Visions

And
Methodologies
Of
WWF
And its
Contributions in Pakistan

By:

Zulfiqar Ali

Submitted to:

Department of Environmental Sciences

University of Peshawar

Session 2005 – 2009

1
2
List of Abbreviation used in the text

Abbreviations Stands for

WWF The World Wide Fund for Nature

UNEP united nations environment programme

UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural

Organization

IUCN International Union for Conservation of Nature

ICBP International Council for Bird Preservation

TRAFFIC Trade Records Analysis of Flora and Fauna in Commerce

UK United Kingdom

WCED World Commission on Environment and Development

LPR Living Planet Report

GDP Gross Domestic Product

TNC The Nature Conservancy

WCS Wildlife Conservation Society

FSC Forest Stewardship Council

CSR Corporate Social Responsibility

MSC Marine Stewardship Council

FAO Food Agriculture Organization

HAW High Altitude Watershed

GEF Global Environment Facility

UNDP United Nations Development Programme

PSCI Pakistan Sustainable Cotton Initiative

IFAP Information for Financial Aid Professionals

3
NRM Natural Resource Management

PERA Pakistan Environmental Reporting Award

CKNP Central Karakurum National Park

EPU Environmental Protection Unit

SAWAN South-Asia Water Analyses Network

4
Index

0 Abstract 7

Chapter 1 : Introduction

Topics Page
1.1 What is WWF? 8
1.2 What do the initials WWF stand for? 8
1.3 What is WWF's mission? 8
1.4 What issues does WWF work on? 9
1.5 How many projects does WWF have? 9
1.6 Who does WWF work with? 9
1.7 Who is in charge? 9
1.8 WWF supporters 9
1.9 How many people does WWF employ? 9
1.10 What is WWF's annual income & expenditure? 9
1.11 WWF's Guiding Principles 10

Chapter 2 : History through Decades

2.1 WWF in 60s 11

2.2 WWF in 70s 13
2.3 WWF in 80s 14
2.4 WWF in 90s 16
2.5 WWF in Millennium 17

Chapter 3 : Visions of WWF

3.1 Past, Present And Future 19

3.2 The next generation 21
3.3 WWF Living Planet Report 22
5
3.4 The Challenge 23
3.5 The Global 200 23
 Chapter 4 : Methodologies

4.1 Rising to the Challenge 25

4.2 Eco-region Conservation 26
4.3 Thinking Globally 28
4.4 The Changing Role of Commerce 30
4.5 A Strategy for Natural Heritage Conservation 31
4.6 Conservation Organisations as a Facet of Civil Society 32
4.7 Looking to the Future 34

Chapter 5: Ongoing Projects

5.1 High Altitude Wetlands Conservation in Northern Pakistan 36

5.2 Pakistan Sustainable Cotton Initiative 37
5.3 Protection and Management of Pakistan Wetlands Programme 37
5.4 Better Management Practices for Thirsty Crops: ensuring Indus For All Programme (IFAP) 38
5.5 Assessment of Environmental Impacts of Implementation of Better Management Practices in Cotton 39
Crop
5.6 Indus Basin Water Security 40
5.7 Gyps Vulture Restoration 42
5.8 Conservation Of Indus River Dolphin by improving agriculture resources use in the Lower Indus
Basin in Pakistan
43
5.9 Contract for Transferring the Green Office Concept Within the WWF Network 43
5.10 Pakistan Environmental Reporting Awards (PERA) 44
5.11 Land Cover Mapping of Central Karakorum National Park 44

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 Chapter 6:

Multi-facetted Problems related to Prioritized Species of WWF in Pakistan

6.1 Toxics 46
6.2 Fresh water Programmes 47
6.3 Hudiara Drain River Ravi 47
6.4 Taunsa Barrage Rehabilitation Project 48
6.5 South Asia Water Analysis Network (SAWAN) 48
6.6 Marine ecosystem 49
6.7 Climate Change 49
6.8 Forest 50
6.9 Prioritized Species 51
6.9.1 Snow Leopard 51
6.9.2 Marine Turtles 51
6.9.3 White-backed Vulture 52
6.9.4 The Indus River Dolphin (Platanista minor) 53
6.9.5 Cranes 54

0 Gaps and Recommendations 55

References 58

7
 Abstract
World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is one of the world's largest and most respected independent
conservation organizations. WWF's first office was founded on 11 September 1961 in the small
Swiss town of Morges. This organization acting locally through a network of over 90 offices in
over 40 countries around the world which vary in their degree of autonomy. WWF’s mission is
to stop the degradation of the planet’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans
live in harmony with nature.Since 1985, WWF has invested over US$1,300 million in more than
11,000 projects in more than 100 countries. it runs about 1,300 projects at any one time.Pakistan
is facing widespread environmental degradation like many other developing countries.
Mitigation measures have been insufficient to address the multi-dimensional nature of problems.
Given this situation and in accordance with the redefinition of WWF's mission to include
"promoting action to reduce pollution and the wasteful exploitation and consumption of
resources and energy" in 1990, the Environmental Pollution Unit (EPU) was set up in Lahore in
1993.Since then WWF has stated and completed many projects making itself as a pioneer
institution for the conservation of nature. Major project and species prioritized in WWF agenda
for Pakistan are, Fresh water Programmes,Hudiara Drain River Ravi, South Asia Water Analysis
Network (SAWAN), Marine ecosystem, Snow Leopard, Marine Turtles, White-backed Vulture,
The Indus River Dolphin (Platanista minor), Cranes.

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Chapter 1

Introduction

1.1 What is WWF?

• World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is one of the world's largest and most respected
independent conservation organizations.
• It is an independent foundation registered under Swiss law
• WWF is a global organization acting locally through a network of over 90 offices in over
40 countries around the world which vary in their degree of autonomy.
• The central secretariat for the network (called WWF International) is located in Gland,
Switzerland.
• WWF's first office was founded on 11 September 1961 in the small Swiss town of
Morges.

1.2 What do the initials WWF stand for?

• WWF originally stood for "World Wildlife Fund".
• However, in 1986, WWF had come to realize that its name no longer reflected the scope
of its activities, and changed its name to "World Wide Fund For Nature".
• The United States and Canada, however, retained the old name.
• The resulting confusion caused by the name change in 1986, together with its translation
into more than 15 languages, led the WWF Network in 2001 to agree on using the
original acronym as its one, global name - the acronym that it had always been known by
since its inception way back in 1961: WWF

1.3 What is WWF's mission?

WWF’s mission is to stop the degradation of the planet’s natural environment and to build a
future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by:

• conserving the world’s biological diversity

• ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable
• promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.

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1.4 What issues does WWF work on?
WWF focuses its work around the magnificent diversity of life on this planet, the extraordinary
places they live in, and while trying to reduce humanity’s impact on this life and these places.

1.5 How many projects does WWF have?

• Since 1985, WWF has invested over US$1,300 million in more than 11,000 projects in
more than 100 countries.
• WWF runs about 1,300 projects at any one time.

1.6 Who does WWF work with?

In carrying out its work, WWF cooperates with many partners, including UN organizations,
IUCN, and development agencies such as USAID and the World Bank. WWF also works with
business & industry partners.

1.7 Who is in charge?

• WWF is governed by a Board of Trustees under an International President, HE Chief
Emeka Anyaoku.
• President Emeritus is HRH The Duke of Edinburgh.
• The Director General of WWF International is Jim Leape.

1.8 WWF supporters

• WWF has over 5 million supporters
• Passport, WWF's international campaigning tool, has over 100,000 activists from more
than 170 countries.

1.9 How many people does WWF employ?

WWF employs over 5,400 people worldwide staff in full and part-time position

1.10 What is WWF's annual income & expenditure?

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 • In 2008 WWF's total global income was €447 million. Individuals contribute 60% of
WWF's income.
• 45% of WWF's total income comes from the Netherlands, the UK and the US.
• Only 9% of funds raised is spent on finance and administration - much of this cost is
covered by income from trust funds.
• In the US, WWF receives a 4-star Charity Navigator rating ("Exceeds industry standards
and outperforms most charities in its Cause")

1.11 WWF's Guiding Principles

To guide WWF in its task of achieving the mission, the following principles have been adopted.
WWF will:

• be global, independent, multicultural and non party political

• use the best available scientific information to address issues and critically evaluate all
its endeavours
• seek dialogue and avoid unnecessary confrontation
• build concrete conservation solutions through a combination of field based projects,
policy initiatives, capacity building and education work
• involve local communities and indigenous peoples in the planning and execution of its
field programmes, respecting their cultural as well as economic needs
• strive to build partnerships with other organizations, governments, business and local
communities to enhance WWF’s effectiveness
• run its operations in a cost effective manner and apply donors’ funds according to the
highest standards of accountability.

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Chapter 2

History through Decades

2.1 WWF in 60s

One of the most important figures in WWF's early history was the renowned British biologist,
Sir Julian Huxley. The first Director General of UNESCO, Huxley had also helped found a
scientific research-based conservation institution, now known as IUCN-The World Conservation
Union.

In 1960, Huxley went to East Africa to advise UNESCO on wildlife conservation in the area. He
was appalled at what he saw. On his return to London, he wrote three articles for The Observer
newspaper in which he warned the British public that habitat was being destroyed and animals
hunted at such a rate that much of the region's wildlife could disappear within the next 20 years.

The articles hit home, alerting readers to the fact that nature conservation was a serious issue.
Huxley received a number of letters from concerned members of the public. Among these was a
letter from businessman Victor Stolan, who pointed out the urgent need for an international
organization to raise funds for conservation.

But Stolan stressed that he was not in a position to launch such an organization himself. Huxley
therefore contacted ornithologist Max Nicholson, Director General of Britain's Nature
Conservancy, who took up the challenge with enthusiasm.

By spring 1961, Nicholson had gathered together a group of scientists and advertising and public
relations experts, all committed to establishing an organization of the kind Stolan had suggested.
Prominent among those experts was another ornithologist Peter Scott, a vice-president of IUCN,
who was later to become the new organization's first chairman.

The group decided to base its operations in neutral Switzerland, where IUCN had already
transferred its headquarters to a villa in the small town of Morges on the northern shores of Lake
Geneva. The new organization, which planned to work closely with IUCN, was to share this
villa.

