musk deer gurase national park press for peace s`initial assessment report: neelum valley azad...

8/9/2019 MUSK DEER Gurase National Park Press For Peace s`Initial Assessment Report: Neelum Valley Azad Kashmir Pakista

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PRESS FOR PEACE (PFP)ENVIRONEMNT SECTION

MUSK DEER GURASE NATIONAL

PARK(MDGNP)

PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION CHALLANGES

PRESS FOR PEACE(PFP) INITIAL ASSESSMENT REPORT

June 2010

Location: Neelum Valley, District Neelum Azad Kashmir

This Report Prepared by Jalal Uddin Mughal PFP Field Director District Neelum Azad

Kashmir and Ejaz Ur-Rehman Director PFP UK.


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MUZAFF

ENVIRONMENT SECTION

PRESS FOR PEACE(PFP)

BANK ROAD

ARABAD JAMMU AND KASHMIR (PA

WW.PRESSFORPEACE.ORG.UK

[email protected]

K)


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CONTENTS

1. Objectives of the Project2. Introduction of the Musk Deer National Park (MDGNP)3. Map of the District Neelum Azad Kashmir4. Socio Economic conditions of the area5. Implementation Challenges6. Community Concerns and Versions7. View point of Local politicians ,Bureaucrats and Environmental

Professionals

8. Demands of the community9. Role of Government (MDGNP)10. Concerns and the role of Press For Peace(PFP)11. Proposed interventions


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OBJSCTIVES OF THE REPORT

To facilitate stakeholders in the protection of biodiversity and theenvironment of the Neelum Valley though conflict resolution in

project implementation.

To highlight the challenges and issues in the project implementation To highlight the community s` point of view point and their concerns

about the project

To priorities the demands of the indigenous community To identify the Press For Peace s` role in project implementation and

management.

INTRODUCTION OF THE MUSK DEER GURASE NATIONAL PARK

(MDGNP)

One of the core strategies for protecting biodiversity is the establishment of

national parks and other protected areas. Management Planning is an

essential step towards ensuring the proper management of protected

areas. This is particularly so as we move forward to the 21st century and

face increasing complexities in the management of our parks and reserves.


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Species of a Bird in MDGNP

Gurase Valley in District Neelum Azad Kashmir is the most captivating but

remote and backward area of the Neelum valley situated in the north-east

of the Muzaffarbad, the capital city of Azad Kashmir. It is stippled in many

sub-valleys from the Kail to Taubutt. The area is situated at line of

control(LOC) between India and Pakistan. The area is full of marvelous

flora and fauna and enriched with natural resources like rivers, natural

springs, forest and minerals. A local biologist Baseer ud din Quershi is of

opinion that tremendously there is a number of rare species in Gurase

Valley which are now at the last breath due to illegal hunting, deforestation

and habitat degradation. Govt. of Azad Kashmir has declared the valley as

a national park through a government Notification No SJ-F-O-7(14)/47-


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4238/2007 dated September.24, 2007 to protect and wise use of Natural

resources for the conservation and income generation of local community.

The area harbor a number of endangered species like Himalayan Musk

Deer ,Marmot , Brown Bear and black bear including a number of birds and

plants species. Similarly the endangered plant Bermi (Taxus baccata) the

source of cancer medicine, Taxol, and a number of medicinal plants like

Kuth(Sassuria lappa) are found in the area.

Fig: Himalayan Musk Deer


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MAP OF THE DISTRICT NEELUM AZAD KASHMIR

Map of the District Neelum, projected area circled in red (Source Planning and

Development Department Govt.AJK)


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GEOGRAPHY

Neelum River divides the park into two parts while the human

population resides on both side of Neelum River in the park area. The

park is surrounded by Line of Control in the east , peaks of Qammary

heights in the north Astor, Northern areas in the (Map 1). The Park

is located in district Neelum, covering an area of 52,817 ha, lying

between 2,017m to 4,345m elevation. The park falls under the Sharda

division and Guraze Range of AJK Forest Department. Each of the Range

is further divided into Blocks. Entire Sonar Block from Compartment

No. 1 to Compartment No. 31 and Compartment No. 16 to Compartment

No.42 of Janwai Block are included in the park via Notification No

SJ-F-O-7(14)/47-4238/2007 dated September.24, 2007.

SOCIO-ECONOMIC CONDTIONS OF THE AREA

The communities residing in the Park area are mostly depending upon

agriculture for their livelihood. But due to heavy snow in winter they could

grow the crops only in summer and often they have to found other source

of income for them. They depend upon livestock to fulfill the requirement

of meat and milk. After agriculture and livestock, timber logging is the

Major industry for local people. Sometime they use to hunt different wild

animals and birds to earn their livelihood.


