Report

Celebration of World Tourism Day and World Cleanup Day Cleanup Campaign and Awareness Program at Deosai National Park, Bara Pani 27 September 2018

Funded by UNDP

Improvement of Central Karakoram National Park Management System as a Model for Mountain Ecosystems in Northern Pakistan

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Background Deosai National Park is an emerging tourist destinations attracting thousands of tourists for past three years from all over Pakistan and abroad. The trend shows that in coming years the number will increase enormously. Improved law and order situation, better road facilities and proper visibility of the region has contributed in having greater number of tourists in recent years. The more tourists reach the area bring along a lot of opportunities for the local people contributing in boosting local economy. At the same time number of challenges are associated with the influx of the tourists when it goes unmanaged.

Deosai National Park is suffering number of challenges with the hike in tourism and what lies on top is the waste management. Currently DNP staff is deployed at DNP who are taking care of the waste collecting, transporting and dumping it at the selected sites. However compare to the waste generated every day, the resources including staff is quite less in number. Thus the garbage spread along the park poses a threat to the environment at the second highest plateau.

An immediate step towards overcoming this menace is to work on the awareness side involving all stakeholders promoting tourism in DNP. In the same connection, UNDP supported to conducted an event on awareness in Deosai coinciding it with the World Tourism Day on September 27, 2018 and also taking into account the World Cleanup Day-September 15, 2018.

Description:

Aiming at raising awareness among multiple stakeholders on the waste management the event Keep Deosai Clean- Cleanup Campaign and Awareness Program held on September 27, 2018 at Bara Pani Deosai at 11:30 am. It was also coinciding with World Cleanup Day held on September 15, 2018. The event was financed by UNDP whereas EvK2CNR extended support in

2 the implementation of the event. The UNDP is working in Gilgit-Baltistan on number of projects including conservation of protected areas with its partners EvK2CNR and WWF. The event was under the umbrella of the project "Improvement of Central Karakoram National Park Management System as a Model for Mountain Ecosystems in Northern Pakistan". Mr. Neil Buhne, UN Resident Coordinator / humanitarian Coordinator, Pakistan appreciated the role of evk2cnr together with WWF and other partners in the conservation of nature in Gilgit Baltistan and also for collaborating with UNDP for the implementation of its projects. He mentioned that UNDP is funding a project "Improvement of Central Karakoram National Park Management System as Model for Mountain Ecosystem in Northern Pakistan". He said that it is very important to work on the conservation of protected areas as it attaches high value to the flora and fauna inside a park. He appreciated EvK2CNR for collaborating with UNDP for holding the event on Deosai to spread awareness on waste management in the National Park. He said that Deosai may face a waste management challenge like in Nepal and to avoid such a situation, he advised to take measures involving all stakeholders. He highly commended the idea of holding International Tourism Day on Deosai unlike the events which are conventionally held in the major cities and proposed to make it a tradition to celebrate World Tourism Day at least in one, two or five years at Deosai. Mr. Neil Buhne highly praised the park staff for working hard for the protection and conservation of nature as well as to manage the waste.

Mr. Neil Buhne, giving his remarks Mr. Guido Bilancini expressing his views

Mr. Guido Bilancini talked about the Italian support and interventions in GB for last many years and assured to continue their support in the future. He said that we have a huge responsibility to provide a cleaner environment to our coming generations and for that we all will need to work together. Earlier Mr. Arif Hussain Manager North EvK2CNR shared with the participants the objectives of holding the event at Deosai National Park. He said that in the last three years the number of tourists entering into DNP has increased manifold which has turned out to be a big challenge for conservation of nature and eco tourism. Particularly the waste management is an

3 emerging threat the park is faced with. He also mentioned that the DNP staff supported by Government Forest, Wildlife and Environment department is working in a very effective manner to deal with such challenges even within limited resources. He said that UNDP is implementing the project in CKNP and DNP together with EvK2CNR and WWF and he thanks UNDP for support.

The representative of the DNP, Mr. Mehdi informed the participants that in 2018 almost 60000 (sixty thousand) tourist have visited the park. He said that the staff within available resources manage to collect and transport the waste to dumping sites. He requested for support from all stakeholders and organizations in further improving the process both at awareness level and also in the waste collection. He said that the number of Brown Bear has increased from 15 to 74 because of effective conservation measures from the department and civil society organizations as well as communities. Mr. Ayaz Ahmad Shigri, Senior Vice President ACP and General Secretary Baltistan Association of Tour Operators (BATO) Dr. Zakir Hussain, Director outreach Baltistan University, Community representatives also spoke on this occasion. They appreciated UNDP for supporting the event raising awareness to realize all stakeholders of their responsibilities on how to keep Deosai clean. They also assured to provide all support in the magnificent cause at their own levels.

