Siran valley in Hazara Division of NWFP spaced over 641 square kilometres. The Siran River is the main water tributary for its discharge into Indus River/Tarbela Dam. The valley is adorned with 383 plants , 135 reported species of fauna , an abundance of predominantly coniferous forests and vast alpine grazing pastures. During recent times due to multiple contributing factors, intense biotic pressure being the major one, biodiversity of the area has displayed a significant decrease. Among different components of the German sponsored Siran Forest Development Project (SFDP), 1992 ? 2000, participatory natural resource management concepts were successfully tested in Siran valley in Methal group of villages and adjoining areas. Here, Joint Forest Management Committees (JFMCs) were successfully established, but due to more focus towards forestry issues the relevant aspects of biodiversity could not be accorded due importance. During SFDP?s tenure a number of various scientific studies were conducted . These baseline data on hand and practical experience gained were used in formulating proposals for biodiversity conservation at the community level.

Biodiversity of the Siran Valley is quickly degrading, thus triggering abject poverty and economic loss to the rural communities. Population census with 10 years inter-census periods depict 2.7 % increase per annum, which was 113,461 in 1981 and 140,414 in 1989. With this rate of growth the projected population in 2009 is likely to swell up to some 239,239 souls. Such an enormous population burst is likely to exert manifold negative impacts on the upland ecosystem of the valley. The valley has a rugged topography with limited agricultural land resources. Hence, the major economic needs of the local population are covered from livestock, medicinal plants/mushroom collection and illicit forest cutting. At times this income is further substituted by illegal poaching and hunting of pheasants and large mammals.

By focusing on key endangered endemic bird and wild plant species, the project aims to provide limited economic incentives to the local community through sustainable use demonstration activities. Some of the chosen plant species will thereby serve as indicator species whereas pheasants will serve as flagship species for awareness purposes. Community participation and capacity enhancement will be ensured through legal empowerment (government notifications) and establishment of a community managed watch and ward system. Furthermore, keystone predator specie populations will be recovered through applying community managed approaches, and linkages with different stakeholders? especially commercial institutions will be established.

Initially the project concept and approach will be tested within the territorial jurisdiction of JFMC Methal, Nikki Mori and Ban Dhodar villages (henceforth called ?Methal villages?), where a sub-watershed based community organization is already active in forestry affairs. HAASHAR has got very well established credentials with this community. JFMC Methal is also a typical representative of Upper Siran where different biological resources are already under heavy biotic pressure and the project-executing agency has proven contacts within different hamlets of Methal.The project will be unfolded as follows.

a. Problem analysis strategy

Before initiating activities at Methal core community, an intensive mass awareness campaign pertaining to the project will be launched followed by application of ?PRA tools? to identify, map and delineate hot spots and critical areas. Identification of reasons and practices causing resource depletion (eg hunting/ poaching, unsustainable plant harvest, improper land use etc), training need assessment (e.g. training of stove makers, medicinal plant collection (wild harvest) and cultivation, community managed predation compensation schemes, organic waste disposal practicesetc) and overall rapport building about future operations will be marked through PRA.

Mapping and delineation of hot spots and critical areas will assist in formulation of sustainable use and protection strategies. Whereas some species will be set aside for recovery, others will be earmarked for sustainable use demonstration activities. This conceptual approach will be validated through wildlife population surveys (pheasants, large mammals).


b. Survey of the area and identification of two new areas for project activities

An ethnobotanical and wildlife survey (focusing on birds) will be conducted in the greater projectarea of Panjul Forests and adjoining areas in Upper Siran. The survey will assist to identify two more sub watershed areas/sites (either hotspots or critically endangered sites) for project activities. All baseline information about the area except biodiversity components covered under this project are already available for the greater project area of Upper Siran. The contiguous areas of Upper Siran are to be incorporated into the project through an awareness drive by the Methal community extension experts trained during the first two years of the project. Due to kinship ties between the core community and the two other Upper Siran Valley communities, it is the aim of this project to create a spill-over effect for the replication of the project concept in the greater project area of Upper Siran.


c. Conservation Planning:

· HAASHAR and community will jointly develop ?Biodiversity Conservation Plans? (with particular focus on plant and wildlife species) at subwatershed or village level keeping in view results of the PRA assessment. Specific components of these plans will be: Bird Management (emphasis on pheasants); Medicinal Plant Management (wild harvest and cultivation strategy); Predation Strategy; Organic Waste Management Strategy.
· JFMCs will designate activists suitable for biodiversity conservation plan implementation, i.e. community wildlife guards, medicinal plant experts (possibly female); predation experts, etc.


d. Implementation:

The project will be implemented in a two-phase approach. 1) A core community will be mobilized, trained, empowered and will carry out sustainable use demonstration activities; and 2) A larger contiguous community (Upper Siran villages around Panjul forest) will be motivated to replicate the results achieved by the core community

· A bird conservation programme will target key endangered endemic pheasant species and will aim to a) recover critical populations; b) provide sustainable use options from live trapping;
· Legal empowerment of the local community will be done through notification by the Wildlife Department.
· A fuel-efficient technology cum house improvement programme will address the issue of fuelwood shortage;
· Medicinal plant component will address the issue of over-exploitation of wild plants and disturbance to pheasants? core habitat and nesting grounds;
· A community managed watch and ward system will be established. Since poaching pressure from the outside is severe, the community will urgently need financial assistance to compensate for time and resources lost.
· Key predator population recovery will be addressed through the introduction of a subsidized community managed livestock predation insurance scheme.
· To supplement the predetor recovery an ecosystem awareness raising drive will focus on addressing issues of environmental cleanliness and its impact on the food chain in the area.