Arab falconers preparing for the kill | Photo taken from the March 1986 issue of the Herald
All these arguments add up to the same conclusion: in the final analysis, conservation is about people. An endangered species of plant or animal is a warning signal, a symptom of a wider problem: that of man's misuse and abuse of the environment. Hunting is not the only, or even the most serious, threat to wildlife, both plant and animal. Much more dangerous, widespread and insidious is the way that man's economic development changes the natural environment to the detriment of both human and non-human life. Pollution, desertification, de-forestation, over-fishing and over-grazing are all major contributory factors to the extinction of wildlife. They are also grave threats to man's own well-being, as the natural resource base which is the essential raw material of economic development and human existence is destroyed beyond repair.
Those who imagine that Pakistan does not suffer from the environmental threats listed above, or that they are of limited or isolated importance, might do well to consider the case of the drought in Africa's Sahel region, which caused the massive famine conditions now seen in Ethiopia and Sudan. According to IUCN consultant Mark Carwardine, who recently visited Pakistan, the Sahel drought could easily be repeated in parts of Pakistan, where similar pre-drought conditions are already apparent. On his visit to the Kirthar hills in Sind, Carwardine saw evidence of over-grazing and deforestation.
"It reminded me of parts of the Sahel just a few years ago," he says."You can easily see the process of desertification. Though the mountain range itself is protected (as the Kirthar National Park) nothing is being done to take care of the surrounding area. There's a lot of dust, which means the topsoil has gone - exactly the same problem as in the Sahel. At one time, the Sahel was savanna grassland. But as the trees were chopped down for firewood and the grass over-grazed, there was nothing to hold the topsoil down, and as soon as winds and heavy rains came it all disappeared."
The scenes of starving African children and dead cattle which shocked the world for the last two years could easily be repeated in Pakistan. Deserts are not static, as Mark Carwardine points out. "Did you ever hear the joke about the Sahara forest?" he asks. "Everyone assumes that the Sahara has always been the same as it is now, but it's actually extending southwards at the rate of 10 miles every year. Exactly the same thing is happening here."
The answer? Controlling grazing so that the land has time to recover and planting trees to combat deforestation. Mr. W .A. Kermani, who headed both the provincial and federal departments of agriculture and forestry for many years, is a dedicated conservationist, responsible for the setting up of Kirthar National Park, among many other major projects. He recalls a range management project in the Thar desert carried out by his department: ''When the drought hit Thar five or six years ago, the people turned to this project for guidance. They saw that controlled grazing, with fallow periods and rotation of herds, meant a continuous supply of fodder. They were eager to learn about range management practices from our staff.
Mr. Kermani emphasises that "there is no such thing as wasteland. This word is an insult to mankind. Sixty-five percent of Pakistan's land is arid, but it can be made productive by correct land use. The desert can also produce, but with the current practices it has become impoverished. We need to regenerate it, in order to sustain the people of the desert."
But it is not only those living in areas threatened by deforestation or desertification who suffer from the consquences. Land and water are the basic productive resources on which the entire population of the country -- including the urban areas - depends. And what happens in one part of the country can trigger off a destructive chain of events throughout the country. Deforestation in the northern areas, for example, means a drastic reduction of capacity to absorb and retain water, and thus rapid erosion of the steep hillsides whenever there is heavy rainfall. This washes away fertile topsoil, leaving the land unproductive, and filling rivers with silt, which is in turn deposited downstream in dams, shortening their life. Increased silt also affects animal and plant life in the river, and the increased volume of water resulting from non-absorption upstream leads to floods. Much of this havoc could be prevented by simple measures like reforestation. Providing people with an alternative source of fuel- like subsidised kerosene, or small hydel plants - would provide an incentive not to cut trees for firewood. Deforestation has now also developed political overtones, and become a particularly acute problem, with the massive influx of Afghan refugees.
The problem is that few people see what is happening until it becomes unavoidable - by which time it is probably too late. What can be done? The most immediate and direct action is legislation. But even when acts and ordinances are passed, they are difficult to enforce. And often, legislation needs to be coordinated on a regional or international level, to be really effective.
An example of such legislation is the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), one of the most widely accepted international conservation treaties. CITES, which has 77 states as signatories, is administered by IUCN on behalf of the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP). lts purpose is to check that endangered species are not traded in the international marketplace. Several other international treaties are also administered through IUCN.
Protected areas have been successfully used to provide animals and plants with safe habitats. Pakistan has five national parks, seventy wildlife sanctuaries and seventy-four game reserves. The main task in these areas is to ensure that regulations are strictly enforced. The concept of including local people in the monitoring of these areas has proven popular: instead of seeing wildlife as a lucrative short term source of income, locals are encouraged to take a long-term perspective. They are employed as wardens by the provincial wildlife authorities, which brings in a steady income and gives them access to government service benefits.
Captive breeding is a last resort hope of saving a species threatened with extinction. This year will see the reintroduction of the Arabian oryx to its original habitat, where it became extinct some time ago as a result of hunting. It had, however, been bred in captivity at San Diego Zoo for many years. When a ban was imposed on hunting in its native habitat, the oryx could be released into the wild. But not all captive breeding is successful. The Gulf states have been trying to breed the Houbara bustard for several years, with unsatisfactory results. If the present rate of hunting continues, the Houbara may well become extinct in its natural habitat, like the oryx, but with no hope of return in the future.
Research is a fundamental aspect of any conservation effort. Though its results may not be immediately apparent, it is essential for planning understanding the methods and goals of conservation - for example, which areas or species need to be protected, or the best combination of techniques to use. Gathering baseline data is also vital, to determine present levels and status of wildlife populations. The lack of such data in Pakistan is an acute problem in situations such as the Port Qasim/Steel Mill complex, where conservationists strongly suspect environmental damage but are unable to determine exactly how much has taken place so far.
Integrating conservation concepts with development programme is essential for long-term protection of the environment. This was the basic aim of the 1984 Environmental Protection Ordinance, and one of the aims of the World Conservation Strategy. Though this may be the most difficult aspect of conservation to actually put into practice, since it means that policy-makers and implementing agencies have to radically change the way they see development, it is undeniably the most important in the long-term.
And finally, public education and awareness are the cement which bind together the various conservation tactics outlined above. Public vigilance and concern are essential in safe-guarding conservation goals, and making sure that once policies are formulated and laws passed, they are adequately implemented.
The article was originally published in the March 1986 issue of the Herald. To read more, subscribe to the Herald in print.