Dr. Zakir, BU speaking at the event, Ms. Sajida, Student BU Mr. Arif EvK2CNR speaking at the event

Participants

Neil Buhne, UN Resident Coordinator / humanitarian Coordinator, Pakistan, Mr. Guido Bilancini, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Italy in Pakistan, Mr. Amanullah Khan, Asstt. Country Director, ECC Unit, UNDP Pakistan, Abduvakkos Abdurahmanov, Technical Specialist, ECC Unit, UNDP Pakistan, Muhammad Suhail, Programme Officer, ECC Unit, UNDP Pakistan, Sahibzada Irfanullah Khan, National Project Manager, MPA Project, ECC Unit, UNDP Pakistan were present at the event. Mr. Abid Ali Director CKNP Directorate, Mr. Yasir Abbas Ecologist CKNP, Mr. Ayaz Ahmad Shigri, Senior Vice President Alpine Club of Pakistan, Dr. Zakir Hussain, Director outreach

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Baltistan University together with the faculty and students, Representatives of EvK2CNR and WWF, representatives, guards and staff of DNP also participated in the event. Community representatives both from Skardu and Astore region, journalists, tour operators and a large of tourists participated in the event.

Community representatives from Chilam, Astore and Sadpara Skardu participated in the event on a special invitation from EvK2CNR and UNDP. At the end of the event, they expressed their willingness to extend their maximum support for the conservation of the park as well as in the implementation of the UNDP project. It was indeed an occasion where the communities from both sides mingled and had the opportunity to sit and discuss together.

The communities of Sadpara and Chilam at Bara Pani discussing matters of bilateral interest

Cleanup on the field

The participants including Mr. Neil Buhne participated in the cleanup campaign took place after the event was held to collect the trash on Bara Pani, Deosai. Bags were provided to the participants for collection which was later brought down to dumping site at Sadpara, Skardu. It helped in giving awareness to people from all walks of life particularly a large number of tourists who were participating in the event, about the role of a tourist in waste management particularly in a protected area. The highest number of tourist enter into the park are from June to August every year. However, the number decrease in September and closes by the end of October as

5 the weather gets colder. Snow fall blocks the road to Deosai in the last week of October of first week of November and remains closed till June every year.

Collection of waste; led by Mr. Neil Buhne, UN Resident Coordinator / UNDP Resident Representative in Pakistan

Way forward

Together with all stakeholders who jointly agree to serve this noble cause can bring about a substantial change inside the DNP. The national park will have a cleaner environment offering to its visitors and also for the indigenous flora and fauna. The Government Forest, Wildlife and Environment Department Gilgit-Baltistan is committed to contribute in the best possible way to the management of waste particularly along the route and camping sites in DNP. However, it is equal responsibility of non-governmental organizations, travel agencies, tour operators, communities and all tourists to have a realization of their role and responsibilities with regard to managing, collecting and proper dumping of waste while travelling or staying inside the protected area.

The communities also agreed that they will further collaborate with the DNP staff in the management of the waste in the coming years. In many cases they work with porters, guides and transporters with tourists, therefore, their role is worthwhile in terms of waste management.

The Brown Bear is a flagship specie of the DNP considered endangered. It depends on the plants and fish in Deosai. Its habitat and food may also be disturbed if the tourist tries to enter into the

6 core zone intruding into its habitat. Tourists thus have the responsibility to travel along the track not going into the restricted areas that will add to the troubles of Brown Bear.

UNDP is committed to contribute already providing support for the management of the protected areas. Furthermore, EvK2CNR, as an environmental organization will continue its work on waste management carried out for last one decade.

BU presented a photograph to Mr. Guido Mr. Zakir of BU presenting a Photograph to Mr. Neil Buhne

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Annex 1

Keep Deosai Clean-An Awareness Event WORLD TOURISM DAY September 27, 2018

Bara Pani-Deosai

Time Activity

11:30 Introduction to the event – Mr. Arif Hussain, EvK2 Representative

11:40 Remarks Mr. Ayaz Ahmad Shigri, Senior Vice President Alpine Club of Pakistan/General Secretary Baltistan Association of Tour Operators (BATO) 11:50 Remarks - Mr. Guido Bilancini, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Italy in Pakistan 12:10 Remarks - Neil Buhne, UN Resident Coordinator / humanitarian Coordinator, Pakistan 12:30 Remarks -Mehdi Supervisor DNP Staff

12:40 Views from Ms. Sajida Maryam, Student Baltistan University, Skardu

12:50 Views from Mr. Ghulam Representative of Chilam community

13:00 Remarks-Mr. Manzoor, Representative of Sadpara community

13:10 Remarks-Dr. Zakir Hussain, Director outreach Baltistan University Skardu 13:20 Remarks-Mr. Abdur Rehman Mir, Faculty Baltistan University, Skardu

13:30 Presentation of Souvenirs to the guests

13:50 Lunch

14:30 Waste collection

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