News & Events

May 11, 2010

Area Coordination Committee of Pai formed

Nawab Shah, May 11 2010: Area Coordination Committee of 14 Community based organization working around Pai forest has been formed. Indus for All Programme of WWF has facilitated local communities living around Pai forest to form community based organizations. The purpose was to ensure community participation in effective management of natural resources and bring improvement in livelihood. Ameen Keerio, Ms. Gulbano, Moharam Keerio, Ms. Karimat Noonari, Chakar Jalbani, Aijaz Jatoi were elected as chairperson, vice chairperson, general secretary, joint secretary, treasurer and information secretary respectively. The committee would work for networking, build linkages and raise awareness through advocacy to protect Pai forest, which is having numerous challenges including water scarcity, land encroachment, habitat degradation and illegal hunting of wildlife. Due to its ecological importance the entire area of Pai forest has been declared as a Game Reserve by Sindh Wildlife Department. A variety of wildlife is found in the Pai forest. The forest provides a natural habitat for different wildlife species that include hog deer, partridges, Asiatic jackal, jungle cat, porcupine, wild boar, snakes and others. Hog deer is an important wildlife species and a representative species of riverine fauna.
 
Speaking on the occasion the Programme Coordinator Indus for All Programme Nasir Ali Panhwar said that WWF Pakistan is implementing Indus for All Programme at four sites in Sindh Province to promote participatory and sustainable management of natural resources. He said that WWF Pakistan’s experience indicates that natural resource management is ineffective without the involvement and ownership of the communities dependent on those natural resources. He added that mobilization of communities and their empowerment is therefore included as a core component of the Programme that will enable implementation of participatory natural resource management and livelihood development plans. He deplored that, current poverty levels of the communities do not allow them to fully participate in ownership of their resources.
 
The Programme Sociologist Ms. Shahzadi Tunio said that office bearers of organizations have gone through series of trainings and are actively participating in development interventions such as alternate technologies, bio gas, constructed wetlands, vocational centre, efficient management of irrigation water, less use of pesticides, tree plantation etc.

 

 

For further Information:

Nasir Ali Panhwar
, Programme Coordinator,
Indus for All Programme, WWF – Pakistan
Contact: 0300 3079491,
 napanhwar@gmail.com

Muhammad Zafar Khan
, Manager Communications and Environmental Education
Contact: 0300-3495901
, email: zafar.hilbi@gmail.com