FORESTS-OF-CHITRAL

Conservation
Chitral
Strategy
he designation of geographical entities in this book,
T and the presentation of the material, do not imply

the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the
part of IUCN concerning the legal status of any country,
territory, or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the
delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.
Published by:
IUCN, Sarhad Programme.
Copyright:
© 2004 International Union for Conservation of Nature and
Natural Resources, Pakistan and the Government of North
West Frontier Province (NWFP).
Chitral – An Integrated Development Vision (Chitral

Conservation Strategy) was prepared by the Government
of NWFP(Planning and Development Department) in
collaboration with IUCN-The World Conservation Union.
It was supported by the Swiss Agency for Development

and Cooperation (SDC).
Citation is encouraged. Reproduction and/or translation

of this publication for educational or other non-commercial
purposes is authorised without prior written permission
from IUCN Pakistan, provided the source is fully
acknowledged.
Reproduction of this publication for resale or other

commercial purposes is prohibited without prior written
permission from IUCN Pakistan.
The contents and the opinions expressed do not

constitute an endorsement by the SDC.
Citation:
NWFP and IUCN Pakistan (2004). Chitral – An Integrated
Development Vision (Chitral Conservation Strategy).
IUCN Pakistan and NWFP, Karachi, Pakistan. xiv+103 pp.
Editor:
Firuza Pastakia
ISBN:
969-8141-58-8
Cover & layout design:

Creative Unit (Pvt.) Ltd.
Printed by:
xxxx
Available from:
IUCN-The World Conservation Union
IUCN Pakistan
Sarhad Programme Office
House No. 109, Sarhad Office Road
Defence Officers Colony
Khyber Road, Peshawar
Tel: 091-271728/276032
Fax: 091-275093
IUCN-CCS Support Unit

Judicial Council Building
Chitral
Tel & Fax: 0933-412079
Website: www.ccs.iucnp.org
V Abbreviations
VII Acknowledgements
IX Executive Summary
XIII Reader’s Guide

Contents
1 2 3
PART I PART II PART III
CONTEXT STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION
03 Chapter 1 53 Chapter 4 85 Chapter 8

Background Governance Implementing the
Strategy
07 Chapter 2 55 Chapter 5
Overview of Human Resource 93 Chapter 9
Chitral District Development and Action Plan
Economic Uplift
41 Chapter 3 97 References
Major Past and 63 Chapter 6
Present Development of 99 Select
Development Municipal Services Bibliography
Initiatives and Infrastructure
101 CCS Sector
71 Chapter 7 Papers
Natural Resource
Management
102 Appendix A
103 Appendix B
CHITRAL Conservation Strategy III

Abbreviations
ADP EDO SAP
Annual Development Executive District Officer Social Action Programme
Programme
FMB SDC
AKES First MicroFinance Bank Swiss Agency for
Aga Khan Education Development and
Services GoNWFP Cooperation
Government of the North-
AKHS West Frontier Province SHYDO
Aga Khan Health Services Sarhad Hydel Development
GoP Organization
AKPBS Government of Pakistan
Aga Khan Planning and SPCS
Building Services IFAD Sarhad Provincial
International Fund for Conservation Strategy
AKRSP Agricultural Development
Aga Khan Rural Support TMA
Programme IUCN Tehsil Municipal
The World Conservation Administration
CADP Union
Chitral Area Development UNICEF
Project KfW United Nations Children’s
Kreditanstalt für Fund
CBO Wiederaufbau
Community-based WAPDA
organisation NGO Water and Power
Non-governmental Development Authority
CCB organisation
Citizen Community Board WWF
NWFP World Wide Fund for
CCS North-West Frontier Province Nature
Chitral Conservation
Strategy PHED
Public Health Engineering
CFSD Department
Chitral Fund for Sustainable
Development PHP
Project for Horticultural
DCO Promotion
District Coordination Officer
PNCS
DFO Pakistan National
Divisional Forest Officer Conservation Strategy
CHITRAL Conservation Strategy V

Acknowledgements
Credit for the formulation of the Chitral Conservation Strategy (CCS) goes first and foremost
to the people of Chitral who flocked to the district, tehsil and village meetings held to elicit
their views and assess their needs. These meetings shaped the strategy and served to
determine its priorities. Our thanks are also due to members of government and non-govern-
mental organisations working in the district.
A long list of institutions and individuals helped to map out this strategic framework for
integrated development at the district level in Chitral. The provincial government’s Planning
and Development Department, the former district administration of Chitral, district line
department partners, representatives of funded projects, the steering committee and Zilla
Council CCS Committee played an active role in the development of the strategy.
Participants of the multi-stakeholder District Roundtable delineated the broad outlines of the
CCS document and monitored its progress.
The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and IUCN–The World Conservation
Union provided financial and technical support. All deserve our gratitude for their
contribution.
CHITRAL Conservation Strategy VII

Executive summary
Imposing mountains dominate the landscape of Chitral, forging a rugged terrain that is home
to 162,000 males and 157,000 females. The topography of the area is varied, with 28.5% of
the region covered in glaciers, snow-clad mountains, bare rock and barren ground, and 62%
of the land supporting only pasture with sparse vegetation. The district’s most important
productive resource is irrigated farmland totalling 45,017 ha, which feeds and provides
employment to the majority of its people. Critical as a food source as well as a means to
augment farm income are about 700,000 head of livestock (75% goats and sheep). Forests
cover 70,045 ha, mainly in Chitral and Drosh tehsils. Of this area, 25,000 ha is suitable for
commercial harvesting. Despite widespread hunting by the local people, the remote
mountain valleys of Chitral are home to a considerable variety of wildlife.
CHITRAL Conservation Strategy IX

Executive summary
Major Achievements Major Constraints to

The grit of the people, the efforts of provin-
Further Development
cial government departments, and donor Chitral is the only district in all of Pakistan
assistance channelled through develop- to become cut off from the rest of the coun-
ment initiatives such as the Aga Khan try for several months during the winter
Rural Support Programme (AKRSP) and when the Lowari Pass (3,200 m) is blocked
Chitral Area Development Project (CADP), with snow. Winter snow and summer floods
have allowed Chitral’s inhabitants to main- also disrupt communications within Chitral.
tain a precarious toehold on survival
despite a threefold increase in population The area’s isolation during the winter casts
since 1951. In addition to major roads to a shadow on every aspect of daily life,
Garum Chashma, Gilgit, Mastuj and restricting the mobility of labour, disrupting
Peshawar, the district is traversed by 800 agricultural exports, and interfering with
km of link roads which create access to imports of grain, livestock feed and agricul-
widely scattered settlements. Meanwhile, tural inputs. Deficiencies in the internal
voluntary social organisation and the appli- communications network, combined with a
cation of gruelling labour have enabled short working season, impair the quality and
water to be conveyed great distances over reach of health and education services, and
rocky ground to irrigate farmland. hinder development work in general.
Electricity is available to 67% of house-
holds, and piped water to 88% and 41% of Chitral’s most important potential asset is
urban and rural households, respectively. human capital. Yet recent statistics show
Approximately 10% of the population has that some 24,000 men and 40 women from
access to telephones. 15 to 64 years of age are unemployed
(GoP, 1999). Human resource develop-
Of individuals aged 10 years and above, ment is constrained by the fact that expan-
10% have received primary education, sion in certain key sectors has proven
7.5% have studied up to the middle level difficult. Primary health care, reproductive
and 6.5% have completed matriculation, education, curative medicine, potable
while 2% each have obtained secondary water supply, and quality education and
and degree-level education. Some 12% training, especially among women, are
of students drop out before completing areas that require urgent attention. In addi-
primary school. Currently 51% of males tion, reliable communications both within
and 31% of females between the ages of 5 the district, and between Chitral and the
and 24 are engaged in education. rest of the country, are essential. Other
constraining factors include lack of aware-
Health care is provided through a district ness among the population and a scarcity
headquarters and three tehsil headquar- of material resources required to initiate
ters hospitals, as well as three rural health remedial measures on an effective scale.
centres, 22 basic health units, 22 dispen-
saries, three mother and child health cen- Agricultural activity in Chitral depends on
tres, and three specialised centres, one irrigation. Since the overall area under irriga-
each for immunisation, leprosy and tion is small, as are individual land holdings,
malaria. an immediate increase in household farm
income only becomes possible if both the
The efforts of local farmers, agriculture and productivity and profitability of agriculture can
forestry scientists, as well as the AKRSP be improved. This in turn requires that meas-
and CADP, have brought about a consider- ures are taken to bolster the agriculture
able increase in crop yields, as well as sector: protecting farmland from soil erosion,
a decline in the incidence of livestock preventing the diversion of agricultural land
disease. Close to 9 million forest trees to non-agricultural uses, maintaining
have been planted since 1988, although irrigation channels and levelling ground for
their survival has not been monitored. more effective irrigation. The government’s
X CHITRAL Conservation Strategy

Executive summary
current agricultural research and extension hydroelectric potential will considerably

service must also respond more effectively to improve the quality of life for the majority of
the requirements of local communities. the population. Work in this direction is
already underway with the small-scale
In the medium and long term, new land will Reshun and Shishi-II hydel projects
need to be brought under irrigation—a fact currently under construction. Upon
not lost on the people of Chitral themselves. completion, these schemes will increase
The sector has already received consider- overall production. Supply to Chitral’s
able attention and significant resource out- scattered habitations, however, will
lays from the AKRSP and CADP. To depend on the speed with which a distribu-
increase the area under irrigation, detailed tion grid can be set up. Communities to
studies will be required to determine the whom supply cannot be extended cost-
potential of remaining level land to support effectively will need to build their own
agriculture. The adequacy of available microhydel power plants, relying on social
water resources will also need to be inves- organisation. In addition to subsidies, the
tigated, along with the cost-effectiveness success of these initiatives will require the
of conveying water to the areas selected establishment of a fully equipped work-
for irrigation. In addition, disputes over shop in Chitral where repairs may be
ownership of land and water will need to be carried out, and training for village
resolved. While the task of irrigating new residents in operation and maintenance.
land is arduous, expensive and time
consuming, its critical role in enabling A matter of critical concern for the people
agricultural activity makes irrigation a critical of Chitral is reliable access to a year-
part of any plan to alleviate poverty and round supply of potable water. According
create employment in the long term. to the 1998 census, 88% of the urban
population of Chitral receives piped
Livestock rearing is a key component of water. But among rural inhabitants, who
Chitral’s economy, providing food and comprise 90% of Chitral’s total popula-
allowing local communities to supplement tion, only 41% receive water through
their income by selling wool and hides. pipelines. The rugged terrain of the area,
Since husbandry is managed primarily by coupled with its severe climate, create a
women, income generation schemes major obstacle to expanding the supply of
aimed specifically at women can be chan- potable water. During the winter, pipelines
nelled through this sector. are known to freeze and eventually burst,
cutting off supply to large segments of the
Expansion in this sector is constrained population.
primarily by the shortage of animal feed in
the winter. Animals are kept indoors from late Renewable resources in Chitral are under
autumn to early spring, during which time heavy pressure from a forestry system
they are fed crop residues and dry fodder. that does not take into account the needs
Feed shortages not only affect the health of of the people. Meanwhile, fodder scarcity
livestock, but also restrict the number of and domestic energy requirements con-
animals a household is able to rear. In late tribute to the denudation of watersheds
spring and early autumn, herds forage in and grazing lands.
subtropical and temperate grazing lands cov-
ering 57,600 ha, spending the summers in Ecotourism is a valuable potential asset for
alpine and subalpine grazing lands extend- Chitral, bringing in its wake a number of
ing over 316,000 ha. Many of these areas synergistic improvements in other sectors.
are being rapidly denuded. Other constraints Development issues that are important in
to the development of husbandry include and of themselves—facilitating access;
parasites, disease and inadequate shelter. improving health care; increasing the sup-
ply of potable water; protecting the envi-
Besides advancements in the farming and ronment; upgrading areas of ecological
livestock sectors, harnessing Chitral’s interest, such as forests, alpine grazing
CHITRAL Conservation Strategy XI

Executive summary
lands and biodiversity areas; and conserv- the launching of a Chitral Fund for
ing cultural heritage—are also likely to Sustainable Development. At the same
make the area a more attractive tourist time, however, major investment will be
destination. required from the federal and provincial
governments in sectors that are the state’s
Removing Constraints responsibility: providing infrastructure
facilities for governance, communications,
For the inhabitants of Chitral, to eke out a education, health, potable water, sanitation
living is a challenge fraught with difficulty and electricity.
at every turn. Generating meaningful
development in the area will require the The time frame for implementation of the
sustained involvement of both the govern- CCS is 10 years. A review is to be
ment and the people. The Chitral conducted after the first five years, at which
Conservation Strategy (CCS) endorses stage the strategy may be amended by the
a bottom-up approach to development Zilla Council. The CCS will come into effect
planning and expects local communities to upon approval by the Zilla Council. The
make their contribution at every step of the Zilla Nazim will lead implementation and
process, from planning and design to monitor progress, with the assistance of the
operation and maintenance. To help District Coordination Officer and the district
finance such initiatives, the CCS envisions Finance and Planning Office.
XII CHITRAL Conservation Strategy

Reader’s guide
The Chitral Conservation Strategy (CCS) takes stock of the area’s resources and
investigates ways in which to sustainably increase their productivity. Developed
under a District Roundtable comprising local residents and government functionar-
ies, the strategy formulation process was facilitated by the CCS Unit of IUCN–The
World Conservation Union. Views of participants at district, tehsil and village consul-
tations determined the content of this strategy. Additional information required for
its preparation was obtained from specially commissioned sector papers, and from
the concerned government and non-government agencies.
Chapter 1 sets the stage for the development of the CCS, providing brief overviews of the
international context in which area-specific conservation strategies have been prepared in
Pakistan and the consultation process that led to the formulation of a strategy for Chitral.
Chapter 2 contains a sector-by-sector survey of the district, covering physical geography,
demographics, climate, employment, natural resources, infrastructure and public-sector
services, as well as social organisation, cultural heritage and tourism. The structure of the
new local government system, introduced following the promulgation of the North-West
Frontier Province Local Government Ordinance 2001, is also described. Chapter 3 outlines
major development projects undertaken in the past, along with programmes currently
in operation. Together, these chapters provide the context in which the CCS has been
formulated.
The strategy itself is developed in chapters 4 to 7. Here, individual sectors discussed in the
overview are grouped thematically into four chapters: governance, human resource
development, municipal services and infrastructure, and natural resource management.
Each chapter is devoted to a single theme and, where necessary, individual sectors are
discussed separately. Issues affecting each sector are analysed and a strategy proposed for
improvements in that sector.
The last two chapters focus on translating the CCS proposals into action. Chapter 8
discusses implementation mechanisms and suggests ways in which scarce resources can be
utilised more efficiently. Chapter 9 synthesises the strategy into an easy-to-reference table,
listing 38 initiatives grouped according to time frame, along with the actors expected to be
involved in execution.
CHITRAL Conservation Strategy XIII