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IUCN welcomed the fledgling organization: "Together," both parties agreed, "we will harness
public opinion and educate the world about the necessity for conservation."

Meanwhile, Chi-Chi the panda had arrived at London Zoo. Aware of the need for a strong,
recognizable symbol that would overcome all language barriers, the group agreed that the big,
furry animal with her appealing, black-patched eyes, would make an excellent logo. The black
and white panda has since come to stand as a symbol for the conservation movement as a whole.

WWF was officially formed and registered as a charity on 11 September 1961. The international
fund-raising mission was about to begin.

The founders decided that the most efficient approach would be to set up offices in different
countries. They therefore launched National Appeals, which would send up to two-thirds of the
funds raised to the international secretariat in Morges (now known as WWF International), and
keep the remainder to spend on conservation projects of their own choice.

WWF planned to work, wherever possible, with existing non-governmental organizations, and
base its grants on the best scientific knowledge available a policy which has been adhered to ever
since. Its first grants went to IUCN, the International Council for Bird Preservation (ICBP, now
Birdlife International), the International Waterfowl Research Bureau, and the International Youth
Federation for the Study and Conservation of Nature.

The first National Appeal, with HRH The Duke of Edinburgh as President, was launched in the
United Kingdom on 23 November 1961. On 1 December, it was followed by the United States,
and a few days later, Switzerland.

Since then, WWF has grown considerably. National Appeals are now known as National
Organizations. Twenty-four of these are affiliated to WWF International, while five
organizations which operate under a different name are associated with WWF. Each National
Organization is a separate legal entity, responsible to its own Board and accountable to its
donors. WWF International itself is accountable to the National Organizations, donors, and the
Swiss authorities. Most of the members of WWF International's Board and committees are
drawn from the Boards and Chief Executive Officers of the National Organizations. WWF also
has programme offices throughout the world and representatives in many countries.

In its first three years, WWF raised and donated almost US$1.9 million to conservation projects.
Much of this money was given by individuals, moved by newspaper articles such as a seven-
page feature on the organization in the Daily Mirror newspaper which provoked the British
public to send in £60,000 within a week of its publication.

Some of the early grants, such as those to IUCN and ICBP, were large. Another substantial
donation went to the Charles Darwin Foundation for the Galápagos Islands. WWF still funds
projects in the Galápagos, and has helped the Ecuadorean government to establish the Galápagos

13
National Park, control introduced species which threaten the islands' rare indigenous plants and
animals, and set up research training and education programmes. The Galápagos Islands could
now stand as an example of the way low-impact tourism can be integrated with research,
development, and conservation initiatives.

Many grants, however, were small. In 1962, WWF gave US$131 "to enable Mr E P Gee of
Upper Shillong, Assam, to visit the Rann of Kutch to ascertain the total numbers and present
trends of the population of Indian wild ass." Mr Gee found 870. By 1975, numbers had dropped
to 400 and the wild ass seemed to be on the verge of extinction. So a rescue mission was
launched, a wild ass sanctuary established, and by the mid-1980s, the population had risen to an
impressive total of well over 2,000.

Other early grants went to provide a road grader and rotary mower for Kenya's Masai Mara
Game Reserve; to fund a survey of Costa Rica's few remaining white bearded spider monkeys;
and to enable Professor Kim Hon Kyu, chairman of the Korean Section of the ICBP to go to an
ICBP conference in New York and attend the first ever World Conference on National Parks in
Seattle.

In 1969, WWF joined forces with the Spanish government to purchase a section of the
Guadalquivir Delta marshes and establish the Coto Doñana National Park. This important
wetland area, one of the last refuges of the Spanish imperial eagle and the Iberian lynx, is
constantly threatened by schemes to increase local agricultural output and tourism. WWF still
supports Coto Doñana, and is fighting proposals to drain the marshes and syphon off water to
irrigate agricultural land along the coast and to expand tourist facilities.

2.2 WWF in 70s

Establishing the Trust Fund

From the very beginning, WWF has been aware that people donate money to the organization
because they want to give direct support to conservation.

In 1970, HRH Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands, then President of WWF International,
launched an important initiative that was to provide WWF with the solid, independent financial
base it needed. The organization set up a US$10 million fund, known as The 1001: A Nature
Trust, to which 1,001 individuals each contributed US$10,000. Since establishing The 1001,
WWF International has been able to use interest from the trust fund to help meet its basic
administration costs.

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So when WWF helped the Indian government launch Project Tiger in 1973, the public was
assured that its donations would go towards saving India's charismatic, but severely endangered,
tigers. Mrs Indira Gandhi set up a task force to carry out a comprehensive six-year tiger
conservation plan and the government put aside land for nine tiger reserves. India later added six
more reserves. Nepal followed suit with three, and Bangladesh with one.

Two years later, WWF embarked on its first worldwide Tropical Rainforest Campaign, raising
money and arranging for several dozen representative tropical rainforest areas in Central and
West Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America, to be managed as national parks or reserves.

Forest conservation has been an important WWF focus ever since. The organization's Forest
Programme now supports 350 projects all over the world, in an effort to conserve not only
tropical rainforests but also the forests of the temperate zones.

The 1970s were an exciting and active time. The launch of an ambitious marine campaign, "The
Seas Must Live", in 1976, enabled WWF to set up marine sanctuaries for whales, dolphins, and
seals, and to protect marine turtle nesting sites. The decade drew to a close with a campaign to
"Save the Rhino", which rapidly raised over US$1 million to combat rhino poaching.

Meanwhile, concerned that trade in animals, plants, and commodities such as ivory and rhino
horn was driving many species towards extinction, IUCN had created a body to monitor trade in
wildlife and wildlife products. The new organization, known as TRAFFIC (Trade Records
Analysis of Fauna and Flora in Commerce) opened its first office in the United Kingdom in
1976. With WWF's help, TRAFFIC has now grown into a network of 17 offices on five
continents, and has played a major role in persuading governments all over the world to increase
species protection and strengthen wildlife trade controls.

All this activity meant that WWF had long outgrown its villa in Morges, and desperately needed
new premises. In 1979, the accommodation problem was solved by an anonymous donation that
enabled the organization to move to a modern office block in Gland, along the lake, halfway
between Geneva and Lausanne.

2.3 WWF in 80s

By the end of the 1970s, WWF had grown from a small organization that concentrated on
problems such as endangered species and habitat destruction, into an international institution
involved in all manner of conservation issues. Perhaps the most important of these was the need
to integrate development with conservation.

WWF marked the dawn of the 1980s by collaborating with IUCN and the United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP) on the publication of a joint World Conservation Strategy.

15
Endorsed by the United Nations Secretary General, the Strategy was launched simultaneously in
34 world capitals.

It recommended a holistic approach to conservation and highlighted the importance of using

natural resources sustainably. Since the launch, 50 countries have formulated and initiated their
own national conservation strategies, based on its recommendations. A simplified version, How
to Save the World, was subsequently published in several languages.

Meanwhile, WWF continued to build up its popular support base. In 1981, when HRH The Duke
of Edinburgh took over from John Loudon as President of WWF International, the organization
had one million regular supporters worldwide. Fundraising efforts received a boost in 1983, with
the launch of the Conservation Stamp Collection. Under this scheme, WWF in collaboration with
Groth AG has worked with the postal authorities in more than 200 countries, helping them select
threatened species to feature on official postage stamps. The programme has so far raised over
US$13 million.

By 1986, WWF had come to realize that its name no longer reflected the scope of its activities.
The WWF Network therefore decided to publicize their expanded mandate by changing their
name from World Wildlife Fund to the World Wide Fund For Nature. The United States and
Canada, however, retained the old name.

As part of its 25th anniversary celebrations, WWF invited leaders from the world's five main
religions to a two-day retreat in the historic Italian town of Assisi. After the retreat, the leaders
issued declarations that conservation was a fundamental element in their respective faiths. This
led to the formation of an international network, that now includes eight religions, through which
WWF and religious groups work together to achieve common aims.

WWF's status as a non-governmental organization with whom governments are happy to work
means that it is extremely well positioned to press for changes in government policy. In 1985, the
organization helped bring about an international moratorium on whaling. Since then, a whale
sanctuary has been established in the important Antarctic feeding grounds.

The fact that the organization has good relationships with governments has also enabled it to
negotiate debt-for-nature swaps, under which a portion of a nation's debt is converted into funds
for conservation. Debt-for-nature swaps have been made with a number of countries, including
Ecuador, Madagascar, the Philippines, and Zambia.

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 2.4 WWF in 90s

The 1990s began with the launch of a revised mission and strategy. The expanded mission
reiterates WWF's commitment to nature conservation, and classifies the organization's work into
three interdependent categories: the preservation of biological diversity, promoting the concept
of sustainable use of resources, and reducing wasteful consumption and pollution. The 1990
strategy aims to decentralize WWF's decision-making, and to increase cooperation with local
people.

The following year, building on lessons learned in the decade since the launch of the World
Conservation Strategy, WWF, IUCN, and UNEP joined forces again to publish Caring for the
Earth- A Strategy for Sustainable Living. Launched in over 60 countries around the world,
Caring for the Earth lists 132 actions people at all social and political levels can take to safeguard
or improve their environment, while simultaneously increasing the quality of their life.

One of the most important ways in which people can help ensure the future health of the planet is
to cut down their consumption of fossil fuels. This will reduce the damage that air pollution and
acid rain inflict on people, animals, and plants, and slow down the rate at which the world's
weather patterns are changing. WWF works to make people and governments aware of the
implications of climate change and to persuade them to reduce polluting activities to a minimum.

The organization works with governments in two ways as collaborator and lobbyist. For
example, it cooperates with the government of Madagascar on an environmental syllabus for use
in the island's primary schools, and with the Chinese Ministry of Forestry on a giant panda
management plan.

In 1990, WWF helped bring about an international moratorium on the ivory trade. And in 1992,
it played a part in pressurizing governments to sign conventions on biodiversity and climate
change at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development the Earth Summit in
Rio de Janeiro. It is now working to ensure that those conventions are implemented in an
effective manner.

