institutions are spearheaded under the CIDA-funded P a k i s t a nEnvironment Programme. Initiated in 1994, PEP was the first major IUCNPinitiative directly emanating from the NCS and involves the partnership ofinstitutions that carry the mandate to influence environment management policies.These include the NCS Unit in the Ministry of Environment, the EnvironmentSection in the Planning Commission, the Sustainable Development PolicyInstitute and IUCN Pakistan. The project ends in 2000 and a second phase maybe initiated following the recommendations of the NCS mid-term review.

Capacity building of each PEP partner institution is organised around a clusterof activities including funding, technical assistance, training programmes andworkshops — utilising regional linkages and support from the Canadian PartnerOrganisation. During 1999, PEP activities centred on strengthening capacity,primarily through the induction and orientation of new staff for partnerinstitutions, including environmental specialists, project staff and consultants.

An important dimension of IUCNP’s work in NCS implementation is theformulation of provincial and district conservation strategies. IUCN Pakistanworked with the government of NWFP to develop the Sarhad ProvincialConservation Strategy, approved and adopted in 1996. Supported by SDC,the SPCS was formulated through a broad-based participatory approach andis a policy framework that provides guidelines for both government and civils o c i e t y ’s future development activities in the province.

SPCS is currently in its third phase, Partners for Sustainable Development inN W F P, launched in July 1998. PSDN aims at strengthening partnerships with

12

the public and private sectors, civilsociety and media to enable them totake on an enhanced role insustainable development. It carriesout activities through several linedepartments of the government ofN W F P and a select number of civilsociety organisations, supported byfocal points and roundtables.

One of PSDN’s major thrusts is toenhance the capacity of key partners.During 1999, two of the six-moduleSPCS Partners Training Programme— the Social Sector: Measuring theSuccess of Investments, Planningand Monitoring; and the Economicsof Environmental Sustainability —were conducted, and a workshop onMultilateral Environment A g r e e m e n t swas held for governmentdepartments. Civil societyinterventions included training of

registered CBOs and NGOs in projectproposal development andenvironment management. A n u m b e rof roundtables were operationalisedduring the period, including the NGOroundtable and one on sustainablea g r i c u l t u r e .

IUCN lays emphasis on opening upthe business of government to inputsfrom civil society, and to promotingthis concept at different levels ofgovernment. This has beenoperationalised through district-levelstrategic planning in line with theprogressive implementationprocesses of the NCS and the SPCS.

Hence the Chitral ConservationS t r a t e g y is a district-level planningexercise which takes stock of theresources of Chitral and aims tomaximise their productivity through a

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decentralised planning process. Toensure the active involvement ofstakeholders, the CCS employsparticipatory mechanisms thatpromote ownership. The process isguided through a DistrictConservation Roundtable thatprovides a forum for coordinatingsustainable development activities.During 1999, the CCS sectoralpapers and a draft of the maindocument were finalised,demonstrating significant progress forthe strategy. Work started on theChitral District Conservation Fundand project proposals were preparedin order to initiate implementationalongside strategy formulation.

The Abbotabad ConservationS t r a t e g y is also based onparticipatory planning, and takes anintegrative approach to developmentby forging links between ecological,economic and social issues. T h eplanning process is facilitated by aDistrict Conservation Roundtable aswell as by a Steering Committeewhich coordinates ACS activities.During 1999 the public consultationprocess for formulating the A C Sended, an exercise in which all the 57union councils of Abbotabad Districtwere covered. It led to sustainabledevelopment issues being identifiedand prioritised.

Funded by RNE, the B a l o c h i s t a nConservation Strategy aims todesign a policy framework thatensures the integration of environmentconcerns into development planning inthe province. BCS builds on theconcepts developed through theSPCS to decentralise policy-makingand has introduced consultativeinnovations that are new to the

development process in Balochistan.During 1999, BCS continued to focuson developing the strategy through aconsultative process that included thewriting and review of 15 backgroundpapers and five drafts of thedocument. In addtion, training needsassessments of stakeholders wereconducted and customised courseswere arranged. Other activities duringthe year included awareness raisingfor the environment, identification ofdemonstration projects forimplementation and gendersensitisation of staff and partnero r g a n i s a t i o n s .

