Today, conservationists warn of the growing imbalance between resources and their consumption because of disturbance in natural systems at large. Community participation in conservation of biodiversity on a sustainable basis is not only an effective tool for rural development; it also fulfills the requirements of Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) to safeguard and protect biodiversity on sustainable basis.

Pakistan has a rich variety of flora and fauna due to its diversified landscape ranging from sea level to 8,611 m (28,251 ft). Comparatively the North West Frontier Province has a great variety of natural resources due to its diversity in topography, altitude, climate and vegetation. It is unique in supporting the world's largest surviving population of Kashmir markhor (Capra falconeri cashmiriensis) and endangered tragopan. Once the markhor was an endangered species in Pakistan, but now the country has the largest population of this rare animal.

Markhor is a majestic mountain goat with magnificently curled horns which grow to an average length of 45 inches in the male often called the trophy animal. The horns of female are shorter and about 10 inches. There are four sub-species of markhor in NWFP namely Astor markhor (found in upper Indus Kohistan), Kashmir markhor (found in the rugged dry mountains of Chitral, Dir Kohistan, Swat Kohistan, and Indus Kohistan), Suleman markhor (found in Suleman mountain range), and Kabul markhor (found in Sakra mountain range in Mardan).

Markhor is conserved through community participation through trophy hunting program. This program helps to conserve the animal and improve socio-economic conditions of the local people in the area.

A signatory to the CBD, Pakistan is obligated to conserve its diversified fauna and flora to meet the current environmental challenges in the country. The given developing countries' conservation scenario, community participation in biodiversity conservation and management is imperative through sound approaches for the development of local communities who are dependent on resources.

The NWFP Wildlife Department has pioneered community participation projects for conservation of markhor and ibex which set a legal hunting code and procedure. Trophy hunting of markhor (Capra falconeri kashmeriensis) and ibex (Capra ibex himalayenis) is permissible in the NWFP under the NWFP Wildlife Act, 1975.

The government has generally banned hunting of markhor and ibex and only allowed it as a special case in Community Managed Conservation Areas of NWFP. These are a number of valleys in Chitral and Kohistan managed by the Village or Valley Conservation Communities. The impressive spiral horn of markhor has been always a trophy for foreign hunters who are willing to pay a lot of money through bidding. NWFP is allotted a biannual quota of four markhors by the National Council for Conservation of Wildlife (NCCW).

When hunting is permissible as a special case, it is authorised by an export and import permit. As an incentive for communities to conserve the markhor species, the 12th Conference of Parties held in Santiago, Chile, in 2002 allowed an annual export quota of 12 markhors to Pakistan from Community Managed Conservation Areas. The National Council for Conservation of Wildlife (NCCW) of Pakistan further allots this quota to Provinces and Administrative Units in Pakistan. A break-up of the hunting quota of 12 animals translates as four for NWFP, five for Balochistan and three for the Northern Areas.

Ibex may become extinct unless trade or traffic is controlled by authorising an export permit (or re-export certificate) while an import permit is not necessary. However, an export permit from NCCW is required and the fixed annual quota is 10.

Given the rugged terrain, difficult slopes, and hard weather conditions, sport hunting of markhor and ibex is quite challenging and requires hunters to be fit and patient.

Permits are issued for a specified number of hunting days from December through March for markhor and ibex trophy hunts in a conservancy, depending on availability of adequate trophy males through regular monitoring by the department and custodian communities who manage wildlife in the area.

Eighty percent of the trophy hunting permit fee goes to communities in the Conservation Area, twenty percent to the government as a token of proprietorship and management charges.

It is a matter of pride for the concerned communities that one trophy of markhor fetched a bid of worth US$ 81000/- last year being the highest since early 1980s when markhor trophy hunting was introduced in the province on a commercial basis. The permit fee of markhor is on rise which indicates the success of the trophy program.

Each year a grand ceremony is held at the provincial level where the representatives of the local communities receive cheques in light of the joint venture of conservation of markhor and ibex. Had they not been involved in conservation of the species, potential poaching of the animal would have provided meat for few but the long term sustainable approach has contributed towards socio-economic uplift of the local communities.