Perhaps more than any other event in recent years, the Earth Summit alerted politicians and
business people to the urgency of the environmental crisis facing the modern world. Since the
conference, WWF has been working to build stronger relationships with the business
community. In the UK, for example, WWF is working with a group of retailers and
manufacturers who are committed to phasing out the sale of wood that does not come from
independently certified, well-managed forests.

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WWF also maintains links with other non-governmental organizations both national and
international. It makes a particular point of responding to local conservation needs, and working
with local people. More and more projects involve rural communities in making decisions as to
how their environment should be both used and conserved, while providing economic incentives.

In Zambia's Kafue Flats, WWF has helped the government forge an important link between
development and conservation. Local people are trained as wildlife scouts to monitor and report
on the area's rapidly declining population of lechwes antelopes adapted to living in swamp-like
conditions. Thanks to the scouts, and improved management techniques, lechwe numbers have
now increased to a level that permits culling. Trophy hunters pay to hunt animals, and the money
raised is reinvested in community development and wildlife management.

WWF has always recognized the importance of working in partnership. Cooperation is crucial
whether it is with governments, other conservation organizations, local communities, or with the
millions of people whose financial and moral support enables WWF to carry out conservation
work throughout the world.

At the end of 1993, Claude Martin took over as Director General of WWF International,
replacing Charles de Haes who had served in this position for the previous 18 years. At the same
time, the organization completed a two-year network-wide evaluation of its conservation work.
On the strength of this study, it resolved to focus its activities on three key areas: forests,
freshwater ecosystems, and oceans and coasts. WWF believes that in pursuing the new goals via
carefully planned strategies, it will be able to make the best use of its resources.

Contributions from individuals remain the organization's most important source of funds, making
up 53 per cent of its annual income.

If you care about the welfare of our planet, and the people, animals, and plants that live on it,
perhaps you would like to join those who support WWF's conservation work by contacting either
the Fundraising Director or the Membership Officer at WWF International or your local WWF
National Organization.

2.5 WWF in Millennium

WWF in the new millennium

To keep up with the evolving face of conservation and the environmental movement, WWF has
not only grown in size and stature but it has also matured in its understanding of what has gone
wrong and what is required to put things right.

18
WWF's focus has evolved from its localized efforts in favour of single species that characterized
WWF in the 1960s, to new horizons encompassing national, regional and global scales of
complexity.

Focus of work today

"Our objectives have never been clearer - slow climate change, reduce toxics in the environment,
protect our oceans and fresh waters, stop deforestation, and save species," says Dr Claude
Martin, former Director General of WWF International. "Our great achievement over the past 40
years is spreading the message - through us people know that nature counts."

Effective ways of working

For WWF the answer lies in campaigning and lobbying, as well as working in the field. We can
work with subsistence farmers on their land or Presidents in palaces to help achieve our goal of
living in harmony with nature.

The future

In the coming years WWF will continue to assume its role as a credible and influential global
leader - influencing at the highest possible levels and at the same time staying firmly in contact
with the realities on the ground. WWF is about "doing conservation", not simply talking about it!

19
Chapter 3

Visions of WWF
3.1 Past, Present And Future
Evolution of WWF

The World Wildlife Fund was founded in 1961 - the 11 September 1961 to be precise - by a
small group of ardent, mostly British naturalists and conservationists such as Peter Scott, Max
Nicholson, Guy Mountfort and Julian Huxley.

The latter, Huxley, had published a series of articles in the UK's Observer newspaper on his
observations of an environmental crisis in Africa. He received a reaction from the businessman
Victor Stolan in December 1960 who proposed the establishment of an international organisation
to raise funds for the conservation of wild species. Huxley, Nicholson and companions reacted to
this by forming WWF, known then as the World Wildlife Fund, a little under a year later.

All of those founders had connections with other conservation organisations such as the
International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the Fauna Preservation Society,
UNESCO, the British Nature Conservancy, etc., and so WWF had a springboard from their
knowledge and connections.

Environmentalism becomes a public issue

Until that time conservation had been largely the domain of scientists and hunters, but WWF
moved the agenda out into the public arena for the first time, using publicity and public appeals
skilfully.

In a post-empire world this primarily emotional appeal to ‘help save wildlife’ struck a chord with
the public and WWF was able to raise significant funds and donated $1.9 million to projects in
Africa, Europe, India and other places in its first 3 years - a considerable sum in the early 1960s.

Why WWF grew big, quickly

What is remarkable is the speed with which WWF was able to become established and grow.
This was partly due to the well-connected and influential individuals who were associated with
the founders. But it may also have been that the ‘time was right’ for such an organisation.

20
Television was beginning to bring world affairs into people’s homes; the post-war industrial
boom had raised sensitivities to matters of pollution and waste disposal; and several years of
controversy culminated in Rachel Carson’s famous book Silent Spring which cautioned on the
effects of pesticide abuse.

The 1960s were also a time of pressure on the ‘establishment’, of non-acceptance of the status
quo or traditional solutions to problems. Thus a new approach to a now visible wildlife crisis had
its attractions to a wide audience. This was also a time when the deeper relationships between
humans and nature began to be examined.

The dependence of our ancestors on wildlife stocks to hunt and fish had always been recognised;
those days were long gone, but a popular late 1950s feeling that the resources of the sea were
limitless was being replaced by mounting suspicion that things were not that simple. Evidence of
loss of topsoil, water shortages and pest outbreaks created by industrial-scale farming was giving
rise to broader questioning of human relationships with the environment, and it was during this
period that James Lovelock’s Gaia Hypothesis was formulated.

Thus WWF was founded for specific purposes during a period of wide-ranging thought.

Officially life began in Switzerland

It was established as a Swiss Foundation registered in Zurich, and the deed of foundation
specified amongst the purposes of the organisation " …the conservation of world fauna, flora,
forests, landscape, water, soils and other natural resources…"

This far-reaching vision for WWF is perhaps even more relevant today than it may have been in
1961, because people’s attention was drawn by an emotional argument based upon the
preservation of charismatic species.

Reflecting this, WWF's British based appeal was launched with pictures of black rhinos in Africa
under the headline "Doomed!".

Meanwhile Peter Scott had taken George Waterson’s sketches of the giant panda Chi-Chi, then
residing in London Zoo, and turned it into the logo of the organisation.Chi-chi was the only giant
panda residing in the West, had arrived from the mysteries of communist China, and was an
evocative species symbol for the challenges facing those concerned with the preservation of wild
nature.

So despite some deeper thinking which underpinned it, the early days of WWF were ones which
were dominated by a preservationist agenda for species and habitats, based on popular appeal.

21
3.2 The next generation
This approach ran successfully through the 1970s while, along with the spread of television
(soon to be in colour) and the growth of wildlife documentary films, public awareness of
conservation and natural heritage issues grew exponentially.

But with that awareness came the realisation that a rather crisis-driven, spotty approach to
conservation was not achieving the long-term solutions that were sought, and that economic
development continued to impact heavily upon nature.

Environment meets human development

In 1980, WWF came together with IUCN and the newly formed UNEP to produce the modestly
named World Conservation Strategy; at the time this was a landmark document because it linked
human activity, human well-being and its dependence upon nature all as one. It stressed the
interrelationships between conservation and development and first gave currency to the term
sustainable development.

Conservation had suddenly become much more complicated but much more relevant to the
modern world.

Changing focus, changing name

The 1980s were marked by a closer examination of development issues and their relationships to
the environment. In 1985 WWF formally re-registered its name as World Wide Fund for Nature,
to try and escape the preservation of animal species image and reflect a broader view of the
situation.

And in 1987 the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED) produced Our
Common Future and this properly defined sustainable development.

Most significantly the UN began the planning for a World Conference on Environment and
Development (the Rio Summit) for 1992. In advance of Rio, and now a decade further on,
IUCN/UNEP andWWF once again came together to produce Caring for the Earth: A Strategy for
Sustainable Living7 which explored from a strategic perspective how the concept of sustainable
development could be implemented in practice.

All this activity served to move environment and conservation on to a higher plane. It was no
longer the specialised interest of scientists, hunters and animal lovers; there was a realisation that
a sound environment was the starting point for all human development and welfare and that our
activities were inextricably woven into the milieu in which we live.

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3.3 WWF Living Planet Report
As espoused in Caring for the Earth, WWF began to take a much more strategic approach to its
conservation activities, and also wanted to explore the linkages between nature and human
activity by looking at the state of nature and how it was changing. Businesses and economies had
their own barometers of change in the form of the Dow Jones, CAC40 and FTSE indices. These
could be used to see how the world of commerce was changing; would it be possible to do the
same for nature?

A report on the state of the planet

In 1998 the first WWF Living Planet Report (LPR) was published,8 containing estimates of the
changing state of nature based on changing populations of vertebrate animals; it also contained
an estimate of human pressure on the planet.

8 years later the LPR is now a bi-annual publication; the LPR 2006 has grown to contain the
Living Planet Index, a composite of data from 3,600 species populations, and also the ecological
footprint - an index of the area of the planet needed to sustain human activity.

These 2 indices show that, roughly over the past 30 years, the natural world has lost
approximately 30% of its health as indicated by declining populations of wild species, whilst at
the same time human activity has caused our ecological foot-print to more than double during the
same period.

The causal relationship between the two is not difficult to deduce.

We need more than we have

In reviewing the ecological footprint we can learn even more, because it shows that some time in
the mid-1980s human activity passed the point that the planet can sustain and that we now
exceed it by about 25%. In other words the human population requires 1.25 planets to sustain
present levels of consumption.

At the moment the human population of the planet can live on more than is available, because we
continue to ‘mine’ the accumulated capital of such things as stocks of timber from forests, or fish
from the sea, and we also take the products of past millennia from the ground in the form of
fossil fuels. This can be likened to spending more money than one earns each month by draining
savings from the bank account.

However, this cannot continue and humankind continues to degrade the planet.

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3.4 The Challenge
Given a new understanding of the relationships between economic development and its impact
and its dependency upon the environment, what should be the best approach for a private
conservation organisation such as WWF?

Although of significant size (WWF will spend nearly $500m on conservation in 2005-2006), the
total amount of activity even with this large sum is seemingly trivial when compared with the
total economic activity of the world... global GDP in 2005 was of the order of $60 trillion.

