WWF-Pakistan and IUCN Pakistan, in close partnership with NAFD, have established Community Based Organizations (CBOs) under the NACP and MACP projects respectively. These CBOs are almost five years old and their capacity has been built in areas like office management, participatory planning, monitoring and report writing. Community activists have been trained in fruit processing, wildlife and habitat surveys, controlled grazing etc. Under these projects awareness campaigns for conservation and environment are being run both at community and schools levels. The communities have prepared their five year conservation plans approved by the District Conservation Committee. WWF, under its NACP project, has been providing extension services to replicate the research done by KARINA through on-farm participatory demonstration plots.

AHRWO, founded as a result of NAFD and NGOs initiative, has established a seed bank of medicinal plants. The organization has so far collected seeds of almost 50 important medicinal plants for sale, which is encouraging cultivation of medicinal plants.

Northern Areas has large tracts of wasteland which is difficult for the locals to reclaim because of huge investment required in the form of infrastructure and other inputs. These wastelands are providing opportunities for corporate companies and herbal industries to establish medicinal plants farms, research stations and primary processing units. In Northern Areas the irrigated lands are usually divided into two land use types, viz., properly levelled cultivable land and a marginal steep portion in between the water channels and the cultivable land used for growing grasses and trees etc. This steep marginal land provides good potential for cultivating medicinal plants. Northern Areas in general and Astore in particular, with pollution free environment and natural habitat, can produce better quality of plants than the ones grown in artificial habitats with greater pollution (Khan, 2004).

Initial report on Costus (Kuth) and Cumin (Kala Zeera) demo plots established by WWF-Pakistan at Bulashbar Nullah Astore (April-September, 2003)
To increase the on-farm production of endangered valuable medicinal plants, WWF-Pakistan under the NACP, conducted in-situ trials of costus (Sassurea lappa) and cumin (Bonium persicum) in Bulashbar valley, Astore (Kamran, 2003). The main objectives of the trials were to explore the possibilities for conservation and sustainable development of rare endemic medicinal plants through the involvement of rural communities as well as to create awareness in the communities regarding medicinal value of these plant resources.

Costus and cumin were selected due to their high economic value and endangered status in the area. The plants were cultivated in Bulashbar Nullah within its natural habitat at Gotomojal (9,000 ft) and Singal (8,000 ft) hamlets on 20 and ten marla plots on April 22, 2003 and June 20, 2003 respectively. Local communities voluntarily provided land and labour while WWF-Pakistan provided technical support and bore the cost of seeds, seed transportation, fencing and fertilizers.

Fresh roots of costus were secured from AKRSP’s Nursery at Ead Gah Astore, packed in jute bags, and transported to the site. The plot was deeply hoed, weeded and ridges were developed at a distance of one foot from each other. Four inches deep and three inches wide pits were prepared for roots installation. The roots were cut into three inches slices with sharp knives and installed in the pits, sparsely covered with soil. The plot was then fenced to reduce threat trampling by the livestock as free grazing prevailed in the area.

Cumin seeds before cultivation were tested for viability and purity through the Petri dish method. The selected plot, having small patches of natural cumin, was then properly lined, fertilized and irrigated. Pre-soaked seeds were broadcast onto the plot and the plot was fenced with barbed wire.

Results
Costus Plot
The germination was recorded after 20 days of cultivation July 10, 2003 and was 80 percent. But due to unavailability of further roots the patches were left empty. No diseases or pests were observed.

Cumin Plot
Cumin seeds were germinated after the 22nd day of sowing. The germination was slow due to extremely cold weather as snowfall had started just after sowing. Some empty spaces due to germination failure were observed that had been filled with cumin seeds. The owner of the plot collected 2.5 kg of cumin from the plants that had already been there for the last three years. However, the new crop was expected to produce in following season.

Both plants are perennial and require at least two years for giving maximum production thus will be treated in the same way till it reach to its maximum level of maturity. Further results, recommendations and suggestions will be presented in next report.

Problems Faced
Following problems were faced during the study period.
Difficult accessibility of the sites had created problems in shipment of inputs and regular monitoring of the plots.
Bad weather conditions (heavy snowfall and rains) had delayed the cultivation of costus from May to mid June 2003.
Most of the farmers were reluctant to provide land for the interventions as the holding size in the area is too small and they could not afford bad results.

Recommendations
Following recommendations are made to conserve medicinal plants through improved management and sustainable use:

Thorough and regular surveys are needed to assess the potential of medicinal plants in the area. These should be made a regular part of Forest surveys.
To revitalize the fast disappearing indigenous knowledge proper documentation and dissemination is needed. Raising of small medicinal plants nurseries/ plots mostly by women, can be a source of income, an activity for capacity building and an event for awareness raising.
Cultivation on marginal land as discussed above should be encouraged
Capacity of collectors and cultivators should be built especially in plants collection, processing and storage etc.
Primary processing units with some research stations should be established