The Northern Areas ConservationS t r a t e g y, co-funded by SDC andNORAD, is the third active area ofI U C N P ’s efforts to devolve policy-making to the provincial level. During1999, the NACS gained momentumin initiating public consultations forthe prioritisation of issues in theNorthern Areas. The process wasdiscussed with stakeholders and fieldtested in one village in each of thefour districts. In addition, the first draftof the Conceptual Framework for theNACS was circulated and fourinterest groups/roundtables wereformed — NGO, Communications,Education and Natural Resources. Ajoint workshop was held to clarify theconcept, roles and responsibilities ofthese fora.

working with people

15

he success of the National Conservation Strategy is based on the adoption ofconservation principles and practices within the very fabric of society. T h i sapproach clearly calls for a well-managed process of learning and change.Awareness-raising for the environment is embodied in the NCS through threepowerful tools for working with people — communication, education andnetworking — to ensure the capacity and commitment for conservation. T h e s eflow through project activities and integrate with the larger IUCNP programme totarget educators, community leaders, professionals and the public as a whole toenable a well-informed society for sustainable development.

E ffective communication is the key to influencing people to adopt new attitudesfor conservation and sustainability in resource use. The C o m m u n i c a t i o n sP r o g r a m m e works through four strategic areas of focus — information gatheringand dissemination; capacity building for communication; advocacy and raisingthe profile of IUCN — to provide support to PEP partners, IUCNP and IUCN A s i aprogrammes and projects, and partners in their communications work.

Information is an essential tool for effective communication. During 1999, theProgramme continued its work of disseminating information on the environmentto a broad segment of the public. In this respect, the development of a librarydatabase that was accessible through both IUCNP’s Local Area Network andwebsite was initiated to allow greater public access to the organisation’sinformation collection. Information dissemination also included proactiveproduction of articles and press releases for newspapers through the year.Publications remained a key feature of the Programme, with regular productionof the Urdu quarterly NCS Jareeda and ongoing editorial support to IUCNP’sprogrammes and projects. Support at the Asia regional level included thepublication of A Study on Aid to the Environment Sector in Vi e t n a m and S e c u r i n gour Future in A s i a ’s Changing Environment,Proceedings of the IUCN South andSoutheast Asia Regional Conservation Forum.

Development of electronic communications is an important initiative forI U C N P, facilitated through the Communications Programme. SDNP is a UNDP-

funded project aimed at supportingthe dissemination of information onsustainable human development.Over the years, it has played a majorrole in both popularising anddeveloping capacity in the use ofelectronic communications inPakistan. The project’s third phasestarted in October 1998, and isfocusing on building institutionalcapacity to make informationavailable on the web and developinga meta-website that will housedevelopment information with aparticular focus on Pakistan. Thetransitional website was launched inAugust 1999. Also, SDNP is in theprocess of launching on-line internetservices from Islamabad, Lahore,Karachi and Peshawar and assistingin the development of websites ontopics of direct relevance tobiodiversity, ecosystem managementand environmental policies.

In an ongoing effort to build capacityfor communication, a number of

workshops were held for editors andjournalists to improve the frequencyand quality of environmentalreporting in Pakistan. TheProgramme continued to support theForum of Environmental JournalistsPakistan, and was actively involvedin the Reuters-IUCN Media Award forthe South and Southeast Region.The presentation ceremony,organised by the CommunicationsProgramme, was covered by thelocal and national press, as well astelevision news.

Advocacy encompasses all communication work and strengthensit by proactively articulating IUCN’sposition on various issues. Duringthe year the CommunicationsProgramme focused on developing astrategy for advocacy at the sub-national, national and internationallevels. Examples include advocacyon exploration and mining for gas inKirthar National Park; theProgramme took the lead in

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developing position statements,lobbying and mobilising publicopinion on this issue.

The Education Programme works intwo ways: to institutionaliseenvironment into the educationsystem and to include education inwork carried out by the environmentalmovement in Pakistan. The latterincludes incorporatingrecommendations on environmentaleducation in the conservationstrategies, and working witheducational institutions and NGOs incapacity building, institutional supportand material development forenvironmental education.

A major outcome in 1999 was thedevelopment of the BalochistanEnvironmental Communication andEducation Strategy. Eventually, itwas formulated with widestakeholder participation, includinginput from the government. Supportwas also provided to existingeducation interest groups androundtables.