Thus the challenge: how to influence the rate of degradation of our natural heritage and to
influence development paths on to a more sustainable trajectory?

The work to be done falls into 3 main areas:

1. Direct biodiversity conservation: like the good mechanic dismantling an engine,this involves
‘keeping all the pieces’ - ensuring that species are not lost or ecosystems irretrievably damaged
by the threats.

2. Reversing the threats: this involves tackling the immediate cause of environmental decline -
those threats which are direct such as over-fishing, deforestation, or illegal wildlife trade, and
those which may be more indirect such as climate changeor toxic pollution.

3. Creating favourable or ‘enabling’ conditions: many of the threats to natural heritage security
exist because of fundamental failures in the policy frameworks and decision-making processes
that influence economic trends and development paths. Influencing those so that they encourage
environmentally sound behaviour is essential to cure the underlying disease causing
environmental decay.

3.5 The Global 200

The Global 200 began with WWF asking the question: "if we wish to conserve biodiversity,
where should we be investing our precious conservation funds?"

It was an exercise in prioritisation, recognising that if the available resources were spread too
thinly they could not achieve the desired result; then how should they be focused?

WWF scientists gathered published data on the way in which species were distributed across the
planet. Those distributions coalesced into patterns they called ecoregions - an ecoregion is
defined as a large area of land or water that contains a geographically distinct assemblage of
natural communities that share a large majority of their species and ecological dynamics, share

24
similar environmental conditions, and interact ecologically in ways that are critical for their long-
term persistence.

These ecoregions had reasonably well-defined boundaries and could be plotted on a map. To turn
this into data which could help determine conservation priorities, WWF selected the
approximately 200 ecoregions (in the end it turned out to be 238) which best represented the
distribution of biodiversity on a global scale, and so resulted the Global 200.

This analysis recognised for the first time that it was not only coral reefs and rain forests that
were important, but that deserts, Mediterranean regions, and the tundra contained unique species
which, if lost, could never be replaced.

This mapping approach clearly indicated where the work should begin. But it created a new
problem: each ecoregion demanded working at a scale which conservationists had never tried to
work at before, but which in fact was probably in better relation to the threats they were facing.
So a new challenge now resulted: how to work at an ecoregional scale.

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Chapter 4

Methodologies

4.1 Rising to the Challenge

During this period of more sophisticated understanding of environmental challenges, over the
past 20 years there has also been significant growth in non-governmental organisations (NGOs)
addressing conservation issues, especially at an international scale.

In some instances this was reflected in the growth of existing institutions; WWF grew from
about 25 major offices in the mid-1980s to nearly 60 by the end of the 1990s and with activities
in more than 100 countries.

Long-established NGOs such as the US-based The Nature Conservancy (TNC) began to migrate
from traditional land-owning US-based conservation to increasing engagement in developing
countries; a move also reflected by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) a conservation
research and extension activity of the Bronx Zoo. In other instances whole new organisations
developed such as Conservation International which started in the late 1980s with an
international mandate from its inception.

How to produce bigger, better results

In all of these organizations there was a growing frustration that we were winning many small
battles but still losing the war; on what scale we were losing was only properly realised when
WWF produced its first Living Planet Index in 1998. But each in their own way was struggling
to produce bigger and better results with the resources at their disposal.

Some institutions focused on particular themes- thus the World Resources Institute (WRI) Forest
Frontiers programme began; others focused upon the danger of extinction of species -
Conservation International expanded upon the Norman Myers hotspots approach.

26
In WWF and TNC this meant working on a larger geographic scale and the concept of Ecoregion
Conservation was developed.

For WWF this was based upon an analysis of the global distribution of biodiversity resulting in a
map now known as the Global 200.

4.2 Eco-region Conservation

At the same time that WWF was identifying the Global 200, a sister organisation - TNC - was
also examining how to work at a large geographical scale. Between the two of us they invented a
new approach which we called Ecoregion-based Conservation.

This was quite an exciting period as conservationists had not developed a new tool for their
problems for some years, and here was a new and ambitious approach in the run-up to the new
millennium. Ecoregion conservation basically involves standing back, as if from space, and
asking "what needs to change to secure the long-term conservation of this ecoregion?"

The approach is based upon 4 fundamental principles of biodiversity conservation:

1. representation of all native habitats;

2. maintenance of viable populations of all native species;

3. maintenance of essential ecological processes;

4. maintaining resilience to ecological change.

By viewing these needs from a distance the observer is forced into thinking about the
fundamental changes that are required to achieve them and the challenge creates questions that
begin to give the clues as to the work which is required:

• What are the current trends of environmental change within the ecoregion and who is
affected by them, both positively and negatively?

• What current processes are taking place within the ecoregion, especially related to
development, and how might they be impinging upon the environment? This usually entails a
host of issues such as landscape change for agriculture, industrial development, city

27
 expansion, port construction, change in drainage patterns through dams, irrigation channels
or other hydrological change. What can be done to mitigate the impact of these?

• What are the fundamental forces driving those changes which may be damaging? This may
be economic pressures from inside the ecoregion or outside the ecoregion (e.g. structural
adjustment loans, or perverse subsidies driving change),demographic issues, internal political
issues.

• Who are the players concerned with the environment and what are their capacities to deal
with the challenges? This involves looking at both government and non-government
institutions and their strengths and weaknesses.

• What are the key landscapes and habitats in the ecoregion and do they have adequate
protection currently? If not, what should be added to a protected areas system?

By standing back and answering far-reaching questions like these, ecoregion conservation forces
the questioner to think broadly and creatively, to look at the wider picture,to examine
fundamental drivers rather than immediate symptoms.

It requires that not only the systems for protecting nature (national parks and protected areas) be
adequately addressed, but that policies influencing them and the land area which connects them
are also sound. These policies may be those of governments inside the ecoregion (e.g. land-use
policies, water-quality policies, transport plans, inter-ministerial relationships, etc.), or they may
be policies stemming from institutions outside the ecoregion - the impact of World Bank
structural adjustment loans, EU agricultural subsidies and how they influence agriculture in
developing countries, foreign direct investment and how it impacts poverty-alleviation
programmes and trade in various commodities.

All these may be of fundamental importance to environmental security within an ecoregion, but
may require work in centres well away from the specific ecoregion.

By asking who is involved, who are the environmental stakeholders, an ecoregion approach also
encourages the formation of partnerships to work together on a conservation programme.

This latter point is critical as normally a single organisation on its own cannot cover the whole
range of activities which are needed; it is usually essential to reach out to others with different
skills, interests and needs.

Some of the most important conservation breakthroughs of recent years have resulted from the
joint activities of non-traditional partners, both of which may have had an interest in a sound
environment but perhaps for different reasons.

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4.3 Thinking Globally
The Global 200 and Ecoregion Conservation enabled WWF to focus its attention on some of the
most globally significant parts of the planet and to address environmental change in an holistic
manner. However, a purely geographical approach would have missed some of the important
global processes underway during more than a decade of globalising economies and the
weakening of international boundaries.

Impact of globalisation

Starting in the early 1990s an increasing permeability of international borders resulted from a
variety of factors including increasing liberalisation of trade, high-speed communications in the
Internet age, a burgeoning of (especially multinational) corporate power and a weakening of
government authority, in a bundle of symptoms loosely described as globalisation.

Whilst this process of globalisation stimulated trade and commerce, and brought increasing
wealth to millions, not all of this activity was of benefit to the environment.

Increasing commercial activity brought growth in resource consumption, not only to provide raw
materials but also to meet the demands of the beneficiaries who now had greater buying power.
It also brought a widening gap between those caught up in commercial prosperity and those not
so engaged.

The world's response

This widening gap between rich and poor culminated at the 2002 UN World Summit on
Sustainable Development in Johannesburg in the establishment of the Millennium Development
Goals, which set an agenda for lifting people out of poverty.

Clearly the marketplace had not only done insufficient for the poor and disenfranchised, but as
we can now see from the LPR it has also failed the environment.

The 2006 LPR contains a graph which shows the relationship between the ecological foot-print
and the UN Human Development Index. This shows that the development trajectory of most
countries bypasses the criteria for sustainability. This then presents yet another challenge for
those concerned with the conservation of the world’s natural heritage: how do we turn the
juggernaut of the world economy into a direction that favours the environment?

Globalisation and world trade is not some-thing that one can be ‘for’ or ‘against’, it is a fact of
life, an inevitable force which we need to direct towards sustainability.

29
WWF recognised this some years ago and has been establishing various mechanisms which
could lead to a marketplace move to sustainable behaviour. The most successful to date has been
relating to the timber trade.

Forests and trade

Forests worldwide are in decline as a result of the over-harvesting of timber. The wealth-driven
growth of the construction and furniture industry and the growing demand for pulp and paper
have put enormous strains upon supplies from forests. In the temperate zones of Europe this has
been recognised and some modest increase in forest areas has resulted from the establishment of
large plantation schemes (but only after most of Europe’s forests had already been destroyed).

However, in some temper-ate forests (e.g. the Pacific coasts of Canada and the USA), and
broadly in tropical areas, the battles between various forest interests have sometimes been fierce.

Labeling wood as good

In the early1990s the concept of third-party certification for sustainable timber production was
established under the name of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). The FSC was established
as an accreditation agency which could verify country-specific certification systems following
the FSC standards and criteria for environmentally and socially sustainable forest management
systems. A piece of timber carrying the FSC logo could carry with it the assurance of
sustainability- a ‘light footprint’ in the language of the LPR.

However, for a market mechanism to be effective there has to be demand as well as supply.
Thus, by creating a momentum through public and consumer education and awareness
programmes, WWF created a new demand for wood with the FSC logo, and groups of timber
traders became committed to trading in sustainably produced timber. These timber companies
came to realise that continuing environmental decline would inevitably lead to stricter
regulations, public demand for action, and difficulties with supplies.

Their change in behaviour was not entirely altruistic - although the concept of corporate social
responsibility (CSR) has now emerged -but also made good business sense for them as well.

Approaching the end of 2006 there are over 70 million ha of production forests certified under
the FSC scheme with activities in 72 countries. The growth of FSC is interesting from a natural
heritage conservation point of view: it is a long way removed from the traditional approaches to
conservation, it is deeply rooted in international commerce, yet its success could have far-
reaching consequences for forest integrity and biodiversity conservation.

