Integrating Wildlife Conservation with Community -Based Development in Northern Areas Pakistan
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University of Montana ScholarWorks at University of Montana Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers Graduate School 1999 Integrating wildlife conservation with community -based development in Northern Areas Pakistan Amjad Tahir Virk The University of Montana Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Virk, Amjad Tahir, "Integrating wildlife conservation with community -based development in Northern Areas Pakistan" (1999). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 10583. https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/10583 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at ScholarWorks at University of Montana. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at University of Montana. 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Maureen and Mike MANSFIELD LIBRARY The University o f MONTANA Permission is granted by the author to reproduce this material in its entirety, provided that this material is used for scholarly purposes and is properly cited in published works and reports. * * Please check "Yes" or "No" and provide signature ** Yes, I grant permission No, I do not grant permission Author's Signature Any copying for commercial purposes or financial gain may be undertaken only with the author's explicit consent. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. INTEGRATING WILDLIFE CONSERVATION WITH COMMUNITY-BASED DEVELOPMENT IN NORTHERN AREAS, PAKISTAN by Amjad Tahir Virk B.S., University of Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan, 1981 M.L.S., University of Balochistan, Quetta, Pakistan, 1985 M.S. University of Montana, USA, 1991 Presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy University of Montana 1999 Approved by Chairman, Board of Examiners Dean, Graduate Schoor Date Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. UMI Number. 9948368 UMI* UMI Microform9948368 Copyright 2000 by Bell & Howell Information and Learning Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. Bell & Howell Information and Learning Company 300 North Zeeb Road P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Dedicated to My Beloved Deceased Father Muhammad Bashir Virk (1931 - 1978 ) ii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Virk, Amjad T., Ph.D., 1999. Fish and Wildlife Biology Integrating Wildlife Conservation with Community-based Development in Northern Areas, Pakistan (168pp.) Director: Daniel H. Pletscher The Northern Areas (NAs) of Pakistan are considered a biodiversity hot spot, particularly for species adapted to rugged, high mountains. Many large mammal populations have been depleted, primarily by over-hunting. Recent community-based conservation and development initiatives may provide some hope for these species. The Government of Pakistan and IUCN-The World Conservation Union implemented a project to demonstrate the Community-based Conservation (CBC) approach for conservation of biodiversity. I examined whether incentive measures used by the CBC had any impact on attitudes and perceptions of local people in the project areas towards wildlife and the CBC approach. Field research was conducted by using participant observations, key informant interviews, and questionnaire surveys methods. Mountain ungulate populations were monitored by involving community guides/former hunters to see whether CBC had any effect on these populations. I found that local people’s attitudes and perceptions toward wildlife and its conservation were largely supportive. The villagers perceived village development, collective income, and beauty of their villages as the primary benefit of wildlife, while predation and competition with domestic stock were mentioned as the main disadvantages. Most people supported CBC because they received benefits. Most frequently sought advantages of the CBC were village development, village unity, and reduction in poaching, whereas only 14% perceived any disadvantages of CBC. The villagers linked conservation with development of their villages and believed the sustainable use of wild species had the potential to pay for both the local costs of village- based conservation as well as socio-economic development. Mountain ungulate populations were monitored with Group Composition Counts (GCCs) and Repeated Group Counts (RGCs). Sightings of Himalayan ibex {Capra ibex siberica) and flared-homed markhor (Capra falconeri falconeri) increased considerably both in Khyber and SKB following the initiation of the CBC program. For example, the number of ibex observed in Khyber increased from 63 in 1996 to 152 in 1998. The juvenile per 100 female ratios suggested healthy recruitment into these populations. RGCs were found more suitable than GCCs for monitoring ungulate populations in the community conservation areas. Incentives were largely effective for inducing local community involvement in CBC efforts. However, it is too early to predict whether CBC will be successful in the long run in solving conservation problems facing NAs of Pakistan, but it has provided a new and cost-effective way of conserving biodiversity. A combination of incentives and disincentives will be needed to maintain the biological diversity of Pakistan. ui Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS Dedication ...................................................................................................................... ii Abstract .......................................................................................................................... iii Table of Contents ........................................................................................................... iv List of Tables ................................................................................................................. vii List of Illustrations ..........................................................................................................viii Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................ ix 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................. 1 1.1. Structure of the dissertation ............................................................................... 4 1.2. Community-based conservation; an evolving approach .................................... 5 1.3. Community-based conservation initiatives in Northern Areas, Pakistan ........... 8 1.4. Conservation and development ...........................................................................10 1.5. Literature cited ....................................................................................................13 2. Community-based incentive measures for conserving wild species in Northern Areas of Pakistan ...................................................................................................... 18 2.1. Introduction ......................................................................................................... 18 2.1.1. Biodiversity conservation project ..........................................................20 2.1.1.1. Project approach ........................................................................... 21 2.2. Study area............................................................................................................23