The Education Programme hasinitiated material development toprovide tangible support to its eff o r t sat incorporating environmentaleducation in education policies andinstitutions. A Teacher EducationManual was developed and tested atthe Bureau of Curriculum, NWFP a n dthe Urdu version was finalised during1999. This manual has also beenadopted as part of the B.Edprogramme at the Teacher EducationCollege, Gilgit. The integration ofenvironmental education in the schoolsystem is taking further shape withthe development of a generic moduleon Orientation to the Environment.

To support both education inconservation and conservation ineducation, the Programme isdeveloping a website on biodiversitywith SDNP. The website will beaimed that teachers, children as wellas biodiversity experts and thegeneral public.

Capacity building of civil societyorganisations to work onenvironmental issues was supportedthrough the NGO and CommunitySupport Programme. During 1999,the Programme played an active rolein the BCS process, assisting in thedevelopment of the Non-governmentOrganisations Strategy, in supportingthe NGO interest group and incapacity building workshops for local-level NGOs. As part of efforts toincrease the institutional capacity ofdevelopment organisations, theBaanhn Beli and StrengtheningParticipatory Organisationsprogrammes were evaluated for theirenvironmental content.

Gender has been a priority of IUCNand the organisation has begun toimplement gender sensitive policiesboth within the organisation andwithin its programmes. As part of theprocess, workshops on gendersensitivity for staff and partners wereheld.

enabling the laws

19

aw provides both the foundation and the framework for the conservation andsustainable use of natural resources. The Environmental Law Programmerecognizes that good law-making is a process that has many qualities andrequires many inputs — among them broad-based participation, qualityinformation, technical expertise and political will — and endeavors to supply botha context and a platform for addressing each of them.

The Programme continued to provide support to the long-term process of law-making in Pakistan during 1999. The enactment of the Pakistan EnvironmentalProtection Act (1997) has given impetus to public interest litigation to advancethe cause of conservation and sustainable use of natural resources, pollutioncontrol, and public health and safety. Capitalising on this opportunity, the LawProgramme published two manuals on public interest litigation. One is ahandbook of case studies illustrating how civil society can protect and enforce itsenvironmental rights through the legal system in Pakistan. The second is a step-by-step guide for lawyers on how to develop environmental cases that not onlyexplains the procedures involved, but also the law and court decisions that willsupport their arguments. The handbook of case studies was published in Englishand Urdu to ensure that it is accessible to a wide segment of society.

For several years, IUCNP has been nurturing the interest of a group of lawyersand judges in environmental legal services. In 1999, this culminated in 15founding members launching the Pakistan Environmental Law A s s o c i a t i o n .I U C N P will continue to provide PELA with a secretariat and other in-kind supportas the group defines its organisational strategy and begins to take on issues andactivities. Interestingly, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Pakistandelivered the keynote address at the launch of PELA and the public interestlitigation manuals, demonstrating the level of interest for environmental law inPakistan.

As the Law Programme ultimately relies on legislative innovation and reform toachieve its objectives, the documentation and analysis of the existing legalregime is a priority. The Law Programme plans to launch a comprehensive studyof statutory legal instruments in 2000 at the federal and provincial levels. T h i sstudy will facilitate IUCNP’s work by providing an information resource base,besides building the capacity of the legal community taken on as consultants forthe exercise. Side by side, the Law Programme will be developing legaleducation and training curricula and materials, besides providing high qualitylegal input on a variety of IUCNP initiatives as well as those of partners.

i n d u s t r y, economy and thee n v i r o n m e n t

21

conomic development and rapid globalisation have important implications forenvironment management in the developing world. Emerging issues such astrade liberalisation, rising foreign debt and diminishing foreign aid often reducegovernment ability to prioritise conservation initiatives, intensifying pressure onnatural resources and leading to overconsumption and environmentaldegradation. The challenge facing IUCN Pakistan is to highlight the linksbetween economic development and environment conservation, to be able topromote a philosophy of sustainable development in government policy andindustry practices.

The Business Programme has a two-fold mandate. Externally, it aims toemphasise the exigency for environmentally responsible behaviour in thebusiness community, while within IUCNP, it focuses on infusing economic,financial and business-related issues and concerns into the organisation’s ownprojects and programmes. Recognising the need to highlight the economicvalue of the environment, the Programme continued to focus on environmentaleconomics during the year. Phase I of the Green Accounting Initiative —launched in 1997 as one of the themes of IUCN’s global work on economics —came to a successful conclusion in 1999 with the publication The EconomicValue of the Environment: Cases from South A s i a. The GAI projectdemonstrates that the tools used for allocating value to environmentalresources can be used in policy and decision-making processes in Pakistan.