30
What is more important, although WWF was a major player in the development and launching of
the idea in the first instance, it has now become a self-sustaining force related to the timber
industry- a new way of doing business which no longer requires the strong intervention of an
NGO.

For a conservation organisation this is important.

Referring back to earlier comments on the impossibility of tackling all the environmental needs
of the world, it is vital that conservation NGOs find ways of instigating sound practices that can
then become self-sustaining, so that the organisation can move their limited resources to a new
challenge.

4.4 The Changing Role of Commerce

Moving forward with these ideas WWF has then applied them to the sea.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) told us many years ago that 75% of the
world’s fisheries were either depleted or over-fished. Fishing effort was continuing to rise whilst
catches were stable or declining. Not only this but species were crashing as populations passed
the threshold of sustainable off-take - cod in the North Atlantic, for example, whilst new and
strange species were appearing in our shops such as hoki and pollack, as previous commercial
species became rarer and more expensive for the average consumer.

Into this arena WWF introduced the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) - the fish equivalent of
the FSC.

Importance of business partnerships

Interestingly, when WWF launched the MSC it did not do so alone, but with strong support from
and close co-operation with a major multinational company (Unilever) which at that time was
one of the world’s largest manufaturers of fish derived products. In the 1970s and1980s such a
company would have been perceived as the enemy of the conservationists, but was now a vital
part of the solution.

31
This is a good demonstration of the importance of partnerships between stakeholders who may
have quite different reasons for achieving a common result; it is equally applicable on a global
scale as it is on an ecoregional scale. If a company or institution has a business interest in a
particular resource for the processes it is involved in, then it can be moved from being an
exploiter depleting that resource to a user protecting its supplies.

This change can be seen in many areas beyond timber and fish; agricultural operations that
recognise natural enclaves help keep pests off their land; or drinks companies that need to defend
clean water supplies; also as environmental perturbations increase we are seeing insurance
companies and financial institutions increasingly concerned with the risks associated with global
climate change - probably the biggest single challenge the conservation community faces.

In these ways there now opens up a multiplicity of new avenues of co-operation to the benefit of
the world’s natural heritage, with sometimes rather unusual bed-fellows working together for a
common result.

4.5 Strategy for Natural Heritage Conservation

A sound institutional strategy is essential to mobilising a global network such as WWF, in the
face of apparently insurmountable challenges.

In WWF a strategy was built around the concept of the Global 200 ecoregions providing a
geographical focus and on-the-ground experience of what it takes to deliver environmental
solutions, along with a set of global issues such as the FSC and MSC described above.

These came together as a set of priorities for the organisation for which specific targets were
established, and measurement systems put in place to monitor progress towards those targets.

These became the guiding lights for all the branches of the organisation, enabling each branch to
engage in a global effort that could create change for the better.

Global, yet local

Each set of activities was rooted in a national context so that the solutions could be delivered in a
locally appropriate manner, which greatly increased their uptake and probability of success. This
helped to build teamwork on a global scale.

However, this should not be regarded as a ‘blueprint’ or perfect solution for the world’s
environmental challenges. Conservation is too much a high-risk business to assume that there is
one perfect answer.

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Constantly adapting

Just as the world is dynamic so conservation organisations too have to be dynamic, constantly
looking for new opportunities and new solutions, reacting to change in the way the world
operates, engaging that change and adapting strategies accordingly.

4.6 Conservation Organisations as a Facet of Civil Society

The inception, development and impact of organisations such as WWF are a reflection of the
relationship between people and nature. Its very existence is a symptom of concern amongst
certain sectors of society, driven by the apparent lack of concern by others.

Human societies contain an almost endless variety of values, and for many of these values to
involve nature is not surprising.

For millennia nature shaped human culture

The forces of nature shaped the evolution of Homo sapiens to what we are today. Those same
forces also shaped human society.

The mastery of centralised agriculture gave human societies the luxury of organising social
structures by releasing certain individuals from the need to be food providers.

But it was nature that provided the wild species for domestication, and it was nature that
maintained soil structure and fertility, that provided water, and until recent years predictable
seasonal climates for crops to grow.

It was also nature that provided the diseases that damaged domestic produce and killed people.

It is thus hardly surprising that many rites, rituals, taboos and traditional belief systems are
related to both the positive and negative forces of nature in the hopes that appeasement will
create a benign result. Some of these traditions are aimed specifically at prevention of over-
exploitation of resources. In this way nature has determined many aspects of our culture.

Ironically, as human understanding of the environment grew, and as we became more skilled at
managing certain aspects of nature, then so grew a new belief, in the20th century, that nature
could no longer set the limits for human societies.

Culture now began to shape nature

Thus businesses, agriculture, forestry and modern ‘hunting’ in the form of commercial fishing
began to push to the limits our relationships with natural cycles and nature’s production. This

33
was aided by artificial nutrients and chemical inputs which improved the response of many
species and supported the idea that there were no limits to our exploitation of nature.

Thus our culture began to shape nature. We now know that this was not the end of the story;
whilst nature lost the battle with culture for a while, the impact was felt.

The LPR quantifies this, and our experiences with extreme weather events, with rivers that no
longer reach the sea, with crashing fish stocks, and forests that once never burned now doing so
on an annual basis, all cause us to live the environmental consequences of the maverick approach
that certain sectors of our society adopted.

This being the case, it is probably quite normal that the part of our society that is concerned by
these experiences should invent and maintain an environmental ethic and activist movement, of
which WWF is one manifestation.

Culture once again responded to nature.

The nature of WWF

The interest of people in nature is also reflected in the structure of WWF as an organisation.
Although it has one name and one ‘brand’ and all the consistency of the corporate world that
goes with such things, WWF also has several million members spread around the world, and its
very composition is one of semi-autonomous organisations which can build a strong local
identity and reach out and tap into the way conservation is best manifested in each country.

This is important as, for the reasons already mentioned, relationships with nature involve strong
cultural ties, and the way concern is expressed is in the form determined by the culture of the
country.

Impact of the internet

This ‘people’s network’ approach has gained strength in recent years through the Internet age. In
2006 more than 10 million people visited WWF’s websites around the world to learn
immediately what is happening in the world.

The same medium has enabled more than a million people to take direct action online to lobby
decision makers to move in the right direction, and to congratulate those that already had. It is
remarkable that this modern technology has enabled individuals in our modern society to have
even greater engagement than ever before.

34
In an iterative process our culture will continue to shape our attitudes to nature, just as nature’s
response to our attitudes will continue to shape our culture.

4.7 Looking to the Future

As time advances the world will inevitably look more closely at the natural environment, we will
begin to talk less about conservation of species and habitats and more about environmental
security.

Those species and habitats are the very fabric within which our own human lives are woven.

For thousands of years anthropologists have shown us how human societies close to nature have
recognised their interdependence and have evolved cultural practices and taboos that were kind
to nature and ensured the sustainability of their lives, long before the word ‘sustainable’ was
invented.

In our modern, over-engineered society we have lost sight of that interdependence and the fabric
is beginning to fray. But out of this and the associated problems the cycle is slowly turning.

Climate-induced disasters are making us realise that we are unable to control our environment,
but that we must live within its constraints. The year 2005 gave the world the Kyoto protocol -
the first small step in the international effort to combat the worst of the threats to our security.

The same year also gave us hurricane Katrina which, far from being the most powerful hurricane
we have seen, demonstrated most aptly that we cannot engineer the natural world and that if we
assume too much then our cities run the risk of being laid waste.

The future is not gloomy, however

The solutions exist, and for the few that don’t we are an incredibly creative species.

The political will is often lacking, but democratic processes can create that also. The commercial
world has learned that it cannot simply take ad infinitum.

With creativity, understanding and co-operation it will be possible in future to enjoy a secure
environment and a high-quality lifestyle both at the same time.

The ultimate goal of WWF is to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature; a
long time ago this was the case.

35
Will we ever get back there again?

Perhaps not, but there will always be an active sector of human society which will try to regain
the lost ground.

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Chapter 5

Ongoing Projects

5.1 High Altitude Wetlands Conservation in Northern Pakistan

Donor Agencies: WWF International Global Freshwater Programme

Start Date: June 2004
Planned End Date: June 2010

Summary

The initial project on participatory Conservation of High Altitude Wetlands (HAW) focused on
bio physical, ecological and socio-economic capital assessments, and produced comprehensive
management plans for the six potential HAWs of the region. The project was extended to start
test based implementation of the Management Plans of two HAWs viz., Handarab and Utter
Lakes jointly with local communities, Forest, Wildlife and Fisheries departments of Northern
Areas.

Objective
To introduce and demonstrate improved management of High Altitude Wetlands (HAWs) in
selected sites of Northern Areas

To build capacity of the local communities and custodian departments in improved

management of the HAWs in the Northern Areas

To develop and introduce a uniform HAWs inventory system in Northern Pakistan

37
To sensitize key stakeholders about the importance of HAWs and provide policy support for the
integration of HAWs conservation in their planning process

To promote transboundary collaboration with China for joint management of the HAWs along
the border.

5.2 Pakistan Sustainable Cotton Initiative

Donor Agencies: WWF – Switzerland, IKEA

Start Date: January 2005
Planned End Date: December 2011

Summary

The Pakistan Sustainable Cotton Initiative (PSCI) aims at developing and promoting best
management practices for sustainable cotton production. This will include demonstration of best
water management practices and significant reduced applications of pesticides and fertilizers in
cotton production without significantly affecting the yield.

Objective
Develop and promote best management practices for sustainable cotton production

Demonstrate best water management practices

Significantly reduce applications of pesticides and fertilizers.

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5.3 Protection and Management of Pakistan Wetlands Programme

Project Category: N/A

Donor Agency: GEF, UNDP, RNE, WWF-Network
Start Date: June 2005
Planned End Date: May 2012

Summary

The Pakistan Wetlands Programme fits well within Pakistan’s development goals by aiming to
promote equitable sharing of natural resources, securing rights-of-access, especially for poor
communities, diversifying livelihoods, improving the income earning potential of stakeholder
communities and creating incentives for sustainable wetlands management. The Programme will
advance the GoP’s recent initiatives for devolution of power to provincial and local levels by
developing the capacity and wetlands management skills of provincial institutions and
strengthening community-based organisations.

