Short description of the best practice

Nangarparkar, Tharparkar is a fragile arid and semiarid ecosystem which is subjected to desertification due to frequent droughts, pressure on natural vegetative cover due to exploitation by human and livestock (for fodder, timber, firewood, gum resin, medicinal herbs extraction etc.) and limited water resources. Desertification threatened livelihood of about 1.3 million inhabitants and 5 million livestock.
The major causes of desertification are felling of trees and removal of vegetative cover in the result of deforestation and overgrazing. Destruction of Camiphora mukal (gum yielding shrub), by tukka (chemical cut) method, is a major cause of desertification and land degradation here, particularly in Nagarparkar area which is rich in this shrub.
The project aimed at reducing pressure on land and forest resources which is caused by illegal tree chopping, and destruction of natural plantations of guglan (Camiphora mukal) for gum resin extraction. SCOPE organized local communities and other stakeholders to resist illegal gum extraction, which was causing elimination of vegetation

Location

Nangarparkar is an ecologically sensitive area in District Tharparkar in the South East of Pakistan along with India-Pakistan boarder. Tharparkar District is a fragile arid ecosystem in southeast of Pakistan, spread over 19,000 sq. Km, hosting 1 million people and 4 million livestock|

If the location has well defined boundaries, specify its extension in hectares:

50000.0

Estimated population living in the location:

30000.0

Brief description of the natural environment within the specified location.

The soils are generally infertile and because of severe wind erosion are overblown with sand.
hilly terrain
he desert vegetation is mostly herbaceous, or of stunted scrub; trees occasionally dot the landscape. The grasses form the main natural resources of the desert and provide nutritive and palatable pasturage. Human and natural induced causes such as deforestation and drought are main causes of land degradation or desertification.  Wind and water erosion are furthering this process. Massive scale illegal, wildlife present with some threatened species|

Prevailing socio-economic conditions of those living in the location and/or nearby

some land is private, while most of the land belongs to state i.e. forest department, local people get the cultivated land on 1 year lease for cultivtion purposes|
livestock, subsistence farming|
People live below poverty line, mostly pastoralists and subsistence farmers |

On the basis of which criteria and/or indicator(s) (not related to The Strategy) the proposed practice and corresponding technology has been considered as 'best'?

Simply because project was able to motivate and mobilize local people to resist against destruction of camiphora mukal shrub. The local youth were organized in the form of Green Guards, who were trained in natural resources management, rangeland management and combating desertification. |

Main problems addressed by the best practice

- community was disorganized and involved in indiscriminate gum extraction which was eliminating camiphora mukal
vegetation
- the influential people were backing this gum extraction by making a lot of money by selling the gum in wholesale market
- trees were also chopped down, wildlife was hunted and poached |

Outline specific land degradation problems addressed by the best practice

- deforestation

Specify the objectives of the best practice

a.Motivate, organize  and enable local community organizations for sustainable land management (SLM), in order to combat desertification
b.Immediate halt of deforestation and organized destruction of guglan (Camiphora mukal) shrub cover, in the district through local action
c.Rangeland health assessment and rehabilitation
d. Reintroduce and strengthen traditional Gochar (rangeland) management system through consensus and participation
e Create livelihood opportunities for indigenous people
|through sustainable harvesting of gugral (gum from guglan shrub)
f. Cooperate with Sindh Forest Department and local government to protect forest and rangeland

Brief description of main activities, by objective

- Consultation, writing  and adaptation of “traditional gochar (rangeland)  management system” and its wider publicity and adoption by all stakeholders particularly the  District  assembly,  Community Green Groups (CGGs)|
a. Objective: Motivate, organize  and enable local community organizations for sustainable land management (SLM), in order to combat desertification
Activities:
- Community consultation and brainstorming in about 50 main villages of Union Councils of Maijthy, Joro, Bhakao (tehsil Mithi), Jharmario|Baliari (tehsil Diplo), Nagarparkar, Pithapoor, and Haroo (tehsil Nagarparkar), Chilhar, Kantio, of Tehsil Chachro of District Tharparkar on state of natural resources, pressures on land, responsible strategy to reduce pressure and identification of a community action plan to reduce pressure on land|responsible strategy to reduce pressure and identification of a community action plan to reduce pressure on land and remove hurdles
- Formation of village “Community Green Groups (CGGs)”, in 50 villages, as the task force which will work on combating desertification with SCOPE on long term basis. |The CGGs will be well represented by notables, village headmen, youth and women
- Training and orientation of Community Green Groups (CGGs) on sustainable land management including rangeland health assessment, methods of rehabilitation by seed broadcast, protection of woodlots, rotational grazing, |avoiding unsustainable agricultural practices such as use of tractor, pesticides and chemical fertilizers
- Joint rangeland scouting / assessment survey by Community Green Groups (CGGs), along with SCOPE, Forest department, AZRI and assessment of the health of rangeland, carrying capacity, identification of problems, mapping of hotspots under supervision of experts from AZRI and Rangeland section of |Sindh Forest Department
- Development of rangeland rehabilitation action plan, identification of responsibilities,  arrangement of material (seeds from AZRI), seed broadcasting
- Stakeholders dialogue on the issue, identification of culprits and their modes operandi
- Formation of District’s  Joint Action Committee (JAC) consisting on community members, political representatives, District Government, Police, NGOs, media and Forest Department to ensure a complete ban on |commercial tree chopping and destruction of guglan plantations
- Ensuring immediate practical ban on deforestation under section 144

Name and address of the institution developing the technology

Society for Conservation and Protection of Environment (SCOPE),
|D-141 (annexy) Block 2, P.E.C.H.S
Karachi-75400 Pakistan

Was the technology developed in partnership?

No

Specify the framework within which the technology was promoted

• Local initiative

Was the participation of local stakeholders, including CSOs, fostered in the development of the technology?

Yes

List local stakeholders involved:

local communities, forest department, rangeland research institutions, police, district administration, NGOs, CBOs|

For the stakeholders listed above, specify their role in the design, introduction, use and maintenance of the technology, if any.

community: take part in guarding range land and forest
forest department:cooperation
Arid zone rangeland research institute (AZRI)rangeland management technologies
Administrtin: cooperation
people and CBOs: full participation

Was the population living in the location and/or nearby involved in the development of the technology?

Yes

By means of what?

• Consultation
• Participatory approaches

Specify:

full ownership of the project, by setting a defensive mechanism against forest clearing

Describe on-site impacts (the major two impacts by category)

-regeneration can be seen
-fresh cuts to sgrub are not seen
-people are highly motivated
-

Describe the major two off-site (i.e. not occurring in the location but in the surrounding areas) impacts

- awareness among stakeholders
- shortage of wood in local saw mills, because trees are not being chopped |

Impact on biodiversity and climate change

Explain the reasons:

- density of tree cover increasing
- hunting poaching of animals stopped
definitely, |
The carbon sequestration capacity increases by the sving of trees and vegetation and cultivation of more shrubs

Related to human resources

people can understand very well their long term benefit if proper mobilization is done

Related to technical aspects

regeneration of vegetation in the rangeland is possible thrugh controlled natural resouces management