Contents ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................................................... 5 GLOSSARY ............................................................................................................................................ 6 LIST OF TABLES .................................................................................................................................. 8 LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................................................ 9 LIST OF BOXES .................................................................................................................................. 10 PAKISTAN FACT SHEET ................................................................................................................. 11 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................................................. 12 1. PREPARATION OF THIS REPORT ........................................................................................ 15 1.1 Background ....................................................................................................... 16 1.1.1 What is Biodiversity? ...................................................................................................... 16 1.1.2 The Convention on Biological Diversity ......................................................................... 17 1.1.3 Pakistan’s Obligations.................................................................................................... 17 1.1.4 The Biodiversity Action Plan .......................................................................................... 18 1.1.5 COP Decisions and Pakistan's Response ....................................................................... 19 1.1.6 Indicators of Biodiversity ............................................................................................... 19 1.1.7 Clearing House Mechanism ........................................................................................... 20 1.1.8 Financial Mechanisms .................................................................................................... 21 1.1.9 Biodiversity Related Legislation ..................................................................................... 21 1.1.10 Biodiversity Related Strategies, Policies and Plans ....................................................... 24 1.1.11 Institutional Co-ordination ............................................................................................. 24 2. PAKISTAN’S ECOLOGICAL ZONES ..................................................................................... 26 2.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................... 26 2.1 Ecosystems of Special Biodiversity Significance .................................................... 26 2.1.1 Balochistan Juniper Forests ........................................................................................... 26 2.1.2 Chilghoza Forests ........................................................................................................... 27 2.1.3 Balochistan Subtropical Forests ..................................................................................... 28 2.1.4 Sub-Tropical Deciduous Forests .................................................................................... 28 2.1.5 Himalayan Dry and Moist Temperate Forests ............................................................... 28 2.1.6 Trans-Himalayan Plateau .............................................................................................. 29 2.1.7 Thorn Forest ................................................................................................................... 29 2.1.8 The Balochistan Desert Basin ........................................................................................ 30 2.1.9 The Thar Desert .............................................................................................................. 30 2.1.10 Indus Delta Mangrove .................................................................................................... 30 2.2 Threats ............................................................................................................. 31 3. PLANT BIODIVERSITY ............................................................................................................ 32 3.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................... 32 3.1 Medicinal Plants ................................................................................................. 32 3.1.1 Medicinal Plants of Alpine and High Altitude Areas ...................................................... 32 3.1.2 Medicinal Plants of Temperate Montane Forest ............................................................ 32 3.1.3 Medicinal Plants of Sub-Tropical Foothill Forests ........................................................ 32 3.1.4 Medicinal Plants of Arid and Semi-Arid Areas .............................................................. 33 3.2 Present Status ................................................................................................... 33 3.2.1 Threatened Medicinal and Aromatic Plants of Pakistan ................................................ 34 3.2.2 Conservation ................................................................................................................... 34 3.2.3 Conclusion and Recommendations ................................................................................. 35 1 4. FOREST BIODIVERSITY .......................................................................................................... 36 4.1 Evolution of Forest Management in Pakistan ........................................................ 36 4.2 Forest Management in Practice ........................................................................... 36 4.2.1 Hill Forests ..................................................................................................................... 37 4.2.2 Riverine Forests .............................................................................................................. 37 4.2.3 Scrub Forests .................................................................................................................. 37 4.2.4 Irrigated Plantations ...................................................................................................... 38 4.2.5 Linear Plantations .......................................................................................................... 38 4.2.6 Farm Forestry................................................................................................................. 38 4.3 Forest Management and Wildlife ......................................................................... 39 4.4 The Biodiversity Convention, Forestry and Threats to Pakistan’s Forests ................ 40 4.5 Strategies, Polices and Legislation ...................................................................... 40 4.6 Conservation Projects ........................................................................................ 41 4.6.1 Environmental Rehabilitation in NWFP and Punjab ..................................................... 41 4.6.2 Kalam Integrated Development Project (KIDP) ............................................................ 42 4.6.3 Social Forestry Project Malakand/Dir ........................................................................... 42 4.6.4 Environmental Rehabilitation Project, Swat, Bunir, and Chitral ................................... 42 4.6.5 Tarbela-Mangla Watershed Management Project ......................................................... 42 4.6.6 Siren Valley Forestry Development Project ................................................................... 42 4.6.7 Forestry Management Centre (FMC), NWFP ................................................................ 42 4.6.9 Other Projects................................................................................................................. 42 4.7 Recommendations ............................................................................................. 43 4.7.1 Sustainable Forestry ....................................................................................................... 43 4.7.2 Promotion of Non-destructive Uses of Trees .................................................................. 43 5 WILDLIFE BIODIVERSITY ..................................................................................................... 44 5.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................... 44 5.1 Existing Wildlife in Pakistan ................................................................................ 45 5.2 Areas of Special Concern .................................................................................... 50 5.3 Species of Special Concern ................................................................................. 50 5.3.1 Extinct ............................................................................................................................. 50 5.3.2 Internationally Threatened ............................................................................................. 50 5.3.3 Species of National Concern .........................................................................................