With support from the GEF, the proposed programme offers a proactive opportunity to create an
enabling environment that is essential to conserve all of Pakistan’s wetlands. Further, the
programme initiatives in four demonstration complexes provide a much-needed opportunity for
the application of proven conservation methods and development of innovative regionally
appropriate and sustainable approaches to address site-specific issues. Lessons generated within
the programme will be relevant for ongoing wetlands conservation initiatives both within and
outside Pakistan for evaluation and application to similar efforts in other regions and countries.
Significant features of replicability are expected to include the approaches developed to integrate
communities in wetlands management, providing alternate livelihoods to wetlands-dependent
vulnerable groups and developing mechanisms for financial sustainability in a “resource
strained” economy. Such issues confront wetlands conservation in other countries as well and the
success of measures implemented under the Pakistan Wetlands Programme will provide useful
guidance to the international community.

Objective
The immediate objectives of the project are:

To create and maintain an enabling environment for effective and sustainable conservation of
natural wetlands at federal, provincial / territorial, and local levels.

To implement sustainable wetlands conservation at four representative sites that will serve as
replicable models for sustainable nationwide wetlands conservation initiatives.

39
5.4 Better Management Practices for Thirsty Crops: ensuring Indus
For All Programme (IFAP)

Project Category: N/A

Donor Agency: RNE, WWF’s Living Waters Programme, WWF - Int Asia Pacific Programme
Start Date: July 2007
Planned End Date: June 2012

Summary

The Indus Ecoregion Programme is an ambitious long-term (2005-2055) initiative of the World
Wide Fund for Nature – Pakistan (WWF-P) and the Government of Sindh that will address
poverty and natural resource degradation in the Indus Ecoregion. The failure of previous
disconnected short-term poverty reduction and natural resource management projects has raised
the need for a long-term vision and framework that integrates the existing efforts of all
stakeholders and results in comprehensive solutions leading to sustainable management of the
Indus Ecoregion. Development of the Indus Ecoregion Programme was funded by the Royal
Netherlands Embassy (RNE), WWF’s Living Waters Programme (LWP) and WWF –
International Asia-Pacific Programme. The global WWF Network is heavily involved in
supporting programmes globally and through out the Asia –Pacific Region.

Objective
The overall objective of the Indus For All Programme is: “Natural Resource Management
(NRM) in the Lower Indus River Basin Contributes to Improved Livelihood and Sustainable
Development”
This is supported by 4 Programme Objectives

Community-based NRM in four priority areas (Chotiari, Keti Bunder, Kinjhar and Pai forest)
contributes to improved livelihoods.

Improved natural resources and livelihoods through mainstreaming of poverty-environment

linkages at policy, planning and decision-making levels.

Improved institutional capacity and awareness for sustainable management at various levels

Improved alignment and collaboration for stakeholder interventions

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5.5 Assessment of Environmental Impacts of Implementation of Better
Management Practices in Cotton Crop

Project Category: Freshwater

Donor Agency: WWF - Switzerland
Start Date: July 2007
Planned End Date: June 2011

Summary

Cotton is one of agriculture's most water-intensive and pest-sensitive crops, mostly grown in
semi-arid and water-scarce areas. Its cultivation takes up more than 2.4% of global arable land,
involves about 30 million farmers, and has been estimated to consume 11% of the world's
pesticides. It therefore has significant environmental and social impacts in many regions of the
world. WWF promotes the adoption of Better Management Practices (BMP) in cotton cultivation
to achieve measurable reductions in key environmental impacts, while improving social and
economic benefits for cotton farmers.

The WWF cotton project in Pakistan started in 2001 when first field trials and the adoption of
Farmer Field Schools (FFS) with partner organisations were implemented. In 2005 the first three
years phase of the Pakistan Sustainable Cotton Initiative (PSCI) was initiated with the support
from IKEA. The major focus was on instigation Better Management Practices (BMPs), improved
social and economic conditions for cotton farmers and farm workers engaged in cotton
production and processing.

During 2005 and 2006, fifty two (52) Master Farmer Facilitators (MFF) and more than 1400
farmers were trained through season long Farmer Training of Facilitators (F-ToF) and Farmer
Field School (FFS) activities. The FFS education led to reduction of inputs by the participating
farmers to around 20% expenditure on tillage operations, 31% in fertilizer use, 23% in irrigation
water and more than 60% in term of pesticide as compared with Farmer Practice (FP) plots.
However, the actual benefits for the environment as well as humans are still to be assessed. This
project focuses on the effects of the BMP implementation on biodiversity, water availability and
quality, soil fertility and contamination with pesticides. As far as possible human health effects
and welfare are also assessed.

Objective
The project aims at scientifically assessing the impacts of cotton BMPs on environment and
human health. The specific objectives of the project are:

Scientific research studies to measure impacts of cotton BMPs on environment and human health
conducted in collaboration with research and academic institutes.

Results of studies may lead to improvement in BMPs and development of output indicators for
BCI

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5.6 Indus Basin Water Security

Donor Agencies: WWF- UK

Start Date: October 2007
Planned End Date: June 2010

Summary
Rivers and aquifer systems need water to maintain themselves and their functions and benefit to
the society. Minimum flow requirements are needed to maintain delta ecosystem functioning and
the associated livelihoods. The amount of water needed for this purpose is known as
environmental flow, which provides critical contribution to river health, economic development
and poverty alleviation.
Pakistan is making serious endeavors in a variety of directions (policy, institutional, operational)
for transforming the water sector. The confluence of a number of factors creates a window of
opportunity that WWF Pakistan is going to exploit to achieve significant progress in securing
minimum environmental flows on the Indus River, in both the short and long term
The main Goal of the project is “Environmental flows are protected in the Indus River resulting
in near pristine ecosystem with flourishing flora and fauna species contributing towards
economic and social development.”

Objective

These are intended to secure the project goal. Through stages they lead towards securing the
recognition, implementation and protection of environmental flows for the Indus River.

National water policy approved with environmental flows recognized. Authority defined for
ensuring the implementation of recognized environmental flows. Time period: 3 years.

Acceptable environmental flows are implemented in the Indus river through improved water
resources management. Time period: 10 years.

Environmental flows protected in the Indus river basin. Time period: 25 years. Rivers and
aquifer systems need water to maintain themselves and their functions and benefit to the society.
Minimum flow requirements are needed to maintain delta ecosystem functioning and the
associated livelihoods. The amount of water needed for this purpose is known as environmental
flow, which provides critical contribution to river health, economic development and poverty
alleviation.

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5.7 Gyps Vulture Restoration

Project Category: Species

Donor Agencies: BirdLife International, Environmental Agency of Abu Dhabi
Start Date: June 2007
Planned End Date: May 2015

Summary

The Oriental White-backed Vulture (Gyps benegalensis) was once described as the commonest
species of vulture found in the Indian sub-continent (Gilbert et al 2002). It was quoted as the
most widely distributed species in Pakistan (Roberts 1991), occurring in provinces of Punjab,
Sindh and North West Fortier Province (NWFP).
In response to the catastrophic declines of vultures in south Asia, WWF-Pakistan launched the
Gyps Vulture Restoration Project in 2004. The key project objective is to conserve a viable
population of Oriental White-backed Vultures Gyps bengalensis in a safe environment. Once
the captive population is secure, the longer term aim is to breed enough vultures for eventual
release back to the wild.
The project will also monitor the remaining wild populations and lobby for Diclofenac (drug
responsible for population decline) free environment.

Objective
Establish an international standard captive breeding facility for the Oriental white-backed vulture
(Gyps bengalensis).

Engage international raptor experts who have expertise of breeding and releasing birds of prey,
old world vultures in particular.

Coordinate the in-situ conservation activities in partnership with the custodian government
departments and liaise with various organizations to carry out monitoring of Gyps vultures in
Pakistan.

Overall manage the facility and staff.

Directly manage all grants.

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5.8 Conservation Of Indus River Dolphin by improving agriculture
resources use in the Lower Indus Basin in Pakistan

Donor Agencies: WWF- Switzerland, Engro

Start Date: February 2004
Planned End Date: June 2011

Summary

Summary
WWF - Pakistan and WWF International have both identified freshwater ecosystems as a top
priority for conservation in the new millennium and have pledged to conserve species of special
concern, including those which are endangered, threatened and nationally important.
The endangered Indus dolphin falls into all of these categories. As a species endemic to Pakistan,
it is Pakistan's responsibility to take the necessary measures to ensure that this unique species is
protected
This conservation project is designed to be a component of a larger regional initiative, led by
WWF Pakistan, to conserve river dolphins and freshwater ecosystems.

Objective
Monitor dolphin populations to detect trends in abundance.

Protect dolphin habitats and work towards improvement of habitat quality.

Collect information on dolphin ecology to assist in the formulation of conservation measures.

5.9 Contract for Transferring the Green Office Concept Within the
WWF Network

Summary

Green Office is a simple and light Environmental Management System (EMS) developed by WWF -
Finland. It has been in operation since 1997. Green Office is suitable for small and large offices in the
private as well as the public sector. Both the environment and the company will benefit from the Green
Office Management System.

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With the help of the EMS, the company will be able to reduce office waste and save on materials and
energy costs at the same time. The company will also benefit from a newly motivated and
environmentally aware personnel and an improved corporate image. In addition to all this, the office can,
for example, make an effort in saving forests and reducing emissions of carbon dioxide.

5.10 Pakistan Environmental Reporting Awards (PERA)

Donor Agencies: WWF - Pakistan

Summary

The Pakistan Environmental Reporting Award (PERA) scheme was jointly launched by ACCA
and WWF (the conservation organisation) in May 2002. The Awards aim to identify and
acknowledge innovative efforts made by organisations both in the corporate and public sector to
report on the environmental impact of their activities. Companies working in any type of sector
can participate in these awards. These awards are held on annual basis.

Objective

The PERA Scheme will identify and acknowledge innovative efforts to communicate
environmental, social and sustainability performance in the corporate and public sectors.

