Peshawar: The wildlife department plans to declare 15% of the ex-FATA region as protected areas to preserve and efficiently utilise natural resources, according to news sources.
As per sources, the department has recently extended its jurisdiction to the newly-merged tribes and is all set to begin its activities from a ground level, as no wildlife infrastructure exists in the area at present. A department official who deals with the natural resource conservation revealed that under the plan, 15% of the land will be declared as protected areas and will be connected through corridors to provide a baseline for launching activities.
The provincial government has allocated around PKR 800 million to the wildlife department in the current fiscal year to protect and preserve the region’s fauna. This sum includes PKR 365 million allocated under the Tribal Decade Strategy.
The department official also added that in the coming two years, multiple surveys will be executed by the experts of the Federal Zoological Survey Department and Pakistan Museum of Natural History to explore the biodiversity in the region. The survey, in its second phase, will research the social issues in respect with wildlife, the protected areas, and the dependency of local communities on natural resources. The third phase of the survey will be concerned with development in the protected areas and their connection through corridors. He was of the view that these surveys were essential to plan the conservation of natural resources in the future to avoid any wastage of funds.
In addition, the wildlife department has taken over three pheasantries in Bajaur, Mohmand, Kurram districts and the one at the Governor’s House in Peshawar. The department has also requested the government for provision of trained staff members and necessary vehicles to smoothen the workflow.
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