Part 1
Context
Chapter 1
Background
CHITRAL Conservation Strategy 3

Background
1.1 Formulation of the Pakistan National

Chitral Conservation Strategy Conservation Strategy (PNCS) got under-
way in 1987. Approved by the Federal
Since the merger of the former state of Cabinet in 1992, the PNCS recommends
Chitral with Pakistan in 1969, sizeable the implementation of 14 programmes:
resources have been expended by both ■ maintaining soils in croplands,
government and donor agencies for the ■ increasing irrigation efficiency,
development of the district. Growth has ■ protecting watersheds,
nevertheless failed to keep pace with the ■ supporting forestry and plantations,
people’s needs or reflect their rising ■ restoring rangelands and improving
expectations. At the same time, the livestock,
sustainability of gains achieved has not ■ protecting water bodies and sustaining
been ensured. fisheries,
■ conserving biodiversity,
The Chitral Conservation Strategy (CCS) ■ increasing energy efficiency,
searches for ways in which to foster the ■ developing and deploying renewables,
sustainable development of Chitral’s ■ preventing/abating pollution,
meagre resource base. The strategy aims ■ managing urban wastes,
to identify the capacity of the people, and to ■ supporting institutions for common
increase their income by enhancing pro- resources,
ductivity and optimising the use of natural ■ integrating population and environmental
resources. In the light of past experience, programmes, and
the CCS attempts to find new institutional ■ preserving the cultural heritage (GoP
arrangements through which local commu- and IUCN, 1992).
nities, supported by the government, can
become the prime engine for development. In 1996, the North West Frontier Province
(NWFP) approved the Sarhad Provincial
1.2 Conservation Strategy (SPCS) which
Genesis of the CCS focuses implementation of the PNCS on
development concerns specific to the
International concern for sustainable devel- NWFP. The SPCS action plan identifies the
opment emerged following the launch in following priority areas:
1980 of the World Conservation Strategy: ■ governance and capacity development;
Living Resource Conservation for ■ poverty alleviation and population;
Sustainable Development, prepared by ■ non-governmental organisations;
IUCN–The World Conservation Union with ■ communication and education;
■ urban environments and sustainable
The CCS attempts to find new cities;

■ sustainable industrial development;
institutional arrangements through ■ natural resource management;
which local communities, supported ■ biological diversity, parks and protected

areas; and
by the government, can become the ■ cultural heritage and sustainable tourism
prime engine for development. (GoNWFP and IUCN, 1996).
Implemented by the provincial government’s

the assistance of the United Nations Planning and Development Department, the
Environment Programme, the World Wide SPCS is the principal strategic environmen-
Fund for Nature and other agencies (IUCN, tal framework for the NWFP.
1980). Modelled on this international
conservation document, a number of The province-wide public consultation
countries began to prepare their own process leading up to the formulation of the
natural resource conservation strategies SPCS identified governance as a sector that
with IUCN assistance. required improvement. Decentralisation of
4 CHITRAL Conservation Strategy

Background
1
A CCS Roundtable in progress
planning and decision making from the such as the depletion of natural resources
provincial to district level emerged as an and the destruction of biodiversity.
important prerequisite for improved gover-
nance. In the SPCS, the provincial govern- The people of Chitral viewed these consul-
ment makes a commitment to test the con- tations as the first serious attempt ever
cept of district-level strategic planning. SPCS made by the provincial government to
support projects include two such initiatives, solicit their views on development. While
one each in Chitral and Abbottabad districts. appreciating the role of the Aga Khan Rural
Support Programme (AKRSP) and Chitral
The CCS is funded by the Swiss Agency for Area Development Project in fostering self-
Development and Cooperation. In January reliance and social organisation, they
1997, a CCS Unit was established within the insisted that Chitral’s development concerns
IUCN to assist in the strategy formulation could only be tackled effectively if the
process. Preparation of the CCS was spear- government were to become fully involved in
headed by the then Deputy Commissioner the process as well. Local residents were of
Chitral and the District Roundtable, a multi- the view that community participation could
stakeholder advisory body. The process, help stem the misuse of development funds,
facilitated by the CCS Unit, involved public and ensure maximum transparency in the
meetings at district, tehsil and village level. execution of social sector programmes and
development projects. The participatory
1.3 approach adopted in formulating the CCS
Public Perception was also endorsed.
Atotal of 48 public consultations were held: During these consultations, participants

one at district, 11 at tehsil and 36 at the highlighted more than 20 areas of concern,
village level. Women and minority commu- some of which have been grouped together
nities were consulted in separate meetings. for the purpose of this strategy. The follow-
Environmental issues were mentioned ing are 10 major issues brought up during
either directly or indirectly at all tehsil meet- the consultation process, ranked according
ings. Concern over environmental degrada- to the number of times a topic was raised
tion was voiced frequently, and participants and the number of meetings in which it was
demonstrated a keen awareness of issues discussed:

Background
The CCS public consultation process
1. irrigation; expressed by participants at public consul-

2. potable water; tations, a draft strategy was prepared in
3. communications and infrastructure; December 1999. This draft took into
4. agriculture, floods and land erosion; account interviews with the AKRSP Chief
5. hydel power and alternate fuel sources; Executive Officer, and various heads of
6. deforestation; |line departments and non-governmental
7. education; organisations, as well as the deliberations
8. sanitation, drainage and sewerage; of the June 1999 workshop on institutional
9. poverty reduction and employment; and reform organised by the Planning and
10. cultural heritage and tourism. Development Department in Peshawar.
Based on these priorities, sector-specific In January 2002, the draft strategy was
papers were commissioned on the follow- updated to reflect changes in the structure
ing topics: of local government following the promul-
■ irrigation; gation of the NWFP Local Government
■ access to clean drinking water; Ordinance 2001. At this stage, the
■ infrastructure; comments of two special referees
■ agriculture; (Professor Israr and Miraj Ud Din) who
■ energy; reviewed the first draft were incorporated,
■ forests, grazing lands and watersheds; the District Coordination Officer and
■ biodiversity, parks and protected areas; Executive District Officers of various gov-
■ human resource development; ernment departments were consulted, and
■ sanitation and solid waste disposal; additional material was gleaned from a
■ microenterprise development; and special study (Cyan, 2001).
■ cultural heritage and ecotourism.
The final draft, prepared in July 2002,
Drawing on the detailed studies undertaken responds to five critical reviews of the
in the CCS sector papers, guidelines pro- January draft by heads of partner organisa-
vided by the District Roundtable and views tions.

Chapter 2
Overview of Chitral District

2.1 main valley is 354 km long and varies in

Physiography width from 4,800 m at some locations to
barely 180 m, while the side valleys are
Surrounded by some of the tallest moun- even narrower. Fan deposits may be found
tains in the world, Chitral is Pakistan’s in open spaces along both the main and
northern-most district, situated just across side valleys. Villages and cultivated areas
the border from Afghanistan. The valley is are for the most part confined to these
bounded on the north-west by the alluvial deposits which occur at the mouths
Hindukush mountains, on the north-east by of streams and hill torrents.
the Karakoram and on the south by the
Hindu Raj range. With more than 40 peaks 2.2
over 6,100 m packed in an area of 14,850 People
km2, altitudes in this rugged terrain range
from 1,094 m at Arandu to 7,726 m at The area that is now Chitral has been
Tirichmir. Land access beyond the valley is inhabited for at least 4,000 years. Its
restricted to a few passes, all situated people belong to over a dozen different cul-
above 3,500 m. tures and speak more than 14 languages.
As a result of its unique location and
The Chitral valley and some 30 subsidiary historical links with Central Asia and Europe,
valleys are drained by the Chitral river, the material and non-material culture of
which is known by different names along Chitral bears traces of Greek, Iranian,
various stretches, and its tributaries. Mongolian, Tatar and Turk influences.
Originating in the Chiantar glacier, the river
enters Afghanistan at Arandu. Chitral’s According to the 1998 census, Chitral’s
population stands at 318,689 (162,082
males and 156,607 females). These statis-
tics show that the population has
increased at an average rate of 2.5%
annually since the 1981 census, as
opposed to 3.3% growth during the period
1972–81 (Figure 1). Close to 90% of the
population resides in 463 rural settle-
ments, ranging in size from 20 to 3,573
inhabitants (Figure 2). Nearly 75% of these
habitations are small, with a maximum
population of 800 (Figure 3). Chitral town
is the only urban settlement in the district,
with a population of 20,622.
FIGURE 1 Population growth,

1951-2002
400
344 353
335
350 319 327
300
250
209
200
159
150
106 113
100
50
0
A Nomad with his child 1951 1961 1972 1981 1998 1999 (E) 2000 (E) 2001(E) 2002(E)
E = estimated population Source: Government of Pakistan, 1999.

2
A panoramic view of suburbs of Chitral Town
FIGURE 2 Chitral district urban/ FIGURE 3 Distribution of rural

rural population ratio habitations by population
Population
180
163
160
140 134
120
100
84
80
66
60
40
20 16
0
<200 200-499 500-999 1,000-1,999 2,000-4,999
Source: Government of Pakistan, 1999.
Programme (AKRSP) project area reveals

■ 90 % Rural that average per capita income stands at Rs
■ 10% Urban 9,543 at current factor cost and Rs 4,939 at
Source: Government of Pakistan, 1999. 1991 constant factor cost (AKRSP, 1997).
This figure is about half the average per capi-
2.3 ta income for Pakistan as a whole. Moreover,
Poverty 36% of households live below the poverty line
of Rs 6,165 per capita, determined by a base-
Compared to the rest of the country, the peo- line survey carried out in the area in 1998,
ple of Chitral are poor. Asocio-economic study while 11% live below the halved poverty line.
of 220 households (110 each from The Gini coefficient for the households sam-
single- and double- cropping zones) distri- pled is 0.36 (on a scale of 0 to 1, the former
buted throughout the Aga Khan Rural Support value indicating perfect equality and the latter

FIGURE 4 Population by age group, 1998

Age Group (years)
70,000
■ Total
60,000
■ Male
50,000
■ Female
40,000
30,000
20,000
10,000
0-4 5-9 10-14 15-19 20-24 25-29 30-34 35-39 40-44 45-49 50-54 55-59 60 +
perfect inequality). Thus poverty is distributed respectively, occurring mainly in the spring and
more evenly in Chitral, compared to the rest of winter (Table 1). Summer and autumn are dry,
Pakistan with a Gini coefficient of 0.40. with the area receiving barely 10–25 mm of
rain per month. In Upper Chitral, annual
Contributing to poverty in the area is the age precipitation is as low as 200 mm, received
distribution of the population (Figure 4). mostly as snow in the higher elevations.
Chitral’s inhabitants are predominantly
young, with the majority below the age of 19 2.4.2 Temperature
years. As a result, the size of the workforce
is limited, which in turn restricts the capacity Mean maximum and minimum monthly
of local communities to generate resources. temperatures in Chitral and Drosh are
Between the ages of 20 and 50, meanwhile,
women make up more than half of the FIGURE 5 Mean maximum and
population. However, women in Chitral do minimum temperature
not participate equally in economic in Chitral
activity, further constraining socio-economic Month
40
development in the area. 37
36
35
35
32
2.4
30
27
25 25
21
Climate 20
16
22
19
20
18
15 14 12
11 12
10
2.4.1 Rainfall 5
9 8
8
5 3
0
0 0
-1
Since Chitral is surrounded by mountains, it -5
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
does not receive the monsoon rains. Mean
Maximum temperature ■ Minimum temperature
rainfall in Drosh and Chitral towns (Lower
Source: Pakistan Meteorological Department, 1998.
Chitral) is approximately 650 mm and 500 mm,
TABLE 1 Mean rainfall in Drosh and Chitral

Month Drosh Chitral
Total Share of Average Total Share of Average
(mm) annual (mm) (mm) annual (mm)
rainfall (%) rainfall (%)
Jan-Feb 162 25 81 94 18 47
Mar-Apr 245 37 123 278 54 139
May 61 9 61 41 8 41
June-Nov 150 23 25 62 12 10
December 40 6 40 44 8 44
Total 658 519

FIGURE 6 Mean maximum and FIGURE 7 Land cover and

minimum temperature land use
in Drosh
Month
40
36
34 35
35
32
30
28 26
25 23 23
21
20 19 19
20
15
2
15
15 12 11
10
10
5 10
7 6
5
0 1 2
0
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Maximum temperature ■ Minimum temperature

TABLE 2 Mean maximum and ■ 3% Agriculture
minimum temperature in ■ 4.7% Forest

■ 1.2% Shrubs and bushes
Drosh and Chitral (°C)*
■ 62% Rangeland with sparse vegetation
Month Drosh Chitral ■ 4.1% Rock
Maximum Minimum Maximum Minimum ■ 24.39% Glaciers and snow
■ 0.46% Riverbeds
January 7 0 9 -1
■ 0.02% Lakes
February 10 1 11 0 ■ 0.13% Main habitation
Source: CCS Support Unit, IUCN.
March 15 5 16 5
2.6
April 21 10 22 8
May 28 15 27 12
Gender
June 34 20 35 19
July 36 23 37 21 Chitral is one of the country’s most
deprived areas and massive resources will
August 35 23 36 20
be required to improve the livelihood of its
September 32 19 32 14 people. It is essential that these inputs are
October 26 12 25 8 applied precisely and sensitively to meet
November 19 6 18 3
the requirements of men as well as women.
December 11 2 12 0
Traditionally, women have enjoyed a high
* Temperatures rounded to the nearest degree.
Source: Pakistan Meteorological Department, 1998. status in Chitrali society. Old proverbs like
“Khowistan aurat abad” (“the land of Kho is
shown in Table 2 and Figures 5 and 6. prosperous owing to the ability and skills of
As is the case with rainfall, no its women”) and “har chamoto tan hunar”
temperature records are maintained for (“each finger has a skill”) are a clear reflec-
Upper Chitral. tion of this fact. Financial and resource
utilisation discipline, known as madiri, is
2.5 considered to be the exclusive domain of
Land Cover women. Historically, women have inherited
property and managed large estates.
According to the 2001 land cover map of During the reign of Chitral’s former rulers,
Chitral District developed by the CCS the Mehtars, the women of the ruling
Support Unit of IUCN–The Wo r l d family played a significant role in statecraft.
Conservation Union using satellite
images, the percentage of total land area Chitrali society is comprised of two distinct
under various cover classes is shown in social and cultural groups, the Kalash and
Figure 7. the Khow, each with its own norms and tra-

and women are for the most part expected

to adhere to gender-specific roles that have
been developed over generations.
Occasionally, a departure from tradition is
forced by a dramatic change in social,
economic or ecological circumstances.
2.6.4 Changes in Traditional

