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Upper Siran Biodiversity Conservation Project

Upper Siran Biodiversity Conservation Project
 
1st July 2003 to 31st Dec, 2006.
 
 Location of Project:                    Areas around Panjul Forests of Upper Siran
 
1 Project Goal
 
Conservation of the ecosystem of Upper Siran Valley /Methal area through participatory approaches focusing on threatened plants and animal species.
 
1.2 Project Objectives
 
  • Conserve key endangered bird and plant species of Methal area and Upper Siran Valley.
  • Set process of recovering of key predator species (Black Bear and Common leopard) populations through community managed approaches. 
 
Objective 1:   
Conserve key endangered bird and plant species of Methal area and Upper Siran Valley
Anticipated results  
Activities carried out 
Institutionalization of Community Organization
Community Empowerment
Preparation of Biodiversity Conservation Plan in Methal area:
Capacity building of Community Wildlife Guards and Watchers
Fixing of harvest quota
Detailed survey of Medicinal plants marketing
Medicinal plants nurseries and herbal plants trails
Fuel wood conservation
Wildlife and Ethno botany Surveys at Siran Valley
Reintroduction of Cheer pheasant
Fodder trails and demo plots
Development of Biodiversity conservation plan and village development plan
Reactivation of 3 JFMCs (Methal, Bandhodar and Hafizabad)
Formation of 12 women organizations in project area.
Held regular meetings with JFMCs and women organization.
Develop registers for record keeping i-e attendance, saving, resolution and karvai and trained selective women in record keeping.
Develop three linked Partnerships between community Wildlife and Forest Department.
Opening and proper operating of bank account/financial matters.
JFMCs training in Livestock management, wildlife survey technique, record keeping, marketing and cultivation of medicinal plants and crops cultivation while women groups were trained in kitchen gardening, medicinal plants cultivation and harvesting, livestock management, record keeping, health sessions on diarrhea and environment.
Active participation of existing JFMCs ensured through continuous dialogue.
Participatory conservation planning exercise.
Drafting and approval of Methal Biodiversity Conservation Plan.
Establishment of Village Conservation Fund with 25% community share and 75% project share in the Methal core community.
Notification of eleven Community Wildlife Guards and Wildlife Department watchers in field area.
Trainings delivered in wildlife survey and watch and ward techniques by the NWFP Wildlife Department and HAASHAR.
Community wildlife guards were trained and engaged in all wildlife surveys along with wildlife department.
Based on the winter survey results quota of birds hunted/trapped was fixed for each year.
Upper Siran is abundant with medicinal plants.  Most of these species are declared endangered threatened vulnerable and rare plants. The Upper Siran biodiversity conservation project focuses on sustainable conservation of flora and fauna, in this regard a detailed Market survey of the medicinal plants was conducted in 2004.
Six medicinal plant nurseries were established in the area however two nurseries (DagranadKopra) are in excellent condition. All types of plants are showing good vegetative and floral growth.
Plants species of Podophylumhexandrum, Sassurialappa, Paeoniaemodi, Valerniajatamansii, Genaniumwallichianum, Vernoiaanthelmintica, Atropabaladona, Lavaterakashmirina, Berginiastracheyi, Skimmialaureola, Rheum emodiand Viola canescens, have been grown in the medicinal plants nurseries.
30 women from Methal village were trained about medicinal plants cultivation and collection techniques
Blacksmiths, masons and carpenters from three JFMCs were identified and trained in fuel-efficient stove production and house improvement techniques.
1200 FES were made by these trainees and distributed among community
Detail of surveys coducted
Summer 2004
Winter 2005
Summer 2005
Summer 2006
Winter 2007
Ethno botanical survey was conducted at the end of 2006 and report was submitted to HAASHAR Association.
Wildlife department provided eggs of cheer pheasant free of cost to the communities of project area. Eggs were hatched out and now there are eight cheer pheasant adult available in area.
Community was trained to effectively manage and develop fodder and livestock.
With the assistance of National Agriculture Research Council Islamabad HAASHAR Association established 26 demonstration plots of wheat, Visia, Oats and Mustard at project area in November 2004.
The Plan was developed around plants resources with special emphasis on fuel wood, timber and planting. Village needs,
For prevention of all types of illegal activities warning boards were fixed on different locations.
Social Mobilizers of the project havevisited three potential areas, spreading the message of the project concept through a series of community dialogues.
30 community members of Upper Siran project area around Panjul forest have visited Methal core community and received community briefing on project mechanisms and results.
Objective 2:
Set process of recovering of key predator species (Black Bear and Common leopard) populations through community managed approaches
Anticipated results  
Activities carried out 
Community awareness and Capacity building:
Awareness raising about organic waste
Awareness raising about organic waste
Survey of bear localities
Compensation to man killed by black bear
80% of the target community is aware about overall project, and skilled for the broad-spectrum sustainable biodiversity conservation model before the end project.
70% of the people practice measures for controlled grazing and controlling the loss ofthe largemammals ,Leopard and Black Bear is stopped up to 80 % due to retaliatory killing by the end of the project.
An environmental cleanliness campaign focusing on poultry farm rubbish and sound disposal techniques for organic waste was arranged.
Methal, Hafizabad, Bandhodar, Mandaguccha, Sundi, Juchha, Phutti, Bukki, Naggan, Nawa and Sonwnkian are main villages where frequent black bear attack on livestock, crops and beehives was reported.  Devli, Mundi ,Chouraylaar and Naaral Bun are main effected villages located in different side of the valley. In the project area and adjoining places  Kund, Hafizabad, Jhangi, Droug and Saryalla are areas where bears are regularly seen by residents.
M.Haroon residence of Hafizabad was killed by black bear on 15 of august 2005. Effected family was compensated by Wildlife department on 18th April 2006 at Thai forest school Abbottabad.