A study on Building Capacity for Trade and Sustainable Development inDeveloping Countries was also concluded during the year. The project analysed

the environmental impact of tradeliberalisation on the leather andtextile sectors, with a simulated cost-benefit analysis of adopting cleanertechnologies in Pakistan. T h eoutcome of the study wasdisseminated at a workshop forgovernment ministries, NGOs andresearch institutions.

Other activities during 1999 includedbackground work on the villageconservation funds to be set-upunder the Mountain A r e a sConservancy Project and support tothe Sustainable Industry Roundtableformed under the SPCS. The SarhadProvincial Conservation Strategy hasbeen working to infuse environmentalconcerns into the industrial and urbanenvironment sectors; through theRoundtable, key industrialists andrepresentatives from the SarhadChamber of Commerce and Industryhave been involved.

Towards the end of the year theProgramme was reoriented slightly,with a strategic split taking placebetween the business and theenvironmental economicscomponents. The latter portion, undera mutual agreement between IUCNPakistan and the Asia programme,will flower into a regionalEnvironmental EconomicsProgramme based in this country. It

will kick off in 2000, continuing thevaluable work of developing an

economic context for theenvironment. The BusinessProgramme has shifted focus toworking more closely with thebusiness community. Future themeswill include innovative ways tofinance sustainable development, forexample, through internationalfinancing mechanisms such as debtswaps for nature.

In 2000, the Business Programmewill work more closely with thebusiness community, the financialsector and development planners inaddition to IUCNP’s own project staff .Future themes of work for the nextquadrennial will include: innovativemechanisms for financing sustainabledevelopment; trade and environment,a financial sector initiative (aimed atgreening the financial servicesindustry); corporate socialresponsibility; economic and financialincentives; ecotourism and micro-credit; and enterprise development.

Mainstreaming environmental impactconsiderations in industrial policiesand practices is a primary objective ofthe Environment A s s e s s m e n tServices Programme. T h eProgramme has made significantprogress in its mission to supportinstitutions in the prevention andcontrol of environmental degradation.At the policy level, assistance wasprovided in the preparation andreview of rules and regulations for theNational Environmental QualityStandards, the backbone of PEPA1997. In addition, the Programmecontinued to support departmentssuch as the provincial EnvironmentProtection Agencies, which play anessential role in the implementationof legislation.

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Capacity building initiatives during1999 included training workshops inEnvironment Impact A s s e s s m e n t ,Strategic Environmental A s s e s s m e n tand Hazardous Waste Management.These workshops, conducted forgovernment and private institutions,focused on both implementing andanalysing assessments. Capacitybuilding efforts were also extended toencompass academic andgovernment training institutions suchas the National Institute for PublicAdministration, the breeding groundof future leadership in Pakistan.

During 1999, the Programmeconcluded an Environment ImpactAssessment of a coal mining initiativein Chaparson Valley in the NorthernAreas. At 13,000 feet, the Chaparsonmine is one of the highest in theworld besides being located in an

ecologically sensitive area; one of thevalleys is home to the endangeredsnow leopard.

In a strategic attempt to provide aplatform for intervention at the policyand institutional level, EAS helpedlay the foundation of the PakistanEnvironment A s s e s s m e n tAssociation in October 1999. T h efirst and only EAS institution inPakistan, PEAA has already becomea member of the South A s i a nRegional Environmental A s s e s s m e n tAssociation. It will work to use EIAsas a tool to ensure that theenvironment is part of the agendaduring the planning phase ofdevelopment projects. IUCN isproviding support services to PEAAand acting as the Secretariat untilthe association becomes self-s u s t a i n i n g .

conserving biodiversity, demonstrating the principles of sustainable development

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iodiversity conservation is at the heart of IUCN’s work world-wide. Conservingthe integrity of nature — between and within species and among the variety ofecosystems — while keeping in mind the social and economic dimensionsreflects IUCN’s approach to biodiversity conservation. In Pakistan, nine majorecosystems remain under the threat of progressive degradation from populationpressures, pollution and unsustainable practices. Recognising the importance ofprotecting Pakistan’s biological legacy, the government ratified the Conventionon Biological Diversity in 1994. IUCNP works closely with the government’sBiodiversity Working Group and other agencies in implementing the CBD.