Gender Roles
In response to changing socio-economic

realities, traditional gender roles are begin-
ning to change (Tables 3 and 4). With the
departure of men from the fields in order to
pursue education or employment, women
are left with the responsibility of managing
farmland. Relatively affluent households
are able to employ labour and here
women take on managerial roles. In
families that cannot afford to employ
labour, women perform many of these
Kalash children
tasks themselves.
ditions governing gender roles. An analysis TABLE 3 Changes in traditional

of their lifestyles serves as a useful indicator gender roles among
of the state of gender equity in the region. the Kalash
Gender Traditional roles Emerging roles
2.6.1 Kalash Female Farming, embroidery, Increasing
child rearing, music, education
The Kalash are confined to three valleys in dancing is likely to
change
southern Chitral and, to this day, live traditional roles
according to ancient traditions. The women
Male Hunting, herding, Employment in
do not observe pardah (the veil), work spinning, knitting, business and
mostly on family farmland, and do not gen- carpentry, masonry trade, weaving
erally participate in decision making related weaving, farming and farming
to inheritance and other family matters. Source: Hemani and Warrington, 1996.
2.6.2 Khow TABLE 4 Changes in traditional

gender roles among
The Khow population is predominant in the the Khow
district. In Khow areas, pardah is strictly Gender Traditional roles Emerging roles
observed. Although the mobility of women
Female Cooking, knitting, Small-scale
here is for the most part restricted, they spinning, embroidery, business, farm
engage in farm-related activities. Kitchen child rearing, kitchen management in
gardens, dairy products, and the produc- gardening, poultry, addition to
livestock husbandry traditional roles,
tion of silk and woollen handicrafts are the herding by elder
exclusive domain of women. Under Muslim women to spare
family law, which the Khow follow, women children for
are permitted to inherit property. education
Male Farming, weaving, Business and
2.6.3 Women and Work herding, carpentry, trade, employment,
masonry, music, farming, cottage
dancing, sports industry
Across Chitral, the gender division of labour
Source: Hemani and Warrington, 1996.
is evident in every sphere of activity. Men

2
Traditional farming being practiced
As education opens up new avenues of supplemented with fruits and nuts, grown
employment for both men and women, as single trees in marginal land on field
some traditional practices are being aban- boundaries.
doned. For instance, in households where
men are employed off-farm, grazing is now 2.7.1 Farming
either entrusted to Gujars or the number of
livestock kept is reduced, depending on the Chitral’s rugged terrain limits the amount of
circumstances of each household. land that may be brought under cultivation,
Increasing female education, meanwhile, while freezing temperatures over about half
has raised the workload of women who its area prevent the production of more
stay at home, since school-going girls are than one crop a year. Some 22,552 ha was
exempt from household and farming cultivated in 1999–2000 (Agricultural
chores. Statistics Wing, 2001). Approximately half
of this land is located in the single-cropping
With the assistance of rural support pro- zone comprising Lotkuh, Mastuj, Mulkhow
grammes, women in Chitral have also and Torkhow tehsils. The remainder lies in
begun to participate in microenterprise the double-cropping zone of Chitral and
activities, setting up shops in towns and Drosh tehsils. The net area under cultiva-
villages. These shops are managed tion is 20,999 ha with 6,187 ha sown more
individually as well as collectively through than once, bringing the total cultivated area
women’s organisations. to 27,186 ha.
2.7 With annual evapotranspiration at more

Agriculture than 2,500 mm, agriculture depends on irri-
gation. This is demonstrated by the fact
The people of Chitral have traditionally that in 1999–2000, the per-hectare yield of
practised subsistence agriculture focused rain-fed wheat was one fifth that of wheat
on grain production and livestock rearing. grown on irrigated land. Not surprisingly, a
Their diet of cereals and dairy products is mere 1.6% of the cropped area was under

rain-fed agriculture (340 ha wheat, 94 ha used for grazing; less than 125 mm of
moong and maash pulses) during the same rain annually.
period. Irrigation is carried out by means of
water channels, one fourth of which have Each of the above zones may in turn be
been constructed by the government and divided according to patterns of agricultural
the remainder by local communities. production and climatological characteris-
tics:
Agricultural production is dominated by (a) areas dependent mainly on crops; may
cereals which are sown over 82% of the be further divided into single- and
cropped area and yield 47,796 t of food double-crop areas;
grain. An additional 30,000 t of wheat is (b) areas with a mixed economy; single-
brought in from outside the region each crop areas depending partly on crops
year in order to meet local needs. and partly on livestock; and
(c) areas dependent mainly on livestock.
2.7.1.1 Land Holdings
and Tenure 2.7.1.3 Cereal Crops
With a 1998 population of 42,533 house- Chitral’s cereal production compares

holds and a cultivated area of 22,552 ha, favourably with the rest of the North-West
average land holdings stand at 0.53 ha Frontier Province (NWFP). The maize yield
(GoP, 1999; Agricultural Statistics Wing, (2,790 kg/ha) is the highest in the province,
2001). Close to 80% of all holdings are while rice production (2,399 kg/ha) ranks
small, ranging in size from 0.2 to 2.0 ha, third and barley (1,513 kg/ha) ranks sixth.
while 15% range from 2 to 4 ha and 4% Chitral’s wheat yield (1,956 kg/ha),
from 4 to 6 ha. A mere 1% of holdings however, ranks fourteenth for irrigated
exceeds 6 ha. For the 220 households it wheat (Agricultural Statistics Wing, 2001).
sampled, the AKRSP estimates a reduction Cereal crops grown during 1999–2000, the
in the size of average holdings from 0.66 area under cultivation and crop yields are
ha in 1991 to 0.46 ha in 1997, owing to the shown in Table 5.
failure of new land development to keep
pace with population growth (AKRSP, 2.7.1.4 Fodder Crops
1997). This may well be the case for the
whole of Chitral. Livestock rearing is an essential component
of Chitral’s subsistence economy. Milk and
2.7.1.2 Ecological Zones and meat are a valuable food source, and
Farming animal dung helps to maintain the physical
structure of the soil, while wool, hair and
In Chitral the following ecological zones hides serve as raw materials for cottage
have been identified: industry. Despite its importance, the live-
i. subhumid zone (1,150–3,900 m); stock husbandry sector is seriously con-
includes low-lying parts of Chitral strained by a shortage of animal feed, espe-
between Arandu and Madaklasht, as cially during the late winter and early spring.
well as the Golain valley; annual rainfall This period of scarcity sets a ceiling on the
500–1,000 mm;
ii. subarid zone (1,500–4,900 m); includes TABLE 5 Cereal production,
the area between the Kesu and Kuh 1999-2000
valleys up to Barenis; 300–600 mm of Crop Area under Yield (t)
cultivation (ha)
rainfall;
iii. dry zone (1,650–3,800 m); includes the Wheat 9,050 17,176
whole of the Lotkuh–Ojor region as well Maize 6,337 17,681
as the lower areas of Upper Chitral; 250 Barley 4,168 6,306
mm to less than 500 mm of rain; and Rice 2,720 6,524
iv. arid high mountains (above 3,800 m);
Source: Agricultural Statistics Wing, 2001.
no settlements; summer pastures are

2
Traditional harvesting
number of animals each household is able and here Chitral’s yields are far higher than
to rear, since livestock survival through the average yields in the rest of the province.
harsh winter depends on the amount of Potatoes are grown over 480 ha, onions
crop residues and fodder crops the house- and chillies over 52 ha, other vegetables
hold has been able to store. Compared to over 1,702 ha and pulses over 430 ha.
crop residues, fodder crops are more palat- Except for potatoes, however, yields for
able, easier to digest and richer in protein. other vegetables and pulses are consider-
ably below the average for the NWFP.
For the year 1999–2000, fodder was planted
over 5.5% of the cropped area, producing Each of the 220 households sampled by
17,300 t of rabbi (spring) and kharif the AKRSP grew an average of 78 fruit
(autumn) crops—about half the average trees in 1991. By 1997, this figure fell to 63.
per-hectare yield for the NWFP as a whole Mulberry declined from 15 to 3 trees and
(Agricultural Statistics Wing, 2001). The apricot from 38 to 31, while the number of
AKRSP socio-economic study, however, apple trees increased from 11 to 17. The
indicates a dramatic shift in cropping pat- number of other trees—almond, peach,
terns, from 7% of cropped area under fodder pear, pomegranate and walnut—remained
in 1991 to 23% in 1997 (AKRSP, 1997). This constant at 12. The increase in apple culti-
has taken place largely at the cost of wheat vation seen here may well be a reflection of
cultivation, which declined from 55% of the efforts made by the AKRSP, Chitral
cropped area in 1991 to 41% in 1997. Area Development Project (CADP) and
Project for Horticultural Promotion (PHP).
2.7.1.5 Fruits and Vegetables
2.7.1.6 Gender Roles in Fruit and
The commercial fruit, nut and vegetable cul- Vegetable Production
tivation sector is in its infancy. Fruit is grown
over 519 ha, yielding 4,541 t annually. Vegetable cultivation and marketing is pri-
Apples and apricots are the main fruit crops marily the responsibility of women, who
and yields compare favourably with rarely interact with traders directly and are
average yields for the whole of the NWFP. assisted by their male relatives. In fruit and
Almond, grape, peach, persimmon and grain production, work is divided. Men carry
pomegranate is also grown in small areas, manure from livestock sheds to the fields

atures are conducive to fruit and vegetable

cultivation. The three winter months
provide the “chilling conditions [necessary]
for all deciduous fruits, followed by warm
spring and hot summer, which combined
with high light intensities prevailing at these
high altitudes with minimal cloud cover . . .
produce near ideal conditions for the
culture of deciduous fruit crops and
summer vegetables” (Doolan, 1996).
Although the area currently under fruit and

vegetable cultivation is small, the region’s
comparative advantage in fruit and off-
season vegetable production has been
the focus of a number of research and
development initiatives. The principal
engine for this work has been the PHP,
with cooperation from the AKRSP and the
NWFP government’s now defunct Fruit
and Vegetable Development Board. The
PHP, however, has wound up its opera-
tions in Chitral.
To make a successful transition from sub-

Carding wool sistence-oriented cereal crops to the culti-
vation of high-value fruit and off-season
vegetables will require that efficient trans-
where the women spread it. Men plough portation and marketing facilities are made
and level the land, and harvest crops. available. Progress in this direction has
Women make sheaves of the harvest, sep- been uneven. The construction of a road
arate maize cobs from stover and clean between Chitral and Booni that is naviga-
grain. While the various tasks involved in ble by truck, and lifting the ban on agricul-
fruit collection are shared between men tural exports have been steps in the right
and women, the latter are solely responsi- direction. However, an all-weather year-
ble for processing the harvest, including round truckable road link to the rest of the
drying fruit, shelling nuts and removing country is required if the full potential of
kernels. Whether in cereal production or high-value agricultural production is to be
fruit and vegetable cultivation, weeding is tapped.
carried out by women. This arduous work,
taking up most of the day during the grow- 2.7.2 Livestock
ing reason, is essential to ensure adequate
yields. Some weed varieties are also used The combined livestock population of
as animal feed, while others are cooked Chitral in 1996 was estimated at 173,262
and consumed by the people. head of cattle, 188,822 sheep and
335,782 goats, while domestic poultry
2.7.1.7 Horticultural Research numbered 590,022. In addition, an
and Development Work unknown number of animals belonging to
in Progress Afghan refugees is also found in the area.
Households keep livestock in small herds
The arid and semi-arid climate of Chitral is of 4 to 10, depending on the household’s
ideally suited to horticulture, since it inhibits capacity to store crop residues, fodder
the proliferation of crop diseases. In areas and hay to feed animals during the winter
capable of sustaining plant growth, temper- and spring months. Chitrali cattle are not

robust, weighing only 150–200 kg, and include vaccination and treatment pro-
generally frail owing to poor nutrition. grammes; artificial insemination facilities;
Cows are kept for milk, calves for milk and training for village veterinary workers,
let-down and oxen for draught purposes. doctors and technicians in prevention,
The peak milk yield is 5 litres a day, all of diagnosis and treatment of common live-
which is consumed by the household. stock diseases. In addition, the AKRSP is
This is partly because production is attempting to introduce commercial poultry
comparatively low but also because of the farming to the area.
absence of village-level marketing facili-
2
ties for the surplus. Goats are kept for 2.7.2.3 Gender Roles in
meat, milk and hides. In Chitral, sheep’s Livestock Husbandry
milk is thought to be injurious to the
health. Sheep are kept primarily for wool, Except for the Kalash, who entrust the care
which is woven into a fabric known as shu of their goats to men, livestock and poultry
(called patti in Urdu). Wool worth approx- management is the domain of women. This
imately Rs 47 is converted into fabric includes feeding and health care as well as
valued at Rs 325, with most of this value processing animal products.
added by skilled women. Cash derived
from the sale of shu during the late winter 2.7.3 Income From Agriculture
is a crucial part of household income.
Ownership of the industry provides According to the AKRSP, an average
women with self-esteem as well as real household derives 58% of its income from
economic benefits. on-farm sources and the remainder from
off-farm activities (AKRSP, 1997). The
2.7.2.1 Major Constraints to proportion of a household’s off - f a r m
Livestock Husbandry income is directly related to its income
bracket, with poorer households earning a
Livestock productivity is constrained by a greater share of their total income from
number of factors, including feed short- on-farm sources (Figure 8). On average,
ages, inadequate veterinary cover, poor 45% of household farm income is derived
genetic potential and poorly developed from cereal, fruit and vegetable produc-
marketing facilities. Malnourished animals tion, and 32% from livestock rearing.
produce low yields and are more suscepti- While households from all income brack-
ble to parasites and disease. Besides the ets earn about the same proportion of
obvious financial losses resulting from fatal their farm income from cereals, fruit and
diseases, chronic disease induces debility vegetables, richer households earn a
and lowers productivity. Nutritional defi- greater share of their farm income from
ciency also prevents livestock from attain- livestock (Figure 9).
ing its full genetic potential, while inade-
quate veterinary cover hampers disease FIGURE 8 On-farm and off-farm
control. The overall health and genetic income as a percentage
potential of livestock may be enhanced by of total household income
means of adequate nutrition, suitable 90
Income Bracket
82
shelter and the control of disease and 80
72
parasites. Improved marketing facilities, 70
63 60
meanwhile, will enhance profits which in 60
54
50
turn could serve as an incentive to increase 40 46
40
production. 30
37
28
20
18
2.7.2.2 Current Activities in 10
0
Livestock Husbandry Bottom
20%
Lowermiddle
20%
Middle
20%
Upper middle
20%
Top
20%
Off-farm income % ■ On-farm income %

Current activities in the husbandry sector
Source: AKRSP, 1997.
under government and AKRSP initiatives

FIGURE 9 Household income from

agroforestry, livestock and More affluent households employ labour to
farming as a percentage perform tasks formerly carried out by the
of total farm income men. In less affluent families, women take
Income Bracket on additional responsibilities.
60
50
44
45 45
48
45
2.8
40
39 40 39
43
Forests
36
30
20 20
17
2.8.1 Area and Tree Stocks
15 14
12
10
According to the land cover map of the dis-
0
Bottom Lowermiddle Middle Upper middle Top
trict, Chitral’s wooded area extends over
20% 20% 20% 20% 20%
70,045 ha. Of this, oak (Quercus baloot)
Agro forestry ■ Livestock Crops, vegetable and fruits woodlands cover 24,300 ha (Mukhtar and
Source: AKRSP, 1997. Rehman, 1999). Meanwhile, the standing
volume of round wood is estimated at 13
2.7.4 Off-farm Employment million m3 (Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau
[KfW], 2000).
Few households can subsist entirely on
their small land holdings. As a result, boys Coniferous forests extend from Lowari to
and men from many families work off-farm Golain Gol, some 23 km north of Chitral
in Chitral town or down-country during the town. The distribution of coniferous forests
winter. They leave in October, after the in the district and the standing volume of
grain harvest has been threshed, and fire- various species are shown in Tables 6 and
wood and fodder collected, returning in 7. Oak forests grow in the same areas at
April or May in time for the sowing season. lower elevations. Degraded broadleaved
During their absence, traditional male forests stand in parts of Upper Chitral,
responsibilities, such as clearing snow from which is extremely denuded. Remnants of
roof tops and livestock sheds, managing
land and attending to social obligations, are TABLE 6 Distribution of coniferous
assumed by the women. forests (ha)
Range Commercial Non-commercial Total
In several families, some members are per-
Chitral (Ayun) 3,688 8,592 12,280
manently employed off-farm, working in
Drosh (North) 4,964 5,723 10,687
Pakistan’s urban centres or overseas. The
Drosh (South) 16,809 22,298 39,107
trend towards increasing off-farm employ-
Total 25,461 36,613 62,074
ment has caused the gender distribution of
Source: Forest Department, 1997.
agricultural labour to shift dramatically.
TABLE 7 Area and standing volume of coniferous forests