5.11 Land Cover Mapping of Central Karakorum National Park

Donor Agency: International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development

Summary

The Central Karakoram National Park (CKNP) is the largest National Park of Pakistan located in
an extremely rugged area in Karkoram Range. There are four main types of forests including
Montane Dry Temperate Coniferous, Montane Dry Temperate Broadleaved, Sub-Alpine and
Northern Dry Scrub forests. The study area harbors a great faunal diversity. There are at least
nine large mammal species including Markhor, Himalayan ibex, Ladakh urial, Blue sheep,
Marco Polo sheep, Snow leopard, Himalayan brown bear, Black bear and Himalayan lynx are
found in the area.

Previously there was no comprehensive information available on the Land Cover of the CKNP.

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The Park was not covered even under the national level Land Cover mapping initiatives in 1992
and 2004. Land Cover is an important component of the biosphere that is critical to the continued
existence of all terrestrial life. Land Cover, particularly vegetation, play a catalytic role in
shaping the flow of energy and mass in climate system of planet Earth. Fauna and Flora are
dependent on the habitats in which they live. The structure of the habitat, particularly the
vegetation is an important variable effecting animal diversity. To accomplish the Land Cover
mapping of the area, ASTER satellite images of 15m spatial resolution captured during the year-
2006 were acquired.

Seventeen valleys/watersheds covering an area of 19,197 Km2 were classified into 13 Land
Cover Classes. The Land Cover has seven vegetation classes including Shrubs, Grasses,
Junipers, Conifers, Broadleaves, Plantation and Agriculture. Valley-wise cover statistics were
computed and thematic maps were produced for each valley. The study primarily focused on
vegetation and in this respect most of the area can be characterized as dry alpine scrub type
vegetation with species like Artemesia spp., Juniper spp., Rosa webbiana and Polygonum spp.
on the dry slopes and Myricaria germanica and Hippophae rhamnoides , along the stream beds.
Broadleaves mainly consists of Salix spp and Betula utilis which can be found in moist places.
Conifer mainly includes Pinus wallichiana and Junipers were found mixed with grasses at high
altitude while Pinus wallichiana was less common in the area and was mostly found in the
western end of the CKNP.

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Chapter 6

Multi-facetted Problems related to

Prioritized Species of WWF in Pakistan

6. 1 Toxics

Pakistan is facing widespread environmental degradation like many other developing countries.
Mitigation measures have been insufficient to address the multi-dimensional nature of problems.
Given this situation and in accordance with the redefinition of WWF's mission to include
"promoting action to reduce pollution and the wasteful exploitation and consumption of
resources and energy" in 1990, the Environmental Pollution Unit (EPU) was set up in Lahore in
1993. As a step towards this goal in Pakistan, an environmental officer was appointed within this
unit to launch and co-ordinate WWF's efforts in environmental pollution prevention and policy
formulation. The establishment of EPU has enabled WWF to address both the brown and green
issues of pollution simaltaneously.

Objectives

• To promote actions and coordinate activities which reduce pollution, wasteful consumption of
energy and resources to a minimum

• To build the capacity of the corporate sector in the fields of environmental management
systems, environmental auditing, industrial waste management and waste minimisation
techniques

• To develop informative and educational material on pollution issues and to raise public
awareness through the print media by developing features on pesticides and hazardous chemical
use, pollution prevention methods and other environmental issues

• To provide technical expertise to the public/private sector and WWF - Pakistan in order to
persue activities on pollution prevention, and to comment on issues like environmental
legislation, energy policy and environmental impact asessment.

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 Main Activities:

• Carrying out field based projects

• Organising training workshops for the capacity building of the industrial and corporate sectors

• Raising awareness among the public and maintaining an effective media liaison

• Providing support and assistance to students in their thesis on topics related to environment

6. 2 Fresh water Programmes

Freshwater is the single most precious element for life on earth. It is essential for satisfying basic
human needs, health, food production, energy and maintenance of regional and global
ecosystems.

Although 70% of the Earth, ‘THE BLUE PLANET’ is covered by water, only a fraction of that
— 2.5 per cent — is freshwater, of which 30% is the groundwater, while the rest is stored in
distant glaciers, ice sheets, and mountainous areas – all places that we can hardly access. This
leaves less than one per cent of the world’s freshwater resources accessible for human use.

As well as being one of the planet's most valuable natural resources, freshwater is also the most
vulnerable. The International Year of Freshwater 2003 brought to the world’s notice that
freshwater scarcity was a global phenomenon – and that the world was facing a water crisis.

6. 3 Hudiara Drain River Ravi

Hudiara drain originates from Batala (District Gurdaspur - East India, Punjab) and enters into
Pakistan near Laloo village. This drain used to be a natural storm water nullah now carries
sewage water mingled with untreated industrial waste as it enters Pakistan, taking the highly
contaminated water to the River Ravi after travelling 63 Km.

WWF - P had assessed the environmental health of this drain through Water Quality Monitoring
and found it to be highly unsatisfactory for irrigation as well as domestic purposes. Therefore
WWF – P is now working on identifying treatment options to reduce the pollution load of the

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 drain. We have WWF – India as well as local authorities and community on board with us and
we are also working with the major industrial units on the drain and providing them with
technical assistance to help them adopt cost effective environmental solutions.

6. 4 Taunsa Barrage Rehabilitation Project

Taunsa Barrage facilitates the flow of irrigation water from the Indus River in three major canals,
Muzaffar Ghar Canal (8,300 cusecs), Dera Ghazi khan Canal (89,000 cusecs) and Taunsa
Panjnad (T-P) Link Canal (12,000 cusecs) supplying some six million acre feet of irrigation
water to cultivated lands in districts of Muzaffar Ghar ,Dera Ghazi khan ,Rajanpur, Rahim Yar
Khan and Bahawalpur during Rabi and Kharif seasons.

In order to establish the baseline conditions for water quality and to provide benchmark for the
monitoring of the physical and biological aspects of environment, both surface water and ground
water quality is being analyzed during the restoration and rehabilitation of the Barrage. Samples
for surface water as well as ground water are being collected, tested and analyzed for physical,
biological and chemical elements in order to determine its suitability for aquatic flora and fauna,
irrigation purposes as well as human consumption.

6. 5 South Asia Water Analysis Network (SAWAN)

River Ravi plays a vital role in the Punjab’s irrigation network and is a major tributary of River
Indus. The water quality of River Ravi is being monitored each month, in terms of total pollution
load and heavy metals contamination in the river water, under the South-Asia Water Analyses
Network (SAWAN) Project. This is being monitored at two different locations upstream and
downstream of Lahore city namely Syphon and Balloki. The monitored data and photographs are
being updated on the project website in order to share them with other regional partners

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6. 6 Marine ecosystem

Pakistan's freshwater and marine ecosystems are of great significance as they serve as critical
breeding, rearing, staging and wintering grounds for a number of globally important species.
During the migration season, over one million waterfowl from 108 species use the extensive
deltas, shallows and other wetlands. As Pakistan is a predominantly arid and semi-arid country,
these ecosystems have a significant economic value, as people, livestock and wildlife are
dependent on them for their livelihood and survival.

With global warming on the rise, these essential wetlands are drying up. Every year less
freshwater reaches the Indus delta; freshwater that is essential for the survival of the mangrove
ecosystem, which in turn is vital to the continued existence of countless human communities,
their livestock and the wild animals, including birds, who live around the mangroves.

WWF - Pakistan works to ensure the active participation of all stakeholders in making decisions
on the protection and management of marine and wetland ecosystems. Partners in conservation
include local communities, line departments and other NGOs.

6. 7 Climate Change

Changes in ocean circulation, in the atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases or haze

particles, and in the ice cover, have been invoked to explain the drastic change in weather and
temperature patterns over the years. Like all over the world, in Pakistan too, these changes have
resulted from the effects of human activities and the destruction of the earth's protective ozone
layer. Although human induced warming is among the most pervasive threats to the web of life,
the burning of fossil fuels ; coal, gas and oil, is dangerous too, as it releases Carbon-dioxide
(CO2) into the atmosphere. This carbon blankets the earth, trapping its heat, and causing global
warming.
This global warming is causing damage to Pakistan's environment, as well. Among the impacts
felt and seen are biodiversity loss, rise in the sea level, increased draught, shifts in the weather
patterns, increased flooding, changes in freshwater supply and an increase in extreme weather
events. These could also lead to alterations in forests and crop yields. Not only that, climatic
changes could also affect human health, animals and many types

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6.8 Deforestation

With one of the highest rates of deforestation in the world, Pakistan's forests are in urgent need
of protection and conservation. Pakistan is a semi arid country with less than 5% of its area under
forest cover. At the global level, WWF is lobbying governments to establish an ecologically
representative network of protected areas covering at least 10% of each of the world's forest
types.

In 1993, WWF-P sponsored nation-wide research to assess needs and formulate projects for the
conservation and sustainable management of important eco-systems. The Ecological and
Resource Survey Report, for the Forest Conservation in Pakistan (1993) highlighted areas of
concern. Projects have already been initiated for several forest types, including mangroves,
chilghoza pine, juniper, and scrub.

The major threat to Pakistan's forests is uncontrolled and unsustainable cutting. Reasons for
unsustainable commercial harvesting in state forests are:

• lack of political will and commitment

• poor planning
• unrealistic forest working plans
• weak implementation of forest protection laws

The primary causes of over-harvesting by domestic cutting in private and community forests are
widespread poverty, population pressure, lack of fuelwood alternatives, and a lack of awareness
about sustainable resource use methods. Uncontrolled use of pesticides, diseases and damage by
insects, and fires are other causes of forest degradation.

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6. 8 Prioritized Species

1. Snow Leopard
The IUCN Red Data Book lists the
Snow leopard (Panthera uncia) as a
globally endangered species. It is
estimated that the total remaining
population is 7,000 to 10,000, out of
which ,approximately, 300 are found in
Pakistan.

WWF-P has identified some of the

critical habitats of the Snow leopard and
now plans to extend its scope of
activities by focusing on identifying
critical habitats in NWFP, AJK and Northern Areas. The number of Snow leopards killed by
graziers will be reduced by raising the awareness of local communities and improving livestock
protection, by training and developing the skills of grazier communities.
Snow Leopard Project of WWF - Pakistan Getting upclose and personal with the Snow Leopard

2. Marine Turtles
Two species of marine turtles nest on the Karachi coast, the green turtle (chelonia mydas) and
the olive ridley turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea). The main threats are commercial trade in turtle
skin, shell, medicines and cosmetics, and destruction of eggs by predators, especially feral
domestic dogs.

