PROJECT Improvement of Central Karakoram National Park Management System as Model for Mountain Ecosystems in Northern Pakistan Inception report for Lots 1,2,3 (Q2) June 2018 Ev-K2-CNR Inception Report (Q2), June 2018 INDEX OF CONTENTS ACRONYMS ............................................................................................................................................................................. 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ..................................................................................................................................................... 2 DELIVERABLE 1: Ev-K2-CNR IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY ....................................................................... 3 DELIVERABLE 2: INFORMATION ABOUT CKNP AND DNP INCLUDING ITS DEMOGRAPHICS, MAPS, TARGET COMMUNITY, VILLAGES, EXISTING LSO/ VCC AND AREAS REQUIRING COMMUNITY MOBILIZATION. ................................................................................................................................... 15 DELIVERABLE 3: LIST OF MEMBERS OF THE LOCAL PROJECT ADVISORY GROUP (LPAG) ........ 43 DELIVERABLE 4: MINUTES OF THE 1ST MEETING OF THE LOCAL PROJECT ADVISORY GROUP ................................................................................................................................................................................................... 44 DELIVERABLE 5: MOUs WITH RELEVANT GOVT. DEPARTMENTS SIGNED ...................................... 47 DELIVERABLE 6: CONSULTATION MEETINGS WITH COMMUNITIES AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS IN CKNP AND DNP .................................................................................................................... 48 DELIVERABLE 7: SURVEY FOR TRAINING NEED ASSESSMENT .............................................................. 50 DELIVERABLE 8: MINUTES OF THE INCEPTION WORKSHOP .................................................................. 58 DELIVERABLE 9: PRELIMINARY SURVEY FOR THE IDENTIFICATION OF DEOSAI NATIONAL PARK – CENTRAL KARAKORUM NATIONAL PARK ECOLOGICAL CORRIDOR BOUNDARIES ... 72 ANNEX I: SIGNED MOUs WITH CONCERNED AUTHORITIES ................................................................... 77 ANNEX II: MINUTES OF THE 1ST CONSULTATION SESSION WITH PROJECT STAKEHOLDERS 87 Ev-K2-CNR Inception Report (Q2), June 2018 ACRONYMS AKRSP - Aga Khan Rural Support Programme CBO - Community Based Organization CKNP- Central Karakorum National Park DNP - Deosai National Park ETI - Economic Transformation Initiative GB - Gilgit Baltistan GIS - Geographic Information System GPS - Global Positioning System IMARC - Integrated Mountain Areas Research Center KIU- Karakoram International University LPAG Local Project Advisory Group LSO - Local Support Organization M&E - Monitoring and Evaluation MP -Management Plan MPA - Mountain Protected Area NRM - Natural Resource Management OP - Operational Plan PIDSA - Debt for Development Swap Agreement SEED- Socio Economic and Environmental Development SO - Social Organizer SWOT - Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats TNA - Training Need Assessment ToR - Terms of Reference UNDP - United Nations Development Programme VCSDP - Valley Conservation and Sustainable Development Plan VCC - Valley Conservation Committee WO - Women Organization WWF- World Wildlife Fund for Nature 1 Ev-K2-CNR Inception Report (Q2), June 2018 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The inception report describe the main results achieved by Ev-K2-CNR in the second quarter of the Project. Activity progress allow to present all the 9 foreseen deliverables and in particular: 1. Implementation strategy 2. Information about CKNP and DNP 3. List of members of the Local Project Advisory Group 4. Minutes of the 1st meeting of the Local Project Advisory Group 5. MoUs signed with relevant Govt. departments 6. Consultation meetings with communities and other stakeholders in CKNP and DNP 7. Survey for Training Need Assessment initiated 8. Minutes of the project inception workshop 9. Survey initiated for the identification of boundary of ecological corridor During this first period of work, no particular criticisms have been highlighted and the activities follow the foreseen workplan. Project team, including local and international experts have been defined and a network of connections with concerned authorities, stakeholder and communities has been established. This initial period allow to have a more clear picture on the information available for the two protected areas and to initiate a discussion about the ecological corridor possible locations. This starting point is a fundamental step to properly plan further field activities. Since UNDP suggested to plan the first meeting of the Local Project Advisory Group on July 9, and in order to respect the deadline of June 30 for the delivery of the inception report, this document present the results of the preliminary interactions with LPAG, which allow to confirm group members and to prepare group ToRs which will be presented and approved during the first meeting. LPAG 1st meeting minutes will be thus included in the 3rd quarter progress report. 