Selection working circle Protection working circle
Species Area Volume Volume/ha Area Volume Volume/ha
(ha) (m3) (m3) (ha) (m3) (m3)
Deodar 17,152 1,399,746 82 7,359 208,675 28

(Cedrus deodara)
Kail (Pinus 1,698 114,630 68 247 17,089 69
wallichiana)
Fir (Abies pindrow) 4,368 715,936 164 1,637 106,732 65
Spruce (Picea
smithiana)
Chilghoza 1,193 54,866 46 1,674 8,179 5
(Pinus gerardiana)
Blanks – – – 1,189 – –
Total 24,411 2,285,178 94 12,106 340,675 28
Source: Grosenic, Phillips and Pleines, 1991.

juniper forests are scattered across Upper rather increase in density, eventually attain-
Chitral all the way to the Laspur valley. ing an optimal level. Another assumption is
Protection from illegal felling is the respon- that the space vacated by felled mature
sibility of the Forest Department, which trees will be quickly filled by seedlings and
also regulates the removal of trees for local saplings from natural seed fall. However, the
needs and commercial purposes. cycle of natural regeneration is disrupted in
areas where the forest floor is under heavy
2.8.2 Timber Harvesting pressure from continuous grazing.
2
Some 25,000 ha of forest is sufficiently 2.8.3 Distribution of Timber to
dense to sustain timber harvesting, contain- Meet the Needs of Local
ing 2.5 million trees with a standing timber Rightsholders
volume of 3.1 million m3. Of this quantity,
only 0.75% is harvested each year. The No formal timber markets operate in
number of trees that may be cut annually is Chitral. Rightsholders meet their timber
determined according to the following requirements by obtaining permits from the
formula: estimate annual growth and deduct Forest Department and cutting trees free of
the volume of trees that will die or be stolen; charge, in accordance with the provisions
after these deductions, keep back more of the NWFP Management of Protected
trees from cutting so that the remaining crop Forests Rules 1975. It is up to the Range
may become denser, reaching the desired Forest Officer to verify the applicants’
density in 100 years (Ayaz, 1964). entitlement and need, and to recommend
deserving cases to the Divisional Forest
Commercial forest area is divided into Officer (DFO). On receipt of the DFO’s
equiproductive harvesting units. From approval, permits are issued to individuals
each, within the prescribed timeframe and to cut a specific number of trees from the
in accordance with an approved manage- nearest forest, provided it contains a suffi-
ment plan, mature trees at breast height cient number of mature trees. Timber grant-
(1.37 m above ground level) and with a ed in this manner cannot be sold or gifted
diameter of 71 cm or more are harvested to a third party, or taken out of the village
up to the limit of prescribed yield, as per limits, and may only be used for construc-
silvicultural requirements. If necessary, tion. The recipient is also required to plant
sub-mature trees are also removed along five new trees and tend to the saplings. The
with dead, dying and diseased trees. location where saplings are to be planted
and the duration for which they must be
The forest management plan currently in tended are both determined by the Forest
force permits the removal of 15,576 m3 of Officer. No data is available on the survival
timber annually. Of this, 4,248 m 3 is issued rate of saplings planted in this manner. Any
each year on permits to area residents for breach of these rules is punishable with
the purpose of construction. Rightsholders imprisonment for up to two years and/or a
are granted access to forests to collect fire- maximum fine of Rs 50,000.
wood, lop oak branches for fodder, graze
animals, and gather mushrooms and medic- 2.8.4 Rightsholders’ Share in the
inal plants. Data are not available on the Sale Proceeds of Timber
volume of timber removed by rightsholders.
Until the ban on commercial harvesting, Rightsholders in Chitral’s commercial
imposed in 1997 by the NWFP government forests are entitled to 60% of the income
and in force to this day, an estimated 11,328 derived from the sale of timber, with the
m3 of timber was sold annually. remaining revenue going to the govern-
ment. Between 1988 and 1997, the amount
In theory, this forest management plan is paid each year by the Forest Department to
thought to be sustainable. By limiting the the Deputy Commissioner for onward dis-
annual cut, it is assumed that forest bursement is shown in Table 8. (Following
resources will not be exhausted but will the promulgation of the NWFP Local

TABLE 8 Local people’s share

in the sale proceeds numerous disputes arose. The people of
of timber Upper Chitral lodged claims to ownership
Year Amount of forest land. In Lower Chitral, disputes
(million rupees)
exist to this day between members of the
1988 12.54 former ruling family, notables and people
1989 23.44 residing around the forests. According to
1990 30.17 the views expressed during public consul-
1991 32.36 tations held for the preparation of the
1992 53.24
Chitral Conservation Strategy (CCS), influ-
ential segments of society receive the bulk
1993 30.61
of the benefits intended for the people.
1994 19.71 Partly for this reason, poorer residents
1995 93.71 living around the forests resort to illegal
1996 90.40 felling and sell this timber surreptitiously.
1997 46.33
Source: Khattak, G. M. 1998. Forest, Grazing

2.8.6 Income to the Government
Lands and Watersheds. CCS sector paper.
From its share of the income derived from
Government Ordinance 2001, under which the sale of timber prior to 1976, the govern-
the post of Deputy Commissioner has been ment spent 32% on forest protection, 9% on
abolished, this disbursement is now made afforestation, and 5% on maintenance of
through the District Officer Revenue and buildings, roads and paths, saving 54%. In
Estate, Chitral.) These figures are mislead- 1976, the NWFP Cabinet under the chair-
ing, however, since most rightsholders have manship of the then Prime Minister of
sold their rights to a handful of forest Pakistan decided that the government’s
contractors. As a result, payments are share of the proceeds would be spent on
passed on to contractors. Partly for this the maintenance and development of
reason, and because mature trees are forests. From 1972–73 to 1997–98 the gov-
felled in any particular area only once every ernment earned Rs 319 million from the
20 years, it is difficult to estimate the forests of Chitral, spent Rs 147 million on
economic benefits of timber harvesting for protection and held back Rs 172 million.
the local people. It is likely that the bulk of
the profits accrues to forest contractors. An 2.8.7 Forest Development
in-depth investigation is needed to deter- Initiatives
mine the extent to which commercial timber
harvesting benefits local communities. From 1987 to 1997, the government’s Forest
Development Corporation spent a sum of Rs
2.8.5 Problems With the 29 million on forest nurseries, afforestation
Equitable Distribution of and soil conservation. An Integrated
the People’s Share Afforestation Scheme for Watershed
Planting has been under implementation
Until 1969, the forests of Chitral were since July 1994 at an expected cost of Rs
owned by Chitral state. The local people 47.7 million until June 1999. Other projects
were only permitted to use the forests to aimed at forest development include Income
graze animals, and collect firewood and Generating Projects for Refugees from
fodder. After the merger of Chitral state with Afghanistan II and III (funded by the United
Pakistan, ownership of these forests Nations High Commission for Refugees), the
passed to the provincial government. In CADP (supported by the International Fund
1976, the NWFP government allotted to for Agricultural Development) and the gov-
rightsholders a 60% share in the proceeds ernment’s Annual Development Programme
from the sale of timber. Following this deci- (ADP). In addition to these initiatives, the
sion, a scramble ensued to establish titles AKRSP has taken a commendable step by
to such shares. In the absence of land making forest tree planting an essential
settlement and records of ownership rights, component of all new irrigation projects

undertaken by rural communities under

AKRSP physical infrastructure ventures.
The results of such efforts remain unclear,

since no surveys have been carried out to
determine the survival rate of planted trees.
In the case of planting by organised local
communities on irrigated land, survival is
thought to be good. However, in the
2
absence of community participation,
survival on rain-fed land is likely to be poor.
2.8.8 Gender Roles in Forestry
Men collect firewood and timber from high

pastures and remote forests, while women
collect scraps of wood and thorny shrubs
when they take livestock to graze in areas
surrounding village lands.
2.8.9 Responsibility
Responsibility for the protection and man- Livestock grazing in upper Chitral
agement of forests in Chitral rests with the
DFO Chitral, assisted by Range Forest
Officers and ancillary forest protection per- Chitral, ailanthus is preferred by 44%,
sonnel in each of the Chitral (Ayun), Drosh robinia by 25%, chinar and sea buckthorn
(North), and Drosh (South) forest ranges. by 20% and mulberry by 11% of house-
The forestry sector has not been devolved holds. According to the same survey, an
under the new local government system, average household earns roughly 16% of
and remains under the jurisdiction of the its farm income from farm forestry, with
provincial government. Although stationed households in the lowest income bracket
in Chitral, the DFO reports to the provincial earning a greater proportion from farm
administrative hierarchy. forestry (20%) compared to those in the
highest income bracket (12%).
Responsibility for the agriculture sector,
meanwhile, has been devolved to the dis- 2.10
trict level. Under the new system, farm Grazing land
forestry personnel working under the
Executive District Officer (EDO) Agriculture According to the 2001 land cover map of
are to assist in tree planting on agricultural the district developed by the IUCN-CCS
land. Their responsibilities also include the Support Unit Chitral, rangelands with
promotion of forest tree nurseries, soil con- sparse vegetation cover 919,636 ha.
servation and watershed management. However, the KfW categorises grazing
land into three main classes. According to
2.9 this inventory, grazing land covers some
Agroforestry 373,600 ha, comprising 269,400 ha of
alpine and subalpine scrub, 46,600 ha of
Households sampled by the AKRSP in alpine pastures, and 57,600 ha of low-yield
1997 owned an average of 772 farm forest subtropical and temperate grazing land.
trees each, down from 828 in 1991. In The entire area under forests (70,045 ha)
Upper Chitral, poplar and willow are pre- is also grazed. Grazing lands in Chitral are
ferred by about 56% of households, and the degradation stages of forest types
Russian olive and robinia by 44%. In lower shown in Table 9.

2.10.1 Grazing System vide protection from predators. They are

milked, and dairy products are prepared.
Farm animals spend the winter in sheds, Bulls and cows not in milk are left unattend-
feeding on wheat and millet straw, maize ed, and a male from the household journeys
stover, dried alfalfa and clover, and grass to the grazing lands at regular intervals to
hay. These supplies of stored fodder run check on them and offer them salt.
out towards the early spring. Animals
weaken or die during this period unless Since livestock rearing forms only a part of
owners are able to buy feed either from the farm economy, entire families cannot
within the village or from other villages. The leave with their animals to spend the sum-
only exception to this pattern are goats mer in high-elevation grazing lands. Where
belonging to the Kalash, which graze the household is large, a few men along with
outdoors throughout the year. their close female relatives may accompany
livestock, leaving the rest of the family to
When the snow melts, animals are taken to tend to the crops. Households that are
graze on the vegetation that has begun to unable to spare any of their members for the
sprout on village land. Herds gradually entire summer entrust their livestock to oth-
work their way up to low-elevation grazing ers (Sections 2.10.1.1– 2.10.1.4 below).
lands. By about mid-June, animals belong-
ing to villages entitled to graze in subalpine 2.10.1.1 Nomadic Herdsmen
and alpine grazing lands begin moving
towards these areas. The nomadic livestock owners, originally
settled in Chitral at the invitation of its former
In high-elevation grazing lands, goats and rulers. During the summer entire Gujar
sheep are accompanied at all times, to pro- households, and occasionally the men
TABLE 9 Types of grazing land

Type Elevation Main species Comments
Moist alpine pastures Above 3,500 m Astragalus, Corydalis, Occurring on floors of

Oxytropis, Polygonum, U-shaped valleys with
Potentilla, Primula, deep loamy soils receiving
Saxifraga glacial melt water
Subalpine birch 3,500–3,800 m Birch, willow, juniper Scattered shrubs
Moist deciduous 2500 –3500 m Birch, honeysuckle,
alpine scrub juniper, wild rose
Berberis, Ephedra,
Heracleum, Prunus,
Rhamnus, Ribes
Dry temperate 1,835–3,500 m Artemisia, Capparis, These grazing lands have
coniferous scrub Delphinium, stunted replaced destroyed dry
Fraxinus xanthoxyloides, fir and dry deodar forests
Haloxylon, Hyoscyamus
niger, Rheum, Tamararix
Dry oak (Quercus 1,200–1,800 m Dry oak, wild almond, Heavily lopped dry oak
baloot) scrub willow; scattered shrubs struggling for survival
with ground vegetation
comprising Artemisia,
Caragana, Cotoneaster,
Cymbopogon, Daphne,
Ephedra, Heteropogon,
Lonicera, Periploca,
Plectranthus, Rumex,
Sophora, Spiraea
Source: KfW, 2000.

alone, take to high-elevation grazing lands often even from household to household.
with their own livestock as well as animals In village lands and low-elevation grazing
belonging to others. Besides grazing the lands, men are responsible for goats and
animals and providing protection from sheep, and women for cattle. As a rule,
predators, they milk the goats and prepare young women do not travel alone to high-
butter, ghee (clarified butter), cheese and elevation grazing lands and are accompa-
buttermilk. A portion of this produce is nied by either a close male relative or
returned to the owners while the remainder is elderly women. Grazing is generally the
either consumed or sold. The herdsmen are responsibility of the men, although in
2
paid for their services mostly in kind, with some cases women carry out this task.
commodities such as flour, tea and sugar. When women are present, milking and
Their main source of cash income is from the dairy products are almost always their
sale of the ghee they are allowed to retain. responsibility. The Kalash are the excep-
tion since, for religious reasons, their
2.10.1.2 Pazhals women are not permitted to milk goats.
Women are also responsible for feeding
Pazhals are local men or boys who work as livestock during the winter and treating
shepherds in high-elevation grazing lands. sick animals.
They provide protection from predators, milk
goats and prepare dairy products. If they are 2.10.3 Responsibility for
accompanied by a female member of their Sustainable Management of
household, she takes over some of these Grazing Lands
tasks. They are paid in cash per head of live-
stock or in the form of commodities such as The sustainable management of grazing
flour, wheat, salt, sugar, soap and shoes. In lands is a challenge even under the most
most cases, they are expected to surrender favourable of circumstances. Under
all the ghee they make to the owners. Chitral’s harsh climatic, ecological and
socio-economic conditions, however, this
2.10.1.3 Sothsiri System task is all the more difficult. As such, it is
perhaps not surprising that little by way of
This is an arrangement whereby several sustainable management has been accom-
households pool their livestock. The animals plished so far.
are then grazed in rotation for specific
periods of time by one or two men from each Watershed and range management is the
of the households. responsibility of the Forest Department, and
is one of its functions at the provincial level.
2.10.1.4 Mestoo Meanwhile the EDO Agriculture’s functions
include soil conservation and watershed
Mestoos, or traditional housekeepers, are management. The EDO is also responsible
elderly women who spend the summer in for the livestock sector, which is of course a
high-elevation grazing lands with their own critical component of any meaningful attempt
livestock as well as animals belonging to four at grazing land management. As such, graz-
or five other households. These women are ing land management may be treated as a
accompanied by a male relative who grazes function devolved by the Forest Department
the livestock and protects the animals from to the EDO Agriculture.
predators. Mestoos generally receive flour,
tea, sugar and soap in payment, and are Large-scale, cost-effective grazing land
allowed to retain part of the ghee they make. management can only be carried out with
the participation of local communities. For
2.10.2 Gender Division of this reason, devolution of grazing land
Labour in Grazing Lands management to the district level is essen-
tial. Promoting community participation in
The gender division of labour in grazing management projects is the responsibility
lands varies from village to village, and of the district government.