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Education:

Majority of the people above then 30% is uneducated as there not have

been sufficient educational facilities in Gurase Valley in past whereas

Government have provided primary, middle and high schools in the valley,

while the students have to go outside the valley for college and university

education.

Health:

Health and hygienic condition of the valley is even much worse then other

any part of Azad Kashmir. There are just two BHUs (Basic Health Units) in

the whole valley to provide medical aid to the population of the valley. In

winter season when the whole valley is ice-covered and temperature falls

down from the freezing point, people could not reach to these BHUs and

they have to use local herbs for treatment. And many people especiallywomen and children die during winter because of absence of medical

facilities. Lady Doctor and gynecologist are still not appointed by the

government even in the whole district so a number of the women have to

die during pregnancy complications.

Cast and Creed System:

Population of the Gurase is Muslim and is cluster of different tribes and

ethnic groups like Kashmiries, Parmas, Pashtoons and Dardies. Pashtu,

Kashmiri, Dardi and Hindko are the major language spoken in the area.

Living a simple life, people of Gurase Valley are still attached with their

culture and history like nomads.


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Tourism:

This area is the heart of sustainable tourism in Azad Kashmir because of its

lush green natural beauty.

Polo Festival in Neelum (Photo By Asif Raza Mir)


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IMPLEMENTATION CHALLANGES

Though the Government of AJK has declared and notified the area as

MDGNP in 2001 but its implementation is still a challenge for Wildlife

Department and conservation organizations deputed to promote,

implement and management of this declared Park Area. Indigenous people

have some critical and basic objections on the implementation of the park

and these have been amplified by the recent act of the wildlife department

and police.

Local women bringing dry fodder for their cattle.(Photo by Asif Raza Mir)


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COMMUNITY CONCERNS AND VERSIONS:

Though the conflict among communities, authorities and conservations

activists is a universal phenomenon and it is not something infrequent but

the case of Musk Deer National Park Gurase is totally different from the

other conflicts. From the day first the indigenous communities have some

basic concerns upon position of park but they never have been against the

park like the day. It was a failure of implementing organizations and

negligence , mishandling and maltreatment of wildlife department of Azad

Jammu and Kashmir to untimely involve the law enforcement agencies to

deal with communities for killing of a tiger in park area. Reportedly a tiger

was killed by local people in Hanthi village of the park area some month

before and wildlife department filed a case to trial against 22 residents of

Hanthi and most of them were finally arrested by the police which inflamed

the communities against authorities.

Local Police alert during Protest (Photo by Jalal Uddin Mughal)


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This action of wildlife department of Azad Jammu and Kashmir police have

given birth to a new thought among communities that they are being

considered even a low creature then wild animals and could not kill the

animals even to save their life. During this protest due to premature

involvement of police, blushed people and they broken some government

vehicles and later one deputy commissioner Neelum along with

superintendent police and other officials called upon the demonstrators.

Figs.(A) Government vehicle smashed by protestors (Fig)B. Local Protestors (Photos

by Jalal Uddin Mughal

VIEW POINT OF LOCAL POLITICIANS, BUREAUCRATES and

ENVIRONMENTAL PROFESSIONALS

Mian Abdulal Waheed a local politician is of opinion to de-notify the

park because it is against the will of indigenous people. During a protestagainst national park Mian Whaeed said that people of Neelum Valley have

been directly target of Indian shelling for 14 years. Now the Government of

AJK instead of rehabilitation of IDPs is going to displace them again.

Another political leader from Neelum Valley Sardar Gul e Khundan is

also holding the same opinion. According to him people of the Gurase


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Valley are dependent upon forests and wild life and without providing them

alternate source of income conservation of the area will create a huge

conflict among communities and authorities which could be resulting even

civil violence in the area.

Global Environment Facility GEF have deputed a contravention organization

Hamlyn Wildlife Foundation (HWF) which have already created many

controversies during implementation of Ghamote National Park which is

located just a few kilometers before Gurase.

Mr. Shahid Ayoob Deputy Commissioner of District Neelum is personally

interested to resolve the conflict as he has commitment with demonstrators

while he was negotiating with them in Kail during a protest staged against

MDGNP.

Mr. Khurram Shahid a locale environment activist said that HWF havewasted a huge amount of funds in Ghamote National Park Area and the

never went to communities for interaction. The NGO have reported to

donors the completion of hundreds of projects regarding livelihood

development and sustainability of the communities casting millions of

dollars in Gamhote National Park Area whereas there is no even single

project on ground in conserved area of Ghamote. Khurram is afraid thatHWF will repeat the same with Gurase National Park.

