Scientific Research for Implementation of Khunjerab National Park Management Plan
Project Category: Protected Areas
Donor Agency: Government of Northern Areas
Start Date: June 1996
End Date: August 2008
Summary
Khunjerab National Park was established in 1975 to protect Marcopolo sheep in their historical habitat and later other species such as Snow leopard, Tibetan wild ass, and brown bear. However the original objectives of the park's creation have not be achieved due to many conflicts between the government and grazing communities.
WWF-Pakistan has developed a management plan for Khunjerab National Park after a long process of negotiation between the government administration and local communities to resolve the conflict over the grazing rights in park. The plan includes undertaking scientific studies to obtain crucial information for the management of the park's resources. This project also proposes to identify conflicts between the traditional use of selected park areas and critical park resources, to recommend solutions to determine the current status of endangered species within the park; to identify and develop the education needs and materials for various audience groups; to test various plant species to replenish depleted park sites; to determine the impacts of grazing and identify remedial measures on selected pastures; to determine the current use of the park by other people for various purposes, and their present and potential impacts on the overall park resources.
Objective
- To obtain, as part of the implementation of the management plan, social and ecological information for use in the management of Khunjerab National Park.
- To train young scientists/students in the art and methodologies of collecting field data.
- To develop linkages between students of various universities, both within and outside Pakistan, for undertaking joint research and field projects.
To encourage representatives of local communities to participate in scientific studies of the park, and to provide opportunities for them to learn about some of the critical problems and requirements of the park.
