PESHAWAR, Oct 3: The NWFP Wildlife Department has proposed four major projects worth Rs961 million to implement biodiversity-related international conventions, raise awareness about sustainable development of biodiversity and ensure community participation in conservation of wildlife in the province.

The projects have been submitted to the federal government for approval under public sector development programme (PSDP), said Chief Conservator NWFP Wildlife Department, Dr Mumtaz Malik.

One of the projects is aimed at institutional strengthening and capacity building in the NWFP Wildlife Department and will cost Rs198 million, he added.

The second project, he said, is titled as conservation education and awareness raising and its estimated cost is Rs122 million. It would be complete in five years.

Similarly, the third project, management of Saiful Maluk and Lalusar National Parks in Kaghan valley, will be completed at a cost of Rs162 million.

The objectives of the project is to protect and rehabilitate endangered wild species like snow leopard, black bear, marmot, weasel, lynx, leopard, Himalayan snow cock and snow partridge and their habitats in dry and temperate ecosystem.

Fourth project, wildlife conservation through community participation in NWFP, will be completed at a cost of Rs499 million in seven years.

The objectives of the project are to identify and establish protected areas, organise community in the proposed region, promote healthy recreational conservation through sport and trophy hunting and provide livelihood opportunities to communities through conservation-based activities.

The chief conservator said about eight projects funded by the provincial government were in progress and would be completed as per their schedule.

Similarly, two donor-funded projects worth Rs783 million pees were also in progress, he said, adding that these were mountain areas conservancy project and protected areas management project.

The department, he said, was already working on two projects approved under the PSDP. These included implementation of management plan for Ayubia National Park at a cost of Rs72.71 million and establishment of Cherat Wildlife Park in Nowshera district at a cost of Rs37.386 million.

Dr Malik said the NWFP supported world’s largest surviving population of Kashmir Markhor. The province also supported world’s largest surviving population of Western Tragopan pheasant.

He said due to effective policies of the department a number of wild species including common leopard, Markhor, Grey Goral, Kloklass and partridges which had been considered as endangered were now in good number in the province.—APP