DEMANDS OF THE COMMUNITIES:

Communities residing in the Musk Deer National Park Gurase area have

critical concerns and worries about the implementation on the government


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notification of the national park and they consider the notification as an

obstruction on their movement even in their own fields. Surely it is only

because of poor social mobilization policy of the Organizations deputed to

implement different awareness and development projects in Gurase Valley.

Still communities consider the whole process a step to violate their basic

rights. Still the communities are not aware about the benefits of the park

and have to sense of ownership at the park which needs to be created

through advocacy and awareness campaign. Indigenous people have made

following basic concerns upon the implementation of this Project.

Internally displaced people in 1992 flood which are residing in Gagai,should be provided with a suitable accommodation in any other part

of Azad Kashmir or Pakistan and should be provided with agricultural

land are any other permanent source of income better then they

have.

As local communities depend upon the forest for their basic needslike food, vegetables, fuel, construction and their cattles need. They

should be allowed to continue their activities in forest or may be

provided with some other source of livelihood, energy and

construction. Without providing alternate construction martial andsource of energy authorities have ordered the communities to keep

away themselves from forest.

Wild animals like Bears, tigers and wolves many time thrust villagersand their livestock which is a hazard not only for livestock but also for


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human beings. It have been reportedly happened that a numbers of

livestock have been teared by them and many peoples has also been

injured or even killed by the wild animals.

During summer wild animals like bear, monkeys and jackals plungeinto the fields and destroy the cereal crops badly and local people

have no right even to keep a dog for the protection of their crops.

So, the government should provide the protection from such game

animals.

As the majority of the indigenous people depends upon logging andmining to earn money and they could not do anything rather then it.

So, they should be equipped with skills to eliminate the issue after

the ban on logging and mining in park areas.

To retrieve the people of Hanthi village from the case trailed in localcourt for the killing of a tiger and resolve the issue need to be resolve

through bilateral negotiation.


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Fig: Types of the houses in the area and misery of the peoples in harsh climate (Source

AJK Tourism Department).

ROLE OF THE GOVERNMENT IN MDGNP:

Corruption becomes the base for development programs, especially in

developing countries. Development funds allocated does not reach or

reaches only part. Corruption poses a serious development challenge. In

the political realm it undermines democracy and good governance by

flouting or even subverting formal processes. Corruption facilitatesenvironmental destruction. Corrupt countries may formally have legislation

to protect the environment; it cannot be enforced if officials can easily be

bribed.

Universally, the government of the state posses the most effective role in

implementation process of national parks through awareness about


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importance of conservation by defining species and minerals of the

conserved areas. But in Azad Jammu and Kashmir the case is different.

Shortage of funds, Untrained an irrelevant staff and indolent behavior of

the officials of AJK Wildlife and Forest Departments is the major obstacle in

conservation process in Azad Kashmir.

Government has to collect information about species and minerals through

research and studies in conserved areas to identify and declare the status

of Species in classification i.e. common, endangered and rear after every

four years. But in Azad Kashmir since the wildlife department works, never

even a single research has been conducted to identify or classify the

species of Azad Kashmir.

Wildlife Department of AJK has appointed irrelevant and unqualified staff in

offices and field without any particular training of research and to handle

with community related sensitive issues. So, currently the department has

no basic information about wildlife species to the environmental activists

even basic figures and maps about conserved areas of AJK.

Governments have frequently to deal with conflicts among indigenous

people and conservation activists. It is internationally recommended

through International Convention on Biodiversity (ICB) to resolve the issuesthrough dialogues and no actions should be taken in conserved areas

against the will of communities and involvement of law enforcement should

be the last tool to deal with communities while in Guraiz, game guards of

wildlife department tortured the people of Hanthi village and secondly the

involved the police to arrest the 22 villagers at initial phase conflict. This


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action of the government has created an environment of revelation among

people.

ICB have accepted the local traditions of conserved area as right of the

indigenous people and internationally, violation of traditions is being

considered as a violation of rights. But in Guraiz the NGOs and Government

departments many times violate the traditions of communities badly.

Government is responsible to control illegal hunting and killing of wild

animals and arrange trophy hunting in conserved areas. AJK Government is

internationally allowed to arrange annual trophy hunting of Himalayan ibex

in Shounther Game Reserve near MDGNP which could give 160 million

dollars to AJK Government annually according to international rates. But

the bidding for trophy hunting has never been arranged in AJK according

to official record.

