The Cradle of Green Resources in Pakistan

The Cradle of Green Resources in Pakistan

Author: Maaz Maqsood Hashmi

maazmh@hotmail.com

The Himalaya-Karakoram-Hindu Kush (HKH) mountainous region of Pakistan harbors dominant land-use types encompassing unique ecosystems like alpine meadows and forests, peat lands, swamps, high altitude lakes/wetlands and agro-ecosystems adjacent to high pastures and on alluvial fans. There conjoins the world's three famous mountain ranges, to offer excellent tourism opportunities to the tourists. Its unique cultural heritage coupled with gorgeous mountains, peaks, blue water lakes, longest glaciers, vast rangelands, alpine pastures, coniferous forests, and awesome wildlife attract a number of visitors from all over the world for expeditions, explorations and recreation. Pakistan’s northern mountainous region is adequately rich in biodiversity. About 3000 spe­cies of vascular plants have been reported from the area, out of which at least 124 have medicinal value (UNDP/IUCN, 1999). The Mountains of Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK),  contributes to 230 species of birds, 54 species of mammals, 23 species of reptiles, 20 species of fish and 6 species of amphibians (GOP/IUCN, 2003). Each ecological zone supports particular set of wildlife which has a symbiotic relationship with that very particular vegetation set. These ecosystems provide critical services to more than 2.0 million people directly dependent on mountainous resources for their livelihoods. One of the major functions of mountain ranges is the provision of agro-pastoral livelihoods. In northern mountainous ranges, about 80-90% of local people practice a transhumance system of animal husbandry, which accounts for 30-40% of the total household income. On average these ranges contribute to more than 60% of the livestock feed requirements in GB and AJK. Majority of population in AJK (>80%) lives in rural areas, which has large dependence on mountain resources. On an average a household of 5-8 members consumes about 5.5 tons of firewood during winter six months. Peat lands are valuable resource with functions like domestic fuel, grazing grounds, water storage and regulation, carbon stocks and biodiversity conservation. An estimated, 25000 ha in GB is covered with peat lands. The mountain ranges spreading over 2.64 million hectares in GB and AJK though sparsely vegetated yet grasslands are important sinks of carbon.