TABLE 10 Endangered mammal

2.11 species recorded in
Biodiversity Chitral
Common Name Scientific Name
Nestled between the Hindukush and Hindu Common Red Fox Vulpes vulpes
Raj mountains, the Chitral valley provides Brown Bear Ursus arctos
ideal growing conditions for at least 64 Asiatic or Himalayan Ursus thibetanus
endemic plant species. Chitral’s flora is sim- Black Bear
ilar to that of Central Asia, and comprises Stone Marten Martes foina
forest types listed in Table 9. The fauna, Yellow-throated Marten Martes flavigula
meanwhile, resembles that of the Western
Himalayan Palm Civet Paguma larvata
Palaearctic Faunal Region, with a slight
Stoat or Ermine Mustela erminea
oriental mix from the south. Wide variations
in altitude, from 1,094 m at Arandu in the Common Otter Lutra lutra
south to 7,726 m at Tirichmir in the north, Stiped Hyaena Hyaena hyaena
compensate for the arid climate, making the Pallas’Cat Felis manul
area an ideal habitat for a variety of plants Lynx Felis lynx
and animals. Chitral also serves as a Leopard Cat Prionailurus bengalensis
corridor for the seasonal migration of birds.
Leopard or Panther Panthera pardus
2.11.1 Mammals Snow Leopard Panthera uncia

Musk Deer Moschus chrysogaster
The number of mammal species recorded Urial or Shapu Ovis vignei
in Chitral to date is 45, which accounts for Woolly Flying Squirrel Eupetaurus cinereus
about half of all mammals recorded in the Source: Malik, Mumtaz. 1998. Biodiversity, Parks
NWFP as a whole. Wild animals typically and Protected Areas. CCS sector paper.
found in the region include the Himalayan

ibex, markhor, Pallas’ cat, Royle’s pika,
stoat and wolf, as well as two species of
bat. Chitral is also home to a number of TABLE 11 Endangered bird
species recorded in
endangered species (Table 10). Chitral
Common Name Scientific Name
2.11.2 Birds
Egyptian or Scavenger Neophron percnopetrus
Vulture
So far, 195 species of resident and migra- Eurasian Woodcock Scolopax rusticola
tory birds have been recorded in Chitral, Himalayan Griffon Vulture Gyps himalayensis
several of them endangered (Table 11). The Himalayan Monal Lophophorus impejanus
chukar (rock partridge), Himalayan snow- Koklass Pheasant Pucrasia macrolopha
cock, lammergeier, monal pheasant and biddulphi
snow partridge are resident species. Birds Lammergeier or Gypaetus barbatus
of prey, particularly the peregrine falcon and Bearded Vulture
saker falcon, inhabit the northern reaches Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea
of the valley and are vulnerable to trapping Saker Falcon Falco cherrug
for trade, while the oriental turtle dove and Snow Pigeon Columba leuconota
Chinese dove are favoured game birds. Bar-headed Goose Anser indicus
Greylag Goose Anser anser
Several species of waterfowl, some of which Marbled Teal Marmaronetta angustirostris
are endangered, migrate along the Chitral Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula
river in the autumn and spring, providing Long-legged Buzzard Buteo rufinus
hunting opportunities to local residents. A Pallid Harrier Circus macrourus
number of raptors and aquatic birds pass Red-capped Falcon Falco pelegrinoides
through the valley in the course of their Barbary Falcon Falco peregrinus
migration between breeding grounds in babylonicus
Siberia and Central Asia, and wintering Source: Malik, Mumtaz. 1998. Biodiversity,
Parks and Protected Areas. CCS sector paper.
areas in southern Pakistan and India. The

golden oriole, which visits the orchards of

Chitral in the autumn and spring, is tradition-
ally considered to be a good omen.
2.11.3 Reptiles
Of the 42 reptile species recorded by the

Zoological Survey Department throughout
the NWFP, 28 are found in Chitral. This
2
includes two turtle species, 12 types of lizard
and 14 snake varieties. The Himalayan pit
viper, Indian krait, Indian monitor, Indian
softshell turtle, Oxus cobra and saw scaled
viper and are also found in Chitral.
2.11.4 Fish
Owing to the frequent occurrence of mud-

laden flash floods, the variety of fish found
in the valley is comparatively sparse. High
altitude lakes and streams which do not
become flooded may support a greater
abundance of fish species but the Material collected for fuel purposes
resources in these areas remain to be
documented systematically. Surveys in
lower Chitral waters have found 11 including grazing, firewood collection and
species, two exotic and nine indigenous. timber harvesting.
The exotics (brown trout and rainbow
trout), introduced for sport in the cold water 2.12
streams of Bumburet, Golain, Lotkuh and Energy
Shishi, are stocked annually with hatchery-
reared fingerlings. Most of the indigenous The cooking and heating requirements of
species belong to the genus Schizothorax. Chitral’s households are for the most part
met by biomass energy in the form of
Under the NWFP Local Government wood, with close to 97% of households
Ordinance 2001, the Fisheries Department using wood stoves. Of the remainder, 2%
has been devolved and merged with the use kerosene and a mere 0.07% have
Agriculture Department at the district level. access to natural gas (GoP, 1999).
A District Officer Fisheries, reporting to the
EDO Agriculture, oversees the protection 2.12.1 Biomass
and propagation of fish resources. At the
provincial level, the Director Fisheries is The annual consumption of firewood in
responsible for policies and regulatory Chitral district is estimated to be 299,000
measures to develop, conserve and man- m3 (KfW, 2000). A little over one third of
age fisheries, as well as for research and the district’s fuel wood needs is met by the
training in this sector. annual increment in wooded growth on
farmland (15%) and grazing land (22%).
2.11.5 Parks and Protected Areas But the bulk of the firewood used, amount-
ing to 63% (182,000 m3), is taken from the
Chitral’s protected areas consist of one forest, accounting for nearly 60% of the
national park and seven game reserves, annual growth of all forests in Chitral.
covering 1,804 km2. Of these, only the
Chitral Gol National Park, spread over 77.5 The removal of large quantities of firewood
km2, is protected from consumptive use, is the dominant cause of rapid denudation

in southern Chitral, which would otherwise for use in some 1,500 vehicles. In addition,
support a fair cover of wooded vegetation. 3 million l of kerosene was provided for
To counter this drain, the AKRSP, CADP, domestic use and 4,550 cylinders of lique-
Environmental Rehabilitation Project, fied petroleum gas were circulated among
Forest Department and Forest hotels and affluent households. Natural gas
Development Corporation have all has not been supplied to the district, partly
launched ambitious forest tree plantation because the area’s rugged terrain makes
programmes. Since 1991, the AKRSP it difficult and expensive to build pipelines
alone has overseen the plantation of some to reach the area’s widely scattered popu-
6.5 million trees through village organisa- lation. Solar energy is utilised in the tradi-
tions. During the currency of the CADP, tional way to dehydrate fruits and vegeta-
community based organisations (CBOs) bles, and for heating. Hot water springs at
received 2 million saplings from the Forest Garum Chashma and Shah Salim are used
Department. for bathing and laundry.
2.12.2 Electricity From 1980 to 1984, the government con-

structed several biogas plants in various
The power supply currently available to parts of Chitral. These failed to take off for a
Chitral is shown in Table 12. For hydel number of reasons, including the scarcity of
power generation in the future, the Water cow dung, sharp temperature variations,
and Power Development Authority has and the labour intensive processes involved
identified a potential of 100 MW, while the in making these plants operational.
Sarhad Hydel Development Organization
(SHYDO) has identified a further potential 2.13
of 190 MW. SHYDO has indicated 10 Roads
feasible sites in Upper Chitral where a
generating capacity of 100,000 kW can be Hemmed in by towering mountains, Chitral
created at costs ranging from $ 1,400 to is accessible from Dir district via the Lowari
3,000 per kW, and another 12 sites in Pass, from Gilgit via the Shandur Pass and
Lower Chitral where 84,000 kW can be from Mohmand Agency via the Nawa Pass.
generated at costs ranging from $ 1,100 to The Lowari and Shandur passes remain
2,000 per kW. closed for several months during the winter
owing to heavy snowfall. Although the
2.12.3 Other Forms of Energy Nawa Pass is open throughout the year,
the road to Arandu traverses war-torn
During 1997, 11.8 million l of diesel and 1.2 Afghanistan and has not been used since
million l of petrol were supplied to Chitral the latest Afghan imbroglio. The Chitral
TABLE 12 Electricity supplied to Chitral

Agency Diesel Hydel Total Population
(kVA) (kVA) (kVA) served (%)
WAPDA (locally generated) 1,592 1,000 2,592 12.9

WAPDA (national grid) 4,500 – 4,500 9.9
CADP (microhydel) – 1,334 1,334 2.1
SHYDO 300 3,200 3,500 17.5
AKRSP(microhydel) – 3,800 3,800 24.6
Total 6,392 9,334 15,726 67.0
AKRSP Aga Khan Rural Support Programme
CADP Chitral Area Development Project
kVA kilovolt-ampere
SHYDO Sarhad Hydel Development Organization
WAPDA Water and Power Development Authority
Source: District Government Chitral and IUCN, 2001.

2
An irrigation channel under construction
valley is therefore isolated for several 2001, this department has been devolved to
months each year. Travel within Chitral the district level and renamed the Works and
itself is made difficult by the poor quality Services Department. Meanwhile, building
and limited reach of the roads network. and maintaining link roads and suspension
bridges connecting small settlements with
The 366 km Peshawar–Dir–Chitral road is the main road to Chitral town was the
the shortest land route between Chitral and responsibility of the former Chitral District
the rest of Pakistan. It is blacktopped Council, which constructed 390 km of link
throughout, except for a 24 km shingle roads and blacktopped 2 km of shingle roads
stretch in the Lowari Pass. The main road in annually with funds from the Community
Ziarat is connected to Arandu by a 32 km Uplift Programme. Under the new local gov-
shingle road, linking Chitral to the border of ernment system, the District Council has also
Afghanistan’s Kunar province. A146 km road been abolished and its responsibilities now
via the Shandur pass, connecting Chitral with fall on the Chitral and Mastuj Tehsil Municipal
Gilgit, is blacktopped for 75 km and shingled Administrations (TMAs).
the rest of the way. These roads were con-
structed by the former Communication and In the non-government sector, the CADP
Works Department, which also built the 40 constructed 222 km of farm-to-market roads,
km Chitral–Garum Chashma road (19 km of besides providing funds to widen and black-
which is blacktopped) and, with CADP top the 76 km Chitral–Booni road. For its
funding, widened and blacktopped the 76 km part, the AKRSP has built 165 km of farm-to-
Chitral–Booni road. market roads through village organisations.
Prior to the devolution of local government, According to recent statistics, Chitral’s

major roads and bridges were the responsi- internal roads network now consists of 177
bility of the provincial government’s km of blacktop and 503 km of unmetalled
Communication and Works Department roads (District Government Chitral and
using funds provided through the ADP as IUCN, 2001). The recently completed Mir
well as occasional donor assistance, as in Khani bridge connects Drosh with Arandu
the case of the Chitral–Booni road. Under and serves as an alternate road through
the NWFP Local Government Ordinance Afghanistan in the winter.

2.14 schemes and is working on two more

Irrigation schemes expected to irrigate another 1,500
ha by 1999. Since 1983, the AKRSP and
Even in the dry season, water flows through CADP have spent Rs 139 million on irriga-
the Chitral river and its tributaries at the rate tion schemes expected to cover 8,700 ha
of 100 m3/sec, swelling to 500 m3/sec in the for agriculture, forestry and fodder produc-
summer. Direct use of this water is limited to tion. The AKRSP in particular has invested
a few areas because most of Chitral’s culti- heavily in irrigation, with projects to
vated land is located at higher elevations improve 115 existing water channels and
than the river beds. For the majority of habi- build 138 new channels, 20 storage reser-
tations, glacier and snow melt from nearby voirs and one sedimentation tank. The
mountains is the main source of water for AKRSP is also executing four lift irrigation,
drinking as well as irrigation, meeting 90% six pipe irrigation and nine siphon irrigation
of current needs. Small-scale hydroelectric schemes. The CADP, meanwhile, wound
power plants, including the Reshun project, up operations in December 1997.
also rely on snow melt.
The construction of water channels has
Almost every village in Chitral is served by always been the exclusive domain of men,
a catchment area from where water is because of the physical labour involved.
carried to the village through a network of Men are also solely responsible for water-
small irrigation channels, most of which ing fields in the summer, since the quantity
have been constructed by local communi- of water needed at this time of year
ties. In some places, water from glacier and requires that irrigation be carried out at
snow melt exceeds current needs, whereas night-time as well as during the day. In the
other villages experience a shortfall. Water autumn, when night irrigation is not neces-
flows fluctuate with the seasons, as well as sary, women are known to water fields.
with annual variations in snowfall.
2.15
For centuries, local farmers have irrigated Drinking Water
their land with the help of winding channels
built along steep mountain slopes. Besides Close to 90% of Chitral’s population lives in
the gruelling labour involved, the task of rural settlements and only 41% of this popu-
constructing channels also requires that lation has access to piped drinking water
labour and resources be pooled. (GoP, 1999). Such communities depend on
Traditionally, this was accomplished other sources of water, such as springs,
through voluntary social organisation. As streams, lakes, rivers, melting snow and gla-
powerful rulers emerged in the area, they ciers. In the towns, 88% of the urban popu-
provided administrative, legal and financial lation is supplied with drinking water.
support to many such cooperative endeav-
ours. At the same time, Chitral’s former Harsh climactic conditions and rugged
rulers used forced labour to irrigate land terrain make fetching water for domestic
which was then distributed to their hench- use a punishing task. In many villages,
men. The system of irrigation in place prior women and children cover long distances
to the 1960s was built by local community daily, travelling on foot over mountain
networks as well as the state, the latter tracks in rain and snow. Arduous even at
employing forced labour. the best of times, the chore becomes haz-
ardous when tracks and bridges spanning
Since the abolition of Chitral state in 1969, raging torrents are washed away—a
three organisations have played a promi- frequent occurrence in Chitral.
nent role in developing irrigation in the
area: the provincial government’s Irrigation Recognising the critical role of potable
Department, AKRSP and CADP. The water in safeguarding public health, the
Irrigation Department has brought 1,900 ha NWFP government and donor agencies
under irrigation through 13 separate have attempted to improve the efficiency of