VIPs from Pakistan and Azad Kashmir reportedly have been frequently

involved in illegal hunting and killing of wild animals like ibex, musk dear

and tiger in Game Reserves, Game Sanctuaries and National Parks of Azad

Kashmir. Last year Mr Bilal Mustfa Kharr, the son of Mustafa Kharr (former

chief minister Punjab and the son-in-law of Raja Farooq Haider (AJK Prime

Minister) was found involved in killing of a tiger in Machiara National Parkin Neelum Valley in Azad Kashmir. No case was filed against him according

to official record while it was internationally reported in media.

This double standard of the Government is also a reason of community

hostility in MDGNP issue.


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CONCERNS AND THE ROLE OF PRESS FOR PEACE (PFP) :

World Park Congress in Caracas 1993, described that the scientific

community has known and has recognized that the mostly poor local

populations bear major costs of conservation, while the main benefits occur

globally.

In turn, the convention on biological diversity (CBD,2004) has called for therecognition of the economic and socio-cultural costs and impacts arising

from the establishment and maintenance of protected areas, particularly

for indigenous and local communities, and (an adjustment of) policies to

ensure that such costs and impactsincluding the cost of livelihood

opportunities forgoneare equitably compensated.

Problems encountered during the implementation of this plan may stem

from weaknesses in the plan itself. How the plan was prepared (who was

involved, at what stage etc.) will often have an impact on whether the plan

is later successfully implemented.

Community involvement in protected area management has been

recognised as a key component in management plans to achieve

conservation goals. But in the situation of this project, there is still lack of

effective participation and strong links between the communities and

external conservation agencies.


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Due to poor mobilization policy of concerned authorities deputed to

mobilize and organize resources in Grace National Park areas have no basic

concept of national park management.

However, protected areas are often created without any form of public

involvement or agreement. There is often a situation where mistrust on the

part of community members. Thus, in order to get the communities

involvement, the first steps is establishing relationships and trust, as well

as building capacity within the communities to be able to make informed

decisions.

PFP has great concerns that unless protected area values are understood,

there is a risk that management actions, either deliberately or

inadvertently, will affect not only the natural resources but also the social

and economic situation, especially that of local people. Park managers have

to recognize that the traditional fence and fines management regime is

not effective anymore and a new regime of protected area management

must be upheld. The procedure must include cooperative, collaborative

relationships with local stakeholders who share the responsibility of

management.

PFP can provide a mechanism for communication and could play anevocative role to resolve the issue and to eliminate the hurdles in the

implementation of the project (MDGNP) through consultation, linkages and

coordination among concerned authorities and indigenous communities. To

raise awareness among the communities about concept and benefits of the

national park .PFP could arrange different workshops, meetings and group


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discussions among environmental communities, concerned authorities,

activists, community organizations, and youth. It is also a need of time to

buildup the capacity of the field staff appointed in protected area to liaison

with communities. Majority of the staff is untrained and dont know to

handle the sensitive issues.

PFP will get greater support for the protection of the area. The success of

a plan will depend on public and political support. It is essential to maintain

regular communication with the public on decisions that affect them, and

on the protection and use of the protected area.

PFP has strong linkages with folk communities and implementation

authorities .PFP can play an important role to bring the different schools of

thought closer to resolve the issue. The proposed projected area is still

unexplored and still hidden from the human eyes. Through media

campaign issues could be highlighted across the country and world to

divert the attention of the international conservation organizations toward

this area about the misery of local communities, the plight of the

endangered flora and fauna and the lack of sufficient knowledge about the

management of the protected areas like Gurase national park.


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POPOSED INTERVENTIONS:

Intervention should be considered prioritized in ascending order)

S.no Intervention Stake Holder

1 Field visit, coordination and

linkages development meetings

Wildlife Department, Himalayan

Wildlife Foundation (HWF)

Program for Mountain Areas

Conservation (PMAC), indigenous

communities and Local COs

2 Networking Communities, Cos working in park

area

3 Preparation and publication of

stickers, posters and reports

containing information about

the park, endangered wildlife

and minerals

Communities, environmental

activists, local nature clubs, CO,s

Wildlife Department

4 Awareness and capacity

building events (about

importance of the park and role

of the communities)

Communities, students of high

school and colleges, implementing

staff of Gurase National Park, and

political leaders.

5 Focus Group Discussions (FDGs) Communities, environmental

activists, local nature clubs, CO,s

Wildlife Department

6 Seminars Communities, environmental

activists, NGOs Political Leader


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and Law enforcement agencies.

7 Preparation of comprehensive

research report of issue and

compile recommendation for

the resolution of the conflict

through community

participation

Communities, NGO, s Wildlife

Department and environmental

activists.

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