CHITRAL: The locals have developed indigenous community conserved areas (ICCAs), working on customary laws of the villages, to conserve the rich biodiversity of both Upper and Lower Chitral.

As per profile book prepared by Leadership for Environment and Development (LEAD) with the financial assistance of USAID and co-authored by Ajaz Ahmad and Tahir Rasheed, the number of ICCAs is 25 of which 13 exist in Lower and 12 in Upper Chitral.

There has been a socially-inclusive paradigm of conservation in vogue in Chitral since the time immemorial, which binds each and every individual to the collective effort of sustainable use of flora and fauna in the alpine and sub-alpine pastures of the area while no one dares contravention.

As per the information gathered by the authors of the book, Lower Chitral district consists of Chitral Gol National Park while the other ICCAs are Kessu Gol, Gahiret Gol, Bokhtuli Gol, Mulen Gol, Jughoor Gol, Nerdet Gol, Tooshi Gol, Mroi Gol and Agram Gol.

The number of wildlife species in these ICCAs is about 500. The most common wildlife species in Lower Chitral are snow leopard, Kashmir Markhor, Indian wolf and Himalayan lynx, snow cock and Chakur partridge.

13 indigenous community conserved areas exist in Lower and 12 in Upper Chitral

Apart from the Broghil National Park (BNP), Upper Chitral’s ICCAs include Chumarkhan Gol, Zewar Gol, Beshqer Gol, Phargram Gol, Rosh Gol, Booni Gol, Reshun Gol, Shajunali and Saruzjal Parwak.

The key wildlife species in Upper Chitral are snow leopard, Himalayan ibex, Tibetan wolf, Himalayan lynx, Chakur partridge, Himalayan griffon vulture an Lammergeyer vulture while BNP has a considerable population of Afghan Urial and golden marmot.

Deodar, oak and Chalghuza pine are common trees in the pasture of Lower Chitral while Juniper, Birch and willow are found in Upper Chitral.

The book notes that some of the ICCAs are working totally according to the centuries-old indigenous system, having their own unwritten bylaws and customs that have been transferred from one generation to other while many have formally aligned it with the wildlife department.

“The Khow (Chitrali) society had become adept to collectively managing the pastures, herding, sowing, tilling, reaping and manufacturing of agricultural implements.

The basic factor underlying the need for successfully managing their resources was the level of interdependence, mutual trust, sense of ownership and equity that existed among the people.

The members of the society needed no external law and agency to implement as their needs and had welded them into a single whole,” said the book.

Ajaz Ahmed, one of the authors, said that customary laws regarding the conservation of flora and fauna were fully honoured by the rulers before the creation of Pakistan. “There is not a single example of the breach of law although they enjoyed sweeping and unbridled powers,” he added.

He said that the local community should be credited for safeguarding rich biodiversity of Chitral withstanding the gigantic pressures of the modern time due to population explosion.

Published in Dawn, August 15th, 2023