Chitral’s water supply. Typically, setting up local government system, the Municipal
a drinking water supply scheme involves Committee has been dissolved and
locating a source on high ground and replaced by two TMAs: Chitral and Mastuj.
conveying the water to habitations at Operation and maintenance of the system
lower elevations. The distribution network is now the responsibility of an autonomous
operates on the principle of gravity, and unit within the TMAs.
consists of underground or overground
pipelines and storage tanks constructed at Since 1993, 11 drinking water schemes
various elevations to ensure smooth flow. have been completed under the first phase
2
of the Social Action Programme (SAP).
Before devolution, the Public Health Under the five-year SAP Phase 2,
Engineering Department (PHED) was the launched in July 1998, supply will be fur-
principal government agency responsible ther extended, with CBOs participating in
for supplying potable water to the area. By project identification, planning, design and
2001, the PHED had completed 160 implementation.
schemes costing Rs 194 million. Under the
CADP, the PHED completed 70 more
drinking water schemes with the participa- Harsh climactic conditions and
tion of village organisations. Of these, 20 rugged terrain make fetching water
were handed over to village communities
for operation and maintenance. In the case for domestic use a punishing task. In
of schemes that are currently in a state of many villages, women and
disrepair, funding needs to be secured for
their rehabilitation before local communi- children cover long distances daily,
ties will be willing to take over operation. travelling on foot over mountain
Until 1988, all of Chitral district was treated tracks in rain and snow.
as a rural area, with the now-defunct District
Council responsible for supplying drinking
water. The Council completed 500 small 2.16
village-level schemes with financial and Sanitation and Solid Waste
technical assistance from the United Disposal
Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the
participation of village organisations created Sanitation and solid waste disposal facilities
by the AKRSP and CADP. On completion, in Chitral are deplorable. Rural area resi-
these schemes were handed over to village dents defecate in the countryside, or in a
organisations for operation and maintenance. corner of their homes from where the exc-
Since the dissolution of elected councils, reta is removed by women and dumped on
UNICEF assistance has come to a halt. rubbish heaps. The situation in the towns is
as bad if not worse, because vacant spaces
In 1988, when Chitral town was declared an that may be used as latrines are not avail-
urban area, a Municipal Committee was able around the houses. The Chitral TMA
established. With financial assistance from offers a semblance of solid waste removal
the KfW and technical help from the PHED, services, collecting 2 of the 9 t of waste
in 1994 the Municipal Committee completed generated daily. In the absence of incinera-
the Chitral Town Drinking Water Supply tors, landfill sites or other means of
Project at a cost of Rs 10.6 million, convey- disposal, the TMA simply burns the refuse
ing water from the Angarghoon spring in the open air along river banks. Individual
through a 32 km pipeline. This scheme households burn or bury their waste, or
supplies 1.5 million gal of water daily to 60% throw garbage into rivers or side streets.
of the population of Chitral town along with While 75–85% of the homes in Chitral town
nine surrounding villages. Supply metres are equipped with soakage pits, some
have been installed in households receiving households discharge their sewage into
water through this network. Under the new drains which carry the untreated effluent

FIGURE 10 Percentage of population

directly into the Chitral river. In 1990, the enrolled in education
PHED constructed a shallow sewerage 90
Age Group (years)
system in Rehan Kot, but this has ceased to 77

■ Male
80
function owing to poor maintenance. ■ Female
70
60
The problem of sanitation and solid waste 54
52
disposal in Chitral stems from the topogra- 50 46
phy of the area and the haphazard manner 40 37
in which habitations have sprung up. 30 24

Because of the mountainous terrain, settle- 20
11
ments are widely scattered. Since level land 10 4
1.3 0.4
with soil cover is pre-empted for agriculture, 0
habitations are squeezed into narrow 5 to 9 10 to 14 15 to 19 20 to 24 25 to 44

valleys. As a result, towns in the area have
developed as warrens with cramped streets
which hamper waste removal. At the same Higher education is provided by a degree
time, the rocky ground on which houses are college in Chitral and an intermediate
built precludes the construction of an under- college in Booni, both of which are for men.
ground sewerage system. As long as the A degree college for women began func-
population of the valley was sparse, such tioning in Chitral town in 1996 with an initial
conditions were tolerable. But population enrolment of 31 students. The Chitral
growth has exacerbated the scale of the Commerce College, established in 1986,
problem, rendering the current situation has so far granted more than 100
unacceptable. Bachelor’s degrees. The Elementary
Education College of Chitral has seen 835
Under the new local government system, students completing courses at various
the PHED has been merged with the levels since its inception in 1988. By 1997,
district government’s Works and Services the College had awarded certificates to 159
Department. Responsibility for sanitation secondary teachers, 649 primary teachers
and waste removal now falls on the Water and 27 drawing instructors. Through the
Supply and Sanitation Unit of this depart- electronic media, meanwhile, the Allama
ment, headed by a Deputy District Officer Iqbal Open University offers courses in
who oversees the activities of one Assistant general and technical education, as well as
District Officer and three sub-engineers teacher training.
each in Chitral and Mastuj. Sewerage,
sewage treatment and disposal is also the 2.17.1 Village-level Training
responsibility of the TMAs.
Capacity building is an essential component
2.17 of the work of the AKRSP and CADP. The
Education and Training AKRSP has provided natural resource man-
agement and vocational training to 844
Close to 51% of males and 31% of females village and women’s organisations and
from 5 to 24 years of age are enrolled in managers, as well as 9,343 village special-
some form of education (Figure 10). The dis- ists and village accountants (AKRSP,
trict government’s Education Department 2001). The CADP has trained 2,300 vil-
runs 608 primary, 54 middle and 49 high lagers in various aspects of agriculture, hor-
schools. Aga Khan Education Services ticulture, livestock rearing, forestry and
(AKES), the leading non-government poultry farming, in addition to training
agency involved in this sector, has estab- women in sewing and embroidery. The Aga
lished 34 primary, 14 middle and three high Khan Planning and Building Services has
schools for girls with a combined enrolment trained 1,619 individuals in basic engineer-
of more than 6,000. Also operating in the ing, carpentry, plumbing and electrical work,
area are 36 private schools, four of which while the AKES has trained 200 villagers in
are high schools. school management and organisation.

2.17.2 Skills Training nected to the nationwide dialling network

through a microwave satellite station. Over
The Chitral Wood Working Centre, estab- the last three decades, Chitral has been
lished in 1989 by the provincial govern- linked via digital exchanges to the world-
ment’s Small Industries Development wide dialling system.
Board, has trained 16 local men, none of
whom has managed to set up a business. The main digital exchange in Chitral with a
Instead, carpentry is dominated by artisans capacity of 1,800 lines is connected to a
from outside Chitral, who provide on-the-job network of digital exchanges at Ayun
2
training to local residents. In other sectors, (9,300 lines), Booni (300 lines), Drosh (900
two privately-owned computer centres lines), Garum Chashma (102 lines), Mastuj
impart basic computer literacy skills; some (500 lines) and Reshun (200 lines). Two
37 vehicle maintenance and repair shops, Mega Tag exchanges with a capacity of
employing 46 skilled and 49 semi-skilled 100 lines each at Gahiret and Oveer are
workers, provide apprenticeships to local also linked to this network. Similar facilities
youth; and over 1,500 vehicle drivers will be extended to Mulkhow and Torkhow
employ trainees as cleaners. in the near future.
2.18 2.20
Health Environment
2.18.1 Public Sector Environmental protection is the responsi-
bility of the TMAs. Their functions in this
Three hospitals, three rural health centres, regard, as detailed in the NWFP Local
22 basic health units, 22 dispensaries and Government Ordinance 2001, include: (i)
three maternity care health centres operate controlling land use, land subdivision, land
in the public sector. These facilities are development and zoning in both the public
staffed by 33 male doctors, four female and private sector; and (ii) providing, man-
doctors, 23 female health visitors, three aging, operating, maintaining and improv-
female and 180 male technicians, three ing water supply, sewerage, sanitation and
nurses and 290 trained birth attendants. solid waste disposal; traffic planning;
Health services are also provided by six parks, playgrounds, open spaces and
family planning centres with a combined arboriculture (GoNWFP, 2001).
staff of seven women (one doctor and six
health visitors). In 1988, two hospitals, 30 In addition, the provincial government has
dispensaries, four rural health centres and set up a District Environmental Protection
13 basic health units were operating in the Committee in Chitral with the following
area. members: EDOs of the concerned devolved
departments; the DFO Chitral; the
2.18.2 Private Sector Executive Engineer Irrigation Chitral; and
representatives of the AKRSP, CCS Unit
The Aga Khan Health Services (AKHS) and CBOs working at the grassroots level.
provides medical treatment at 29 health
centres, staffed by 17 male and four female 2.21
doctors, as well as 383 community health Social Organisation
workers. In addition, the AKHS has trained
366 women as birth attendants. Historically, Chitral’s tradition of voluntary
social organisation was provided legal
2.19 cover and administrative support by the
Telecommunications area’s princely rulers. With the end of their
rule, the system they fostered fell into disar-
The British colonial administration first ray. Today, the non-government sector has
installed telephone and telegraph facilities taken up the task of creating grassroots
in Chitral in 1904. In 1978, Chitral was con- organisations. From December 1982 to

December 2000, the AKRSP set up 758 vil- Seasonal migration is a unique feature of
lage organisations with a total membership Chitral’s employment landscape. During
of 29,116 as well as 382 women’s organisa- the winter, young men without a local
tions with a combined membership of source of off-farm income migrate to the
10,590. During its involvement in Chitral cities in search of work. Most are hired as
from 1989 to 1997, the CADP worked to unskilled labour in the construction indus-
establish grassroots organisations as well. try. Similarly, students forced to terminate
As a result, community organisation their education owing to financial hardship
appears once again to be thriving across accompany their relatives to the cities in
Chitral, with the exception of a few uncoop- search of employment in factories and
erative areas or households. households. Most such migrants return to
their villages in the summer to participate in
2.22 agricultural activities. Relatively fewer men
Employment work in the Middle East, mostly as unskilled
labour.
According to the 1998 census, 33,778
males and 2,550 females aged 10 years 2.22.1 Formal Sector
and above are employed (GoP, 1999). Of
this group, 160 boys and 33 girls are aged The government is the major formal-sector
between 10 and 14 years. The majority of employer in Chitral, with 14,000 individuals
men are engaged in public or private working in various organisations and
service (41%) and agriculture (28%), with departments. Among non-governmental
fewer individuals employed in trade (9%), organisations (NGOs), Aga Khan
transport (6%) and construction (5%). Development Network institutions are the
Women are for the most part employed in largest employers in the area, with a com-
public and private service (50%), cottage bined staff of close to 700. Until recently,
industries (44%) and agriculture (3%) women in Chitral, as in other rural areas of
(Table 13). The census also shows that the country, worked primarily in the educa-
24,846 males aged 10 to 64 (23,986 aged tion or health sectors. NGOs have expand-
15 to 64) are facing unemployment (looked employment opportunities in recent
ing for work and/or laid off). Only 42 years, creating jobs for women in a variety
females (aged 15 to 24 years) are looking of fields, including social organisation,
for work and two girls between 10 and 14 forestry, agriculture and animal husbandry.
years of age have been laid off. Although In the health care sector, the AKHS staff of
a substantial 97,982 women are engaged 179 already includes 51 women.
in domestic labour in their own homes, Employment prospects for women have
they are not taken into account in the further improved with the establishment of
census. private schools.
TABLE 13 Employment in Chitral district, 1998 (%)

Employment Status All areas Rural Areas Urban Areas
Species Both Male Female Both Male Female Both Male Female
Sexes Sexes Sexes
Self-employment 45.85 45.95 44.60 48.58 48.55 48.85 29.47 30.67 8.13
Employee
(government) 38.98 38.73 42.17 35.81 35.68 37.41 58.08 56.68 83.04
Employee (auto) 2.17 2.17 2.21 2.17 2.18 2.10 2.15 2.09 3.18
Employee
(private) 9.94 10.44 3.54 10.18 10.74 3.33 8.53 8.71 5.30
Employer 0.38 0.38 0.37 0.24 0.23 0.41 1.19 1.25 –
Unpaid family
helper 2.68 2.33 7.11 3.02 2.62 7.90 0.58 0.60 0.35
Total 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100

2.22.2 Informal Sector neurial training, facilitate the acquisition of

credit, supply market information, create
The informal sector provides jobs in small market linkages and encourage the
businesses, village shops, grocery stores, formation of marketing associations.
cloth retail shops, food stores, flour shops, Although the Division has a long way to go
transport operations and repair, and fruit and in launching an effective microenterprise
vegetable vending. Meanwhile, the operation programme, it has managed to raise the
of hotels, tandoors (bread ovens) and butcher farmgate price of apples, pears and pota-
shops is dominated by Afghan refugees. toes. Another noteworthy AKRSP initiative
2
has been the recent establishment of North-
2.23 South Seeds, which operates mainly in
Microenterprise Gilgit and runs a production office in Hunza
as well as a production unit in Chitral.
Before its merger with Pakistan in 1969,
Chitral state was by and large a self-sufficient, Although its own mandate was confined to
isolated mountain valley. Its artisans manu- horticulture, the PHP recognised the impor-
factured a variety of handicrafts that were tance of an integrated approach to
sold locally or presented as souvenirs to microenterprise development. During its
visitors who ventured into the region. currency, it provided assistance to farmers
Traditional craftwork is still practised in certain at each step of the production cycle from
areas: woollen shu (or patti) in Mogh; carpets pre-production to post-marketing.
in Booni; pelask (goat-hair rugs) in Bumburet;
wood carving in Jughore; traditional women’s 2.24
dresses and capes in the Kalash valley; Cultural Heritage
woollen gowns in Khorkashandeh and
Torkhow; and embroidered belts, caps, Chitral’s unique culture has developed over
cushion covers, tea cosies, tea mats and many millennia, with more than a dozen
waistcoats in Yurjogh. Besides traditional ethnic groups speaking as many languages
cottage industry, the AKRSP, CADP and PHP scattered across isolated mountain valleys.
have initiated a number of ventures in new Many of the ancestors of Chitral’s present-
sectors involving the production, packaging day inhabitants fled to these valleys to
and marketing of dried apricots, apricot escape the turmoil of surrounding coun-
kernels and kernel oil; fruits, vegetables and tries. As a result, the culture of the people
potatoes; and commercial poultry farming. of Chitral is more closely linked to the cul-
tures of Central Asia and China, rather than
Entrepreneurial training, investment and the rest of South Asia.
aggressive marketing at both the national
and international level will be required to 2.24.1 Architecture
make such ventures viable and profitable in
the long term. Improving communications The royal palace in Chitral and the forts in
with the outside world, particularly during the Birmoghlasht, Chitral, Drasun, Drosh, Mastuj,
winter months when the snowbound Lowari Naghar, Shagram and Shoghore are now pri-
and Shandur passes cut off road transport, vately owned and in varying stages of decay.
is also crucial to ensure the sustainable In addition to the ruins of forts dating back to
growth of the microenterprise sector. the fourth and fifth centuries BC, Chitral is
home to several preserved forts, fortresses
Of all the agencies working in Chitral, the and towers from a more recent era. Also of
AKRSP and PHP alone have taken a seri- interest are single- and double- storied
ous interest in developing microenterprise, houses built in typical Khow and Kalash style.
albeit on a small scale. Building on its initial The Khow house, or baipash, is an integral
success in promoting apricot production part of a fort complex, providing several
and marketing, the AKRSP in 1998 created facilities under one roof (bedroom, drawing
an Enterprise Development Division which room and kitchen). Traditional Chitrali build-
aims to provide vocational and entrepre- ings are embellished with wood carvings.