2 Ev-K2-CNR Inception Report (Q2), June 2018 DELIVERABLE 1: Ev-K2-CNR IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY The full document has been officially delivered to UNDP on May 2018. Herewith below project rationale, activities and workplan are reported. Project Rationale Why an update/review of CKNP and DNP Management and Operational Plans and Delineation of Ecological Corridor Needed? The circumstances and issues that are significant for a National Park may change over time because of emergence of new issues, ongoing projects’ interventions, new types of outdoor activities and climate change. Changes like these may require a new approach to management that may not fit in with the existing Plan of Management. In this situation it is suggested to review and revise the entire management and operational plan of national park through various studies and consultations in coordination with relevant departments. The operational plan divides CKNP in 15 valleys. In Ev-K2-CNR SEED phase II (2016) project, VCSDPs for each valley developed to promote participatory natural resource management and enrich environmental conservation of the park and to create synergies among park stakeholders and to promote community-based conservation in CKNP buffer zone valleys and villages. Given that VCSDPs are the main planning tools for the sustainable development for CKNP valleys and watersheds, its proposed management interventions should be reflected in Park’s MP and OP. It is important to review that other programs including ETI GB supported by IFAD comply with the content of VCSDP in terms of biodiversity and sustainable development in Protected Areas/Watersheds. This will be particularly important in case of development of infrastructures like irrigation channels, roads, introducing new crop cultivars and farming practices. Furthermore, it is important to focus also on the results of CKNP Management Plan Implementation PC-I phase II by GB Forest department through CKNP Directorate. Since the development and approval of the MP and OP it has been almost four years. These are lively documents which require a regular updating through surveys, research and stakeholder consultative sessions. The MP and OP of CKNP will be updated under lot 1 adopting participatory approaches. The draft management plan of DNP has been developed by WWF. However, the operational plan has yet to be developed translating the MP into actions to devise a strategy and for its implementation later on. The objective is to facilitate implementation of certain activities under the “Improvement of Central Karakoram National Park (CKNP) Management System as Model for Mountain Ecosystems in Northern Pakistan”. Activities of the project will be implemented in Gilgit Baltistan, focusing specifically on CKNP and DNP. The activities include review and updating of CKNP and DNP Management and Operational Plans, mapping of an Ecological Corridor between CKNP and DNP, capacity building of relevant stakeholders, design of a web-platform for sharing best practices on biodiversity conservation and park management and others. The analysis of the DNP Management Plan (WWF, 2016) and related literature give a vision not different from the initial situation of the CKNP regarding the requirements for nature conservation and needs of the communities with interest in the Park area. The existing management plan of DNP will be revised and operational plan will be developed with the main objectives: 1. Re-establishment of the area’s inherent self-sustaining biophysical integrity 2. Definition of land use parameters 3. Long term conservation of natural fauna, flora, cultural, and scenic features of the area 3 Ev-K2-CNR Inception Report (Q2), June 2018 4. Promotion of sustainable use of the natural resources and historic cultural sites of the park for educational, recreational, and scientific purposes through appropriate regulation 5. Promotion of local, provincial, national, and international tourism development at recreational and geo-tourism levels 6. Promotion of the economic and social uplift and well-being of the park’s human population 7. Development of an integrated conservation and tourism environment within a regional rural social context In the 70s of the last century the concept of conservation biology was developed, and this new interdisciplinary approach starts to link together social sciences with the nature management (Soulè and Wilcox, 1980). From this new point of view it was