| Initiation
of Ethnobotany Activities by WWF
- Pakistan.
Project Background
In 1997, WWF - Pakistan
received a grant, by WWF - UK under
a regional programme on People and
Plants for a project titled, "People
and Plants - Conservation and Training
in Applied Ethnobotany in Pakistan."
Various components of the programme
included capacity building in ethnobotany,
supporting research and promoting
sustainable use of plants in Ayubia
National Park (ANP). It was a part
of a larger programme developed
by the People and Plants Initiative,
a joint programme of UNESCO, WWF
and the Royal Botanical Gardens
KEW. Other project sites developed
under the same programme were in
East Africa (Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania),
South East Asia "mainly Malaysia"
and South Asia "mainly Pakistan
and Nepal" (Aumeeruddy, 1999)
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The project activities
focused on conserving plant resources
at the Ayubia National Park. Several
research studies were carried out
to identify main causes of plant
degradation in the area. Based on
the research findings, an alternative
sustainable system was devised;
to ensure involvement of communities
in the management of plant resources
of the park.
To address the demands of local
communities and to reduce pressure
on resources of the park, the project
established nurseries of multipurpose
endemic tree species. Fuel efficient
stoves were introduced to lesson
the demand for fuelwood and private
plantations were established catered
to fodder & fuelwood requirements
of the communities around the Ayubia
National Park.
• Phase
2 (2001 - 2004)
After the successful
completion of the first phase of
the Project, the second phase started
in 2001 and lasted till December
2004. It focused on further capacity
building of applied Ethnobotany
in Asia (especially Malaysia, Nepal,
and Pakistan), by developing curricula
in educational networks and achieving
practical results in biodiversity
conservation. The project also aimed
to build capacity in applied Ethnobotany
internationally, through exchange
of significant resource material
under a multi-regional project of
the program. This contributed
towards the identification and promotion
of best practices around the world.
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