2.24.2 Arts and Crafts and souz, are part of the folk heritage of
Central Asia.
Chitral’s artisans manufacture a wide
range of elegant and delicately crafted 2.24.7 Folk Songs
products, including pottery, weaponry and
jewellery; woodwork; and embroidered, Folk songs serve as a repository of regional
woven and knitted textiles. Clay, wood, history. The folk poets of Chitral sing war
stone, bone, animal skin and copper are songs as well as love ballads. Epics are
the materials most commonly used. popular among the Kalash, while Khowar
Chitral’s woollen fabric, shu (or patti), poets prefer romantic verse. Elements of
embroidered cloth and walnut-wood furni- nature and the environment are also
ture are popular in handicraft markets depicted in song.
throughout the country.
2.24.8 Folklore
2.24.3 Traditional Costumes and
Dresses The folklore of Dameli, Kalash, Khowar,
Wakhi and other languages of Chitral is
Traditional Khow and Kalash clothing is vast and varied. A vibrant tradition of folk
made from wool and silk, decorated with stories, some as long as novels, has been
beads and shells. The traditional cap passed down from generation to genera-
(pakol) and gown (chugha) are popular tion. These narratives are richly populated
items in major cities throughout the country, with superhuman characters participating
as are typical Chitrali shoes (khone) which in metaphysical events. Chitral’s story-
resemble long riding boots. tellers employ a unique style where every
tale begins and ends in the same way. The
2.24.4 Local Food and storyteller starts with the incantation: “Day
Beverages and night lie to each other; you and I lie to
each other; a curse be on the one who first
The area’s vast culinary repertoire of foods told a lie. I know not if it was thus, I know
and beverages is unique in terms of both not if it was so, but it is said there was a
flavour and presentation. Chitrali cuisine is still king. . .” Every story closes with the words:
prepared and served in a traditional fashion. “It was an interesting event; I was awarded
a lame horse which could not reach my
2.24.5 Local Games and Sports destination.”
Polo and falconry are the most popular 2.24.9 Legendary Sites
recreational pursuits in Chitral, while proto-
types of cricket, football and hockey are Among the many locations immortalised in
also played. The people hunt for sport as legend and folklore are Braro-khongor
well as to supplement their diet. (near Shandur), Khongor-diru-bokht
(Barenis), Khow-bokht (Mulkhow),
2.24.6 Music and Dance Khudayo-rash (Rizhun), Qalandar-botiru-
bokht (Rayeen) and Rakhun, a mountain
Music and dance are at the heart of Chitrali visible from Garum Chashma.
culture. The performance of music is not
considered to be a profession confined to a 2.24.10 Historic Military Sites
few families, as is the case in the rest of the
sub-continent. Rather, Chitral’s rich and Chitral is home to a number of heritage
varied musical tradition is part of the fabric sites where important battles were fought in
of everyday life. Every occasion calls for a the past. Chokul Waht, Darband, Gasht,
different rhythm, while certain beats are Jutilasht, Khandan, Khorkashandeh, Nisur
served for particular individuals. The Gole and Rabat are among the dozens of
Chitrali sitar is famous throughout the world such areas of historical interest. The ruins
and traditional dances, such as the dani of ancient forts dating as far back as the

2
A view of Chitral Town
third century BC are located in Ashret, times, when trade caravans traversed the
Brep, Muzhgol and Uchusht (Ghufran, region from Kashgar and Bukhara to Kabul
1962; Stein, 1921). and Peshawar. Kalash and Khow culture
was first introduced to anthropologists,
2.24.11 Indigenous Tribes— ethnologists, linguists and mountaineers
the Kalash through the writings of British colonial
officers and explorers. Tourism was devel-
With its origins lost in the mists of antiquity, oped as an industry after Chitral state
this ancient tribe is a unique cultural merged with Pakistan in 1969. Until only
resource. Four festivals mark the highlights recently, close to 16,000 tourists visited
of the Kalash calendar. Joshi, the spring Chitral annually, 2,000 of whom were
festival, when girls pick the first flowers of foreign nationals (AKRSP, 2000b).
the year, is held on May 14–15. It is cele-
brated with dancing, social visits and the Chitral’s main tourist attractions are moun-
exchange of milk and dairy products. taineering, a pleasant summer climate and
Utchal is observed for two days in mid-July the unique culture of the Kalash people.
to mark the wheat and barley harvest, and With its rugged landscape and rich biodi-
involves song, dance and feasting. Pul, on versity, the area is also an ideal destination
December 20–21, marks the grape and for ecotourism. However, picnic spots,
walnut harvest, while Chowmass, from trekking routes and other areas of cultural
December 18 to 21, welcomes the new significance are yet to be identified and
year with feasting, drinking, dancing and opened to visitors. At present, the absence
the sacrifice of goats (GoP, 1999). of an all-weather road link with the rest of
the country is the single most important
2.25 constraint to the development of tourism.
Tourism Meanwhile, local communities lack interest
in developing this sector perhaps because
The area that is now Chitral has been its potential importance is not widely
exposed to foreign influences since ancient recognised.

Rather than destroying natural habitat or 2.27

diluting the unique culture of the area, sus- Governance Structure
tainable and environment-friendly tourism
can help preserve the cultural heritage of Good governance is critical to the promotion
Chitral and protect the ecosystem. of sustainable development. Following the
Carefully planned and monitored initiatives promulgation of the NWFP Local
will serve to promote indigenous cultures Government Ordinance 2001, implementa-
and traditions, while ensuring that a bal- tion of a devolved system of local govern-
ance is maintained between the interests of ment is underway. With planning, develop-
various groups and the conservation of ment and monitoring transferred to the local
nature. At the same time, income from level, it is expected that an environment
tourism can be channelled to fund environ- conducive to sustainable development will
mental protection as well as development be created. In order for the system to attain
in other sectors. its full potential, it will be necessary to build
the capacity of each individual in the system.
2.26
Mineral Resources Local government in Chitral district now com-
prises a District Government and Zilla
The area’s rugged topography and inacces- Council, as well as TMAs, Tehsil Councils,
sibility make mineral exploration a labour- Union Administrations, and Union and Village
and resource-intensive task. As a result, Councils. The organisation of the new system
Chitral’s mineral reserves have not been sys- and progress made so far in implementation
tematically explored. Known deposits based are discussed in Sections 2.27.1–2.27.11 below.
on fragmentary surveys are shown in Table
14. Since mining activities are notorious for 2.27.1 District Government
the environmental damage they cause,
proposals for large-scale mining in Chitral Heading Chitral’s district government is the
must be examined with extreme caution. Zilla Nazim, who provides leadership and
TABLE 14 Mineral resources

Location Mineral Deposit
Awiret Gol Fine grained lead-antimony sulphide ore, also containing gold, silver, tin and
vanadium (estimated at 290 t)
Krinj, Partsan Antimony ore mined on a small scale (estimated at 8,617 t)
Damel Nisar Good quality magnetite ore (estimated at 7.3 million t)
Reshun Marble and dolomite, inter-bedded with limestone and shale
Gahiret, Kalash
valleys, Shoghore Large quantities of fine quality marble
Gahiret, Koghuzi Large quantities of granite
Lonkuh, Mirghash Arsenic minerals such as orpiment and realgar occur in large deposits
some 4,000 m above sea level in Terich valley
Kaldam Gol (Drosh) Galena, pyrite and copper minerals such as chalkopyrite reported
Pakhtori (Oveer) Quartz veins containing lead-zinc ore and copper
Melp gol (Rayeen) Antimony
Kushum Antimony in large quantity
Koghuzi, Reshun, Shoghore Granite, marble and dolomite
Golain Soapstone
Tar (Shishikuh) Talc
Munoorgol (Garum Chashma) Gemstones such as aquamarine and topaz
Madashil Dolomite, galene and pyrite
Source: Geological Survey of Pakistan, 2000; Aslam and Khan, 2002.

vision for development initiatives, and is work of Tehsil Officers responsible for
responsible for ensuring effective and effi- municipal regulations, infrastructure,
cient administration. The Nazim’s specific services, finance and planning.
functions are detailed in the NWFP Local
Government Ordinance 2001. The TMA performs the following functions:
■ preparing plans for land use and zoning
The District Administration consists of in collaboration with Union Councils;
district offices, including the sub-offices of obtaining Tehsil Council approval for
those departments now devolved to the plans; and implementation;
2
district level, as well as other offices set ■ controlling land use, subdivision,
up and grouped under the EDOs. The development and zoning in the public
work of these departments is coordinated and private sector;
by the District Coordination Off i c e r ■ enforcing municipal laws, rules and by-
(DCO), appointed by the provincial laws; and
government. ■ operating, maintaining and improving the
municipal infrastructure, providing
The DCO Chitral is the Coordinating Head services in a number of sectors,
of the District Administration, which including water supply, waste disposal
includes the magistracy, finance and plan- and communications.
ning, education and literacy, health, com-
munity development, agriculture, revenue, 2.27.4 Tehsil Council
and works and services. Since responsibil-
ity for forests, wildlife, electricity and irriga- Members of the Tehsil Council include the
tion has not been devolved to the district Naib Nazims of all Union Councils, as well
level, these sectors continue to operate as representatives of women, peasants,
under provincial hierarchies. workers and minority communities elected
on reserved seats. The Tehsil Council
The district government performs its func- considers for approval the Municipal
tions in accordance with the provisions of the Administration’s proposals on taxes, by-
NWFP Local Government Ordinance 2001 laws, annual budgets, land use zoning, and
and the rules made pursuant to this law. development master plans. The Council
also elects tehsil-level monitoring, justice
2.27.2 Zilla Council and accounts committees.
The Zilla Council comprises all Union 2.27.5 Union Administration

Nazims, except for women, peasant,
worker and minority community represen- The Union Administration is headed by a
tatives elected on reserved seats. The Union Nazim, and comprises a Naib Union
Council considers for approval by-laws, tax Nazim and up to three secretaries. The
and budget proposals as well as develop- Union Nazim provides leadership for union-
ment plans. Besides other functions speci- level development, oversees preparation of
fied in the Local Government Ordinance, it the budget and annual development plans,
also elects committees to administer a organises management of inter-village
range of matters from justice and code of infrastructure and constitutes the
conduct to sports and culture. Musalihati Jarga (reconciliation council).
The Union Administration’s functions
2.27.3 Tehsil Municipal include:
Administration ■ collecting and updating socio-economic
data;
The TMA is headed by the Tehsil Nazim, ■ consolidating and prioritising village
who oversees development at the tehsil development needs, formulating propos-
level and is responsible for municipal serv- als, securing Union Council approval,
ices. ATehsil Municipal Officer appointed by and recommending these schemes to
the provincial government coordinates the the district government or TMA;

■ providing and maintaining drinking water ■ forming stakeholders’ associations to

supply; secure community involvement in the
■ regulating grazing areas; and maintenance of specific facilities; and
■ executing union-level ADP projects ■ catalysing bottom-up planning and
through contractors in the private sector. ownership incentives.
2.27.6 Village Council A CCB is a non-profit organisation regis-

tered with the provincial Social Welfare
The Village Council may consist of Department. In carrying out its purposes, it
anything from 5 to 11 members, and is may interact with voluntary community
headed by the individual securing the high- welfare organisations and raise funds
est number of votes from village residents. through voluntary contributions, gifts,
Its responsibilities include developing and donations, grants and endowments. In
improving water supply sources, making accordance with the provisions of the
arrangements for sanitation and waste dis- NWFP Local Government Ordinance 2001,
posal, organising watch and ward, mobilis- CCBs may also receive project-based cost-
ing voluntary resources for municipal work, sharing support from any local government,
facilitating the formation of cooperatives, including matching grants of up to 80% of
and fostering community involvement in the budgeted amount of an approved
irrigation and tree plantation initiatives. development scheme. These grants are to
be disbursed from the district government’s
development budget, half of which is
Good governance, decentralised reserved for this purpose.
planning, and the empowerment
2.27.8 Musalihati Jarga
of marginalised groups and local
Within 30 days of its election, the Insaf
communities with a bottom-up (justice) Committee of each Union is to
select for the duration of its tenure three
approach to service delivery are conciliators from amongst the local
priority issues for natural residents. The individuals selected must
command respect in the community for
resource management and their integrity and good judgement, and
are to serve on the Musalihati Jarga
sustainable development under (reconciliation council). The Union Nazim,
the CCS. members of the Insaf Committee and the
Conciliators are to use their good offices to
achieve an amicable settlement of
disputes amongst Union residents through
2.27.7 Citizen Community Board mediation, conciliation and arbitration.
Settlements are to be attempted if all
A group of non-elected citizens may set up parties agree to this process, and the
a Citizen Community Board (CCB) in a service is to be provided free of charge.
local area for the purpose of undertaking Any court of competent jurisdiction may
the following voluntary self-help initiatives: refer a matter to the Musalihati Jarga for
■ improving the delivery of services by a settlement.
pubic facility;
■ developing and managing a new public 2.27.9 Provincial Local
facility; Government Commission
■ welfare of handicapped or destitute
individuals, widows and impoverished The provincial government is to appoint a
families; Provincial Local Government Commission
■ establishing farming, marketing and comprising two members from civil
consumer cooperatives; society (one each nominated by the

Leader of the House and the Leader of the ■ agriculture (agriculture extension,
Opposition in the provincial assembly), livestock, fisheries, farm forestry,
two qualified and experienced technocrats sericulture, agriculture engineering, soil
selected by the government, and the conservation, watershed management
Secretary Local Government and Rural and cooperatives);
Development. The Commission performs ■ works and services (district roads and
the following functions: bridges, water supply and sanitation);
■ conducting annual and special inspec- ■ community development (social welfare,
tions of local governments, and submit- rural community development, centre for
2
ting reports on their performance to the handicapped children); and
provincial chief executive; ■ revenue and estates.
■ undertaking special audits;
■ resolving disputes between district The following sectors remain under the
governments; and control of the provincial government:
■ inquiring into matters brought up by the ■ higher education,
DCO where the DCO considers the ■ district headquarters hospital,
orders of the Zilla Nazim unlawful, or ■ irrigation,
the Zilla Nazim complains against the ■ forests and wildlife,
DCO. ■ district accounts office,
The Commission is appointed for a four- ■ police, and
year term and reports to the chief executive ■ judiciary.
of the province.
2.28
2.27.10 Zilla Mohtasib Nexus Between Devolution
and the Chitral
The government is to appoint a Zilla Conservation Strategy
Mohtasib (ombudsman) for the district to
redress citizen’s complaints against district Good governance, decentralised planning,
government officials. and the empowerment of marginalised
groups and local communities with a
2.27.11 Progress Made in bottom-up approach to service delivery are
Implementation priority issues for natural resource
management and sustainable development
The local government system has begun under the CCS. For its part, the new local
functioning in Chitral. The following government system emphasises the need
departments have been devolved from the for decentralised planning and participatory
provincial level and merged with the district development. The CCS and the new local
government: government share common concerns
■ finance, planning and development; regarding poverty alleviation and environ-
■ education (primary, secondary and mental conservation.
literacy);
■ health (civil hospitals, dispensaries, rural The nexus between the CCS and the new
health clinics, basic health units, local government system is embodied in
maternity and child health care, malaria Section 140(4)(a) of the Local Government
and tuberculosis control, vaccination and Ordinance, which provides for a crystallised
drug control); vision for integrated development of the dis-
■ industries (commerce colleges, trict, to be formulated and presented by the
vocational institutes, skill development Zilla Mushavirat (consultation) Committee
centres); on behalf of the district government.