In 1999, the Biodiversity Programme contributed at both policy and field levelin furthering the cause of biodiversity in Pakistan. The Biodiversity Action Planfor Pakistan, which provides policy level guidance on the conservation andsustainable use of biodiversity, reached its final stage during the year, readyfor formal approval by the government. BAP was formulated in 1996, followingwhich it went through an extensive public consultative process involving anumber of provincial workshops, organised by IUCNP and the relevantagencies.

Field projects under the Programme are driven by the principle of helpingcommunities manage their natural resources. The three-year pilot project,Biodiversity Conservation through Community Development, was successfullyconcluded during the year. The project demonstrated that communities show asense of ownership and responsibility towards natural resources, provided theyhave access to technical skills and know-how. The project also made importantcontributions towards the capacity building of government and non-governmentorganisations to assist communities to develop and implement biodiversitymanagement plans.

The Biodiversity project provided the groundwork for a full-scale developmentproject, the GEF-UNDP funded Mountain Areas Conservancy Project, which waslaunched during 1999. MACP aims to build on the community mobilisationconcepts introduced in the pilot phase in order to protect and ensure sustainableuse of biodiversity. Based on a very positive evaluation of its predecessor, theM A C P will continue and scale-up project activities in four conservancies spreadover the Northern Areas and the NWFP. Each conservancy convenes a numberof villages encompassing an area of ecological interest.

During the year, MACP focused onconducting training courses andworkshops to build capacity fornatural resource management. In thisregard, an environmentalsensitisation workshop wasconducted for army personnel on treecutting and illegal hunting, while thecapacity building of MACP s t a ff andcommunity representatives wasinitiated through participation ininternational and local courses inbiodiversity-related issues. Supportcontinued for projects initiated underthe pilot phase, including Vi l l a g eConservation Funds and watersupply and irrigation schemes. T h eM A C P also made headway ininitiating a series of communitydialogues addressing issues such asconservation of the Astor markhorthrough trophy hunting anddevelopment of a markhorconservation plan.

Ecosystem management has been along-standing priority of IUCN with

initiatives carried out at a global andregional scale through linkages withthe IUCN Secretariat and its extensivenetwork of members and partners. InPakistan, IUCN lays particularemphasis on the conservation ofmangrove forests in view of theirimportant ecological functions,contribution to rural livelihoods andthe severity of the threat to thisresource. This work is done throughthe Coastal and Marine EcosystemP r o g r a m m e.

During 1999, work was carried out incollaboration with government andnon-government organisations. TheProgramme provided support toShirkat Gah-Women’s ResourceCentre in developing a series ofresearch studies on the feasibility ofalternative sources of income forcoastal communities. These includeactivities such as bee keeping andbasket weaving. Capacity buildinginitiatives continued with workshopsand training programmes for

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promoting community involvement inmangrove management and specialfield training programmes for theSindh and Balochistan forestdepartments.

The Programme carried out a cases t u d y, funded by DFID, torecommend tools to assess themonetary and non-monetary costsand benefits of artificial flood release.The study focused on the distributione ffects of floods that overflow thebanks of the river below KotriBarrage, covering the impact on in-channel processes such as sedimentmovement and fish habitat, as well asthe downstream impact ongroundwater and the Indus delta.

Unlike many countries, Pakistan haslarge areas of wetlands, of which ninehave been declared as "wetlands ofinternational importance" under theRamsar Convention. Impropermanagement of water, illegal huntingand land reclamation threatens manyof these precious wetlands. Pollution,eutrophication, excessive fishing andrecreation have further damagedthese areas. In response, IUCNP h a sbeen working to designate eight sitesin Balochistan and Sindh. Provincialgovernments are now in the processof issuing formal notification of thesesites, which may later be notifiedunder the Ramsar convention.

I U C N P is also active, through theEnvironment Rehabilitation inN W F P and Punjab project, inpromoting the rehabilitation of areasthat have been exposed toprogressive degradation. ERNP is anEU-funded project with threeoperational field sites — one in thePunjab and two in the NWFP. The key

feature of the project is participatorymanagement of natural resources increating and maintaining sustainablesocial and economic development.The Programme works through fourareas of intervention: naturalresources management, socialresources development, humanresources development andmonitoring and evaluation.