Other dangers to turtles come from poachers, accidental capture in fishing nets, and extensive
coastal development, which results in human disturbance at the nesting sites and pollution.
WWF-P aims to protect endangered marine turtles and conserve their critical nesting sites. The
main focus of the work will be on public awareness and community participation, with local
communities being trained in turtle management techniques.

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 3. White-backed Vulture

There are a total nine species of vultures found in South Asia.

Four of the Gyps vulture species are only found in Asia.
These are Oriental White-backed Vulture (Gyps
benegalensis), Long-billed vulture (Gyps indicus), Slender-
billed Vulture (Gyps tenuirostris) and Himalayan Griffon
Vulture (Gyps himalayensis). Eurasian Griffon Vulture
(Gyps fulvus) breeds in Eurasia but migrates to Africa and
South Asia. The geographic range of these vultures overlap
(Pain et al 2003).
The Oriental White-backed Vulture (Gyps benegalensis) was
once escribed as the commonest species of vulture found in
the Indian sub-continent (Gilbert et al 2002). It was quoted
as the most widely distributed species in Pakistan (Roberts
1991), occurring in provinces of Punjab, Sindh and North
West Fortier Province (NWFP).

Studies conducted between 2000 and 2001 at two sites in the Punjab province of Pakistan also
showed high mortality rates 11.4% and 18.6%. The necropsy of dead vultures showed that 80%
of adults, 63% of sub-adults, 19% of juveniles and 13% of nestlings had visceral gout (Gilbert et
al 2002) and this finding of consistent with the earlier reports from India (The Peregrine Fund
2000). The rate of decline in Pakistan was observed to be much higher than the conspecifics in
India (The Peregrine Fund 2000). The trend of population decline was also obvious in other
species of vultures; Long-billed vulture (Gyps indicus) and Slender-billed Vulture (Gyps
tenuirostris), with status changed from ‘vulnerable’ to ‘critically endangered’ (The BirdLife
International 2001).

Studies across 16 sites in Pakistan between 2000 and 2003 correlated visceral gout and renal
failure with the presence of the residues of drug Diclonenac. The study conducted in controlled
conditions affirmed these data gathered from the field (Oaks et al 2004). Diclofenac is a non-
steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) which is commonly used in livestock in the Indian-
subcontinent for the treatment of lameness, fever etc. It is cheap and widely available
(Risebrough 2004).

Some rough estimates based on the rapid decline suggest that the population of oriental white-
backed vultures might go extinct in as little as five years. South Asian countries have been really
concerned about this rapid population decline and the involvement of international organisations
has put immense pressure on the governments to urgently address this issue. A summit meeting
entitled ‘A new environmental threat posed by the drug diclofenac’ was arranged in Kathmundu,
Nepal. This summit brought together different organisations both from regional and international

53
level that had been involved in the vulture conservation work such as WWF – Pakistan, Bird
Conservation Nepal, BirdLife International, Bombay Natural History Society, Ornithological
Society of Pakistan, Royal Society for Protection of Birds, The Peregrine Fund, Zoological
Society of London also involving government representatives. The main objective of this summit
is to come to a mutual agreement to deal with the vulture crisis. All parties agreed to a manifesto
that suggests obtaining, holding and possibly breeding three Gyps species of vultures in captivity
as a safety measure, until the threat of Diclofenac is removed from the environment.

4. The Indus River Dolphin (Platanista minor)

The Indus River dolphin (Platanista minor) is one of the world's rarest mammals and the second
most endangered freshwater river dolphin. Approximately 1,100 specimens of this species exist
today in a small fraction of their former range, the lower reaches of the Indus River in Pakistan.

However, the population of this species has gradually declined because of various factors,
including water pollution, poaching,
fragmentation of habitat due to barrages,
and dolphin strandings in the irrigation
canals.

Numbers have dramatically declined

since the construction of the irrigation
system in the Indus. Most individuals
now remain in a 1,200 km stretch of the
Indus River.

In addition to efforts to conserve their habitat, including addressing problems such as river
pollution, WWF staff have also been involved in rescue missions when individual dolphins
become trapped in canals. WWF also coordinated the largest survey of the species ever in 2001
in collaboration with partners.

WWF-Pakistan assists in a numberof education initiatives and has arranged training courses for
various institutions. An aerial survey of the species range was conducted in 2003.

WWF's objective for freshwater cetaceans is to ensure that habitat degradation, strandings and
fisheries bycatch do not threaten freshwater cetaceans.

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 5. Cranes

Siberian, Sarus, Demoiselle, and Common Cranes

Out of the four crane species found in Pakistan, Siberian cranes

(Grus leucogeranus) are rare and seldom seen. The status of
Sarus cranes (Grus antigone) is vagrant. They have been
locally extinct as breeding birds since 1968. Demoiselle cranes
(Anthropoides virgo) are seen quite often on migration, but are
ruthlessly hunted in the Bannu District, NWFP. Common
cranes (Grus grus) are scarce and there are no permanent
wintering populations

They are not often seen, even on migration. Efforts to protect

these cranes and their important staging and breeding habitats in Pakistan will include
identification of critical sites for each species, mobilisation of communities in protection,
development and dissemination of conservation educational material in crucial hunting areas,
and establishment of private crane refuges.

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 Gaps and Recommendations

The World Wildlife fund for nature is one of the world’s best-recognized organization. it’s
mission to stop degradation of the natural environment and to built a future where human live in
harmony with nature. WWF-Pakistan established contacts with the newly elected government in
the country and communicated its hope for improved integration of environmental aspects and
beating priority need such as the conservation of Pakistan remaining natural resource.

As WWF-Pakistan has doing its effortless struggle for the conservations of natural resources, so
mostly the local leaders and community has appreciated the conservational efforts of WWF-P
and NWFP wildlife department of Pakistan.

The study was conducted to determine the current situation of WWF-Pakistan efforts for
conservation of natural resources. It is determine that some of the Gaps still exist in its projects
strategy. For finding gaps we used gaps analysis procedure. Gaps analysis is tool used in wildlife
conservation to identify gaps in conservation of nature reserves or other important ecological
features occurs. so the conservation managers can use these gaps as basis for providing
recommendations to improve the representatives of nature reserves. So to save our community
for future generation we recommended some of the recommendations for such gaps, which are
given below.

1. As WWF-Pakistan print its reports in form of Annual reports, Natura and other Awareness
material in form of booklets, but they haven’t used the print and electronic media like
newspapers, Television and radio. They should use such sources because through these they
can aware people about the importance of natural resources and can show their efforts in the
contribution of natural resource management in Pakistan. It’s a best way to aware local
people about their work done and about their recent projects. So people will also show their
interest in these projects. They should arrange the Television programs, because television
program is the best way to tell the peoples about the environmental protection and their
improvement. They should use local radio environmental awareness and their protection
programs. So it will help the local people to know about the benefits of these projects in
their area.

2. WWF-Pakistan have done a lot of work for the protection of natural resources of Pakistan
but peoples are still unaware about its contributions because it doesn’t have any interaction
with local peoples. So they should use print media to create awareness among peoples about
their work and their efforts and to motivate the peoples to stop degrading their environment.

3. As we know that English is our official language but our Native language is Pushto and our

56
 National language is Urdu and because of less literacy-rate people can’t understand English,
so WWF should publish their material and work done into Urdu and Pashto so that people
could easily understand about its work.

4. WWF-Pakistan is mostly limited to their projects in the place of their interest. So they
should motivate the peoples to participate in their projects. They should make different
committees, like

• Female conservation committee

• Male conservation committee

Females will visit the houses to spread awareness among females and male will visit the
community centers to aware peoples about the benefits of their projects. So through this process
they can facilitate their projects to implement in the place of their interest.

5. WWF-Pakistan hasn’t arrange any workshops or environmental awareness campaign on

various natural resource issues. They should arrange such workshops and should arrange a
greater dialogue between the government and local peoples to address the negative impacts
of these issues, and should aware peoples about the positive impacts of their projects.
6. WWF-Pakistan doesn’t have any seasonal plantation, they should arrange seasonal
plantation in protected areas and other local plants can also suggested for plantation.
7. WWF-Pakistan has done a lot of work for protection of natural resources in north, because
most of our natural resources are found in Northern areas. But generally these peoples are
very poor and can’t afford complete ban on fuel wood collection, so WWF-Pakistan doesn’t
have any policy to help these peoples and to reduce the dependency on fuel wood collection
because besides cooking meal wood is also a source of income of these peoples. So keeping
in viewing the economic condition of community should recommend some suggestion, like

• They should establish fast growing plant nurseries to reduce pressure on fuel
wool.
• To provide the fuel wood on subsidized rate.

For combating the fodder requirement the Australian grass is suggested for the area.

They haven’t motivate the peoples to introduce their culture polices for the conservation of their
natural resources .They should involve local peoples in such activities.

8. WWF-Pakistan hasn’t done any work at grass root level. As we know that seeds of today
are the flowers of tomorrow. They should establish (natural clubs) in different schools of
their project area. The following methods are suggested for the nature clubs.

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 • Training of teachers and provide them guidelines, how to carry out
environmental education activities in the schools through nature clubs.
• Conduct debating competition, quiz competition and painting competition,
involve school teachers and children in seasonal plantation.
• Environmental day celebration.

9. WWF doesn’t have any interaction with youngsters they should visit the colleges to make
environmental groups. To motivate the youngsters to support environmental programs, like
awareness programs, workshops on different environmental issues.

10. WWF-Pakistan should devise a monitoring schedule for all protected areas and WWF
offices too and Monitoring should be done on monthly or weekly basis depends on its
requirements.

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W. Wettengel, T. Ricketts, H. Strand, S. O’Connor and N. Burgess. A Workbook for Conducting
Biological Assessments and Developing Biodiversity Visions for Ecoregion-based Conservation.
Washington, DC: WWF, 2000.

• Holdgate, M. The Green Web: A Union for World Conservation. London: Earthscan, 1999.

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