During 1999, the ERNP e x p e r i e n c e dfunding difficulties which createdmajor bottlenecks for the overallprogress of the project, especiallywith respect to physicalinterventions at the field level.Despite the financial crunch, ERNPmade headway in communitymobilisation and capacity buildingfor natural resource management. Atotal of 272 communities in 99villages were mobilised forenvironmental protection andrehabilitation, while trainingworkshops and courses wereorganised for ERNP s t a ff andcommunities, many through linkageswith SPCS/PSDN. A wide range ofresearch studies were undertakenduring the period including sectoralreviews, joint forest management,hydropower generation andcultivation of medicinal plants.E R N P is due for a mid-term reviewin 2000.

abbreviations anda c r o n y m s

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ADB Asian Development Bank

CBD Convention on Biological Diversity

CBOs Community-based Organisations

CIDA Canadian International Development Agency

DFID United Kingdom Department for International Development

EU European Union

GEF Global Environment Facility

NACS Northern Areas Conservation Strategy

NCS National Conservation Strategy

NGOs Non-governmental Organisations

NORAD Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation

NWFP North West Frontier Province

PEP Pakistan Environment Programme

PEPA Pakistan Environmental Protection Act, 1997

RNE Royal Netherlands Embassy

SDC Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation

SDNP Sustainable Development Networking Programme

SPCS Sarhad Provincial Conservation Strategy

UNDP United Nations Development Programme

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NCS Jareeda (Urdu)

Securing our Future in Asia:

Proceedings of the IUCN South & Southeast Asia

Regional Conservation Forum, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah,

Malaysia

A Study on Aid to the Environment

Sector in Vietnam,

Hai Noi, November 1999

1999 publications

IUCN Pakistan offices

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IUCN PakistanCountry Office1 Bath Island Road, Karachi 75530Tel: 021-5861540/41/42Fax: 021-5870287/5861448E-mail: mohammad.rafiq@iucnp.org

IUCN PakistanIslamabad OfficeH. No. 26, Street 87Sector G-6/3, IslamabadTel: 051-2270689/90Fax: 051-2270688E-mail: mail@iucn-isb.sdnpk.org

IUCN PakistanSarhad OfficeStreet No. 2 , House No. 109Defence Officers Colony Peshawar Cantt., PeshawarTel: 091-271728/276032Fax: 091-275093E-mail: mail@iucn.pwr.sdnpk.org

IUCN PakistanBalochistan OfficeMarker Cottage, Shahrah-e-Zarghon, QuettaTel: 081-840450/51/52Fax: 081-820706E-mail: rao@iucn.qta.sdnpk.org

IUCN PakistanNorthern Areas OfficeAlpine Complex, Main Gilgit Road Cantonment Area, Jutial, Gilgit Tel: 0572-55692/55809Fax: 0572-55808E-mail: iucnglt@glt.comsats.net.pk

IUCN PakistanSPCS Support UnitPlanning & Environment Dept.Government of NWFPCivil Secretariat, Police Road, PeshawarTel: 091-9210930/9210550Fax: 091-9210399E-mail: mail@iucn.pwr.sdnpk.org

IUCN PakistanACS Support UnitAbbottabad Conservation Strategy c/o Deputy Commissioner AbbottabadTel/Fax: 0992-331493/332449e-mail: iucnacs@atd.hazara.net.pk

IUCN PakistanCCS Support UnitChitral Conservation Strategyc/o Deputy Commissioner Chitral, ChitralTel/Fax: 0933-412079

IUCN PakistanBCS Support UnitP&D Department, Government of BalochistanBlock No. 6, Civil Secretariat, QuettaTel: 081-840450/51

IUCN PakistanNACS Support UnitP&D Department,Gilgit, Northern AreasTel: 0572-55692

I U C N -The Wo r l dConservation Union

Founded in 1948, The World Conservation Union brings

together States, government agencies and a diverse range of

non-governmental organizations in a unique world partnership:

over 950 members in all, spread across some 139 countries.

As a Union, IUCN seeks to influence, encourage and assist

societies throughout the world to conserve the integrity and

diversity of nature and to ensure that any use of natural

resources is equitable and ecologically sustainable.

The World Conservation Union builds on the strengths of its

members, networks and partners to enhance their capacity

and to support global alliances to safeguard natural resources

at local, regional and global levels.

In Pakistan, the Union seeks to fulfill this mission by

supporting the empowerment of civil society institutions and

facilitating the government to implement the National

Conservation Strategy as well as other national and sub-

national plans on sustainable development.