For development initiatives to be successful as well as sustainable, coordinated
efforts are required in a number of sectors with the full involvement of the
government. Chitral is no exception to this rule. In addition to the work of
non-governmental organisations, support will be necessary from the judiciary,
executive and police, as well as government departments responsible for health,
education, water and other amenities, to ensure long-term sustainable development.
Major Past and Present

Chapter 3
Development Initiatives

Major Past and Present Development Initiatives
TABLE 15 Human resource

3.1 development
Government Departments Type of training Number
Village organisation managers 690
The Public Health Engineering
Women’s organisation managers 156
Department has played a role in stemming
Village organisation managers
water-borne diseases by providing potable (conferences/workshops) 1,709
water to 63% of the population. The Water
Women’s organisation managers
and Power Development Authority (conferences/workshops) 577
(WAPDA) supplies 25% of the area’s elec-
Valley specialists/master trainers 140
tricity. The Irrigation Department serves
Village accountants 47
the needs of 15% of Chitral’s irrigated
area. The Agriculture Department’s Individual specialists (natural resource
management/other technical sectors) 8,461
research and extension unit seeks to apply
new knowledge to local conditions. The Male villagers (vocational skills) 46
Forest and Wildlife Department is respon- Female villagers (vocational skills) 119
sible for the protection of biodiversity. The Source: AKRSP2000a.
former Communication and Works
Department created arteries for trade and tice and the development of physical
commerce by building and maintaining infrastructure.
main roads, while the now-defunct District
Council expanded the network with link 3.2.1 Social Organisation
roads and bridges.
The major thrust of the AKRSP’s develop-
ment policy has been to improve agricul-
Public perception about the ture, livestock husbandry and forestry by
effectiveness of public-sector providing inputs and training village
workers in improved technologies. By
development remains negative, December 2000, the AKRSP had formed
largely because such initiatives 758 village organisations and 382 women’s
organisations, with 29,116 and 13,590
lack vigour and continuity.
members, respectively, and combined
savings of Rs 95 million. The AKRSP has
also created 79 cluster organisations. Its
From 1997–98 to 1999–2000, education, achievements in human resource develop-
health, public health engineering, social ment until December 2000 are summarised
welfare, transport, communications, irriga- in Table 15.
tion and regional development have
received major funding from the govern- 3.2.2 Physical Infrastructure
ment. Public perception about the effective-
ness of public-sector development remains The AKRSP’s most important achieve-
negative, largely because such initiatives ments in the development of physical infra-
lack vigour and continuity. structure have been to extend irrigation to
8,837 ha of previously unirrigated land and
3.2 improve the existing irrigation system over
Aga Khan Rural Support 12,933 ha. Its outstanding contribution,
Programme however, has been to pioneer siphon
irrigation, which allows water to be
Launched in 1984, the Aga Khan Rural conveyed to land that cannot be irrigated
Support Programme (AKRSP) experi- by open channels. This system has been
mental project in Chitral was regularised successfully replicated by the Chitral Area
in January 1986. Its aim is to enhance the Development Project (CADP).
quality of life of the people of Chitral
through social organisation, self-reliance, Microhydels established by the AKRSP gen-
skills training, improved agricultural prac- erate 3,800 kVA of electricity, the second-

3
Tapping the water for community needs
largest single contribution to Chitral’s power Today, 575 village organisations are
supply after WAPDA. To facilitate operation engaged in cooperative marketing, assisted
and maintenance, the AKRSP has trained by loans and training. So far 1,087 male and
254 plant operators. This initiative is doubly 841 female entrepreneurs have been
important because microhydels are likely to trained in enterprise development, improved
be the main source of electricity for a large woollen cloth making (women), post-harvest
number of small scattered habitations that management, fresh fruit marketing, fruit pro-
cannot cost-effectively be connected to the cessing and drying,potato and vegetable
national grid or other local projects. In the marketing, poultry farming, operation and
communications sector, the AKRSP has management of retail business, and
constructed farm-to-market roads. business plan preparation.
3.2.3 Enterprise Development 3.2.4 Shubinak House
The AKRSP’s entry into the field of enter- Guilds of spinners and weavers brought
prise development is driven by a recognition together under the AKRSP’s Shubinak
of the fact that increasing agricultural pro- House Project have played a significant role
duction alone will not serve to materially in promoting shu (also known as patti), the
enhance the quality of life of the population. traditional woollen fabric of the area. These
Since only a small area is under agriculture guilds produce woollen products and supply
and most land holdings are small, simply value-added clothing to the market. Funded
increasing crop yields will not make the by the Swiss Agency for Development and
desired impact on agricultural income. Cooperation (SDC), Shubinak House has
Rather, it is essential to teach farmers to been able to introduce high-grade woollen
improve the processing and marketing of patti to various outlets in the urban centres
their produce in order to increase earnings. of Pakistan as well as abroad. Over the past
Methods employed in this connection five years (1997–2002), Shubinak House
include cooperative marketing ventures and has proved itself to be a self-reliant and
skills training to enable value addition. profitable entity.

Spinning of wool – the traditional way
3.2.5 North-South Seeds The most exciting aspect of this enterprise

is that it is much more than an agricultural
North-South Seeds is the AKRSP’s latest project. It fulfils a whole array of AKRSP
initiative, aimed at generating employment objectives and does so in a sustainable—
opportunities in areas with scarce natural and, ultimately, financially profitable—
resources. Managed as a seed company manner.
and earning a profit, the project aims to
produce and market high-quality local vari- More than half of the company’s contract
eties of vegetable seeds which are in great seed growers are women. Nearly all grow-
demand among vegetable growers in the ers, and especially the women, belong to
area who are expanding operations at an either poor or poverty-stricken households
annual rate of 4%. The enterprise employs with an annual per capita income of less
the services of contract growers to pro- than Rs 12,000. On average, these grow-
duce raw seeds in accordance with strin- ers are able to earn more per unit area from
gent quality standards, a process which their North-South Seeds crop than any
requires continuous training and supervi- other crop currently under cultivation in
sion by AKRSP seed technologists. At the Chitral and the Northern Areas.
other end of the production chain are
farmers, who are averse to taking risks. Although North-South Seeds operates a
Frequently duped by dubious seed production unit in Chitral, its main
merchants, farmers need to develop physical plant, including a greenhouse
confidence in North-South Seeds sales and seed processing and packaging
personnel. Once this has been accom- plant, as well as most of its staff and vehi-
plished, farmers are able to benefit from cles, are located in Gilgit. This is perhaps
the company’s improved seed production its only drawback. Similar small
technology which ensures uniform enterprises need to be developed in
germination, high germination percent- Chitral to make a major impact in the field
ages and increased disease resistance. of poverty reduction.

3.2.6 Credit and Banking
Providing agricultural credit is the corner-

stone of the A K R S P ’s programme to
invigorate the economy of Chitral. The
AKRSP has so far disbursed 5,391 loans
totalling Rs 199 million to 118,800 house-
holds. The First MicroFinance Bank
(FMB), an extension of the microcredit
3
facilities already provided by the AKRSP,
has been established to promote enter-
prise and alleviate poverty by facilitating
small loans to individuals. The FMB’s total
capital investment amounts to Rs 600
million, of which 60% comes from the
AKRSP, and the remainder from the Aga
Khan Fund for Economic Development
(20%) and International Finance
Corporation (20%).
3.3
Aga Khan Health Services
Established in Chitral in 1964, the Aga
Khan Health Services (AKHS) plays a
crucial role in providing medical treatment
to women and children in remote areas.
The AKHS operates one main office with
A rural medical facility
three field units and runs 29 health
centres, including a full-fledged hospital
(Aga Khan Medical Centre) and a tertiary
service (Aga Khan Extended Family
Health Centre). The AKHS has also 3.5
established family health centres, three Aga Khan Education
dispensaries, and 19 mother and child Services
health centres. Extension health workers
of the AKHS provide immunisation cover- Established in Chitral in 1980, the Aga Khan
age and family planning services to the Education Services (AKES) focuses on two
rural population. areas: (i) formal education through fully-fund-
ed Aga Khan schools and self-financed com-
3.4 munity-based schools; and (ii) support for
Aga Khan Planning and higher and professional education through
Building Services counselling, career development, grants and
stipends. The AKES supports female educa-
The Aga Khan Planning and Building tion, emphasising quality rather than
Services (AKPBS) was established in 1987, quantity, and operates 51 funded and 27
then known as the Aga Khan Housing community-based schools in the district.
Board. This institution provides training as
well as architectural and engineering 3.6
services for the construction of schools, Chitral Area Development
hospitals, houses and hostels. The AKPBS Project
has designed model houses and building
materials for use in the highly seismic zone Funded by the Asian Development Bank
of the Hindukush range. and the International Fund for Agricultural

Development (IFAD), the CADP ran from 3.6.3 Chitral–Booni Road

1989 to 1997 and covered Chitral, Drosh
and Lotkuh tehsils as well as Upper Chitral. According to the CADP completion report,
The CADP aimed to increase household the “76 km Chitral–Booni road is one of the
income mainly through the farming and live- major claimants of CADP’s total outlays. It
stock sectors. It also provided essential is at the same time the most visible, the
ancillary services such as widening and most widely known, and the most applaud-
blacktopping the Chitral–Booni road, ed achievement of CADP as perceived by
extending the potable water supply, con- the people and as also ascertained empiri-
structing microhydel power plants and fos- cally” (IFAD, 1997). The impact of the
tering social organisation. Project imple- Chitral–Booni road is estimated as follows:
mentation was the responsibility of the ■ passenger fares and freight charges have
Planning and Development Department, been cut by 50%, while a 52% reduction in
with the support of the following agencies vehicle operating costs has been
and line departments: agriculture, achieved, totalling Rs 109 million for 1997;
Agricultural Development Authority, animal ■ fruit from the Booni area is now marketed
husbandry, communication and works, in Chitral and down-country;
forestry, Fruit and Vegetable Development ■ convenient and economical transportation
Board, North-West Frontier Province of heavy equipment on the road has
(NWFP) Agricultural University, and public raised the tempo of public and private
health engineering. sector development in Upper Chitral;
■ habitations connected to the road have
The CADP completion report estimates gained access to improved medical
its achievements up to the end of 1997 as facilities in Chitral; and
follows: ■ tourism has increased, benefiting the
apple growers of Booni.
3.6.1 Farm Sector
3.6.4 Potable Water Supply
■ cropping intensity increased by 7%; Schemes
■ crop yields increased: wheat (61%),
maize (13%), barley (37%), rice (78%), In addition to improving Chitral town’s
vegetables (37%), pulses (83%), fodder potable water supply, the CADP also
(40%), fruit (11%); constructed and assisted in the completion of
■ land allocated to high-paying crops such 81 rural water supply schemes.
as vegetables, fruits, pulses and fodder,
as well as forest trees, increased by 3.6.5 Microhydel Power Plants
25%; and
■ gross value of crop production increased The CADP established 37 microhydel
by 63% (to Rs 11,960/ha). power plants which generate 1.33 MW of
electricity—about 12% of the hydel power
3.6.2 Livestock Sector that will be generated by the Reshun and
Shishi-II projects once they are completed.
■ general improvements in livestock The CADP’s microhydel plants benefit
health, as well as milk and meat some 3% of households in the district.
productivity; According to the completion report, all the
■ good progress in the poultry sector; plants are running satisfactorily under the
■ goat rearing in disfavour, being gradually management of village organisations and
replaced by cows of better quality in consumers pay their bills regularly.
areas where the fodder situation is
favourable; and 3.6.6 Village Organisations
■ farm household income from the
sale of livestock and animal products The CADP established 681 male communi-
comprises 21% of the gross value of ty-based organisations (CBOs), 508 with
crops. productive physical infrastructure. Their per-

3
A cantilever bridge
formance has been satisfactory, with com- Nations Development Programme and
bined savings of Rs 19 million. The CADP Global Environment Facility-assisted pilot
also set up 229 women’s organisations with project, Maintaining Biodiversity in
savings of Rs 2 million. Pakistan with Rural Community
Development, which was implemented
3.7 during the period 1995–1998 in the Arkari,
Project for Horticultural Begusht, Golain, Madaklasht and Manur
Promotion valleys of Chitral. Following the success of
this pilot project, the full-scale Mountain
This initiative, assisted by the SDC, was Areas Conservancy Project has been
launched in 1988. Its first phase initiated. In addition, the Protected Areas
(1988–1990) was devoted to the preparation Management Project, which includes
of a master plan for horticulture in the NWFP. improving management of the Chitral Gol
The PHP was implemented with the active National Park, commenced in October
collaboration of the Agriculture Department’s 2002 with the signing of an agreement
research and extension unit as well as farm- between the World Bank and the
ers’ interest groups. In Chitral, the project Government of Pakistan.
was facilitated by the AKRSP. Following its
final phase (2000–2003), the PHP has Meanwhile, the Gahiret Conservation
wound up operations but its work is to be Area and Tooshi–Shasha Conservancy,
taken forward by partner organisations. together covering 46,500 ha, are
community initiatives facilitated by the
3.8 Wildlife Department and managed as
Maintaining Biodiversity in community game reserves. Local residents
Pakistan With Rural develop and implement plans for the
Community Development sustainable management of biological
resources in their areas. They are empow-
The most important recent initiative in bio- ered to enforce wildlife laws and permitted
diversity conservation has been the United to retain 75% of the income derived from

A Hindu Kush Markhor
wildlife management. As an additional To ensure their safe passage through the

incentive, the project provides funds for valley, the World Wide Fund for Nature
minor productive physical infrastructure (WWF)–Pakistan launched the Migratory
development, where projects are identified Birds Conservation Project, which ran in
by the communities themselves. Chitral from 1993 to 1999. The project
focused on education, awareness raising
3.9 and capacity building among local
Environmental Rehabilitation communities in order to check the trend of
Project seasonal hunting. Links between CBOs
and village organisations were established
The short-lived Dutch-assisted Environ- to create bird refuge parks, and environ-
mental Rehabilitation Project was a chal- mental clubs were set up to ensure the
lenging initiative which sought to address continuity and sustainability of the
the problem of sustainable development of intervention.
grazing lands. Groaning under the pres-
sure of local, nomadic and Afghan-owned The natural resources of Chitral are on the
livestock, such areas are being rapidly verge of extinction. In an attempt to slow
depleted. The duration of the project was the pace of resource degradation, WWF–
too brief to allow any appreciable headway Pakistan in 2001 launched another inter-
to be made. vention, Capacity Building for
Conservation of Natural Resources. This
3.10 ongoing project establishes networks of
World Wide Fund for Nature village organisations in select localities
and involves training, workshops,
Every year, an estimated 1 million seminars and pilot projects for the
migratory birds fly across Chitral district. conservation of flora and fauna.

Large predators such as the snow leopard Leopard Conservation Project to create
are an important indicator of the health of an awareness among model communities.
ecosystem. In Chitral, the survival of the Along with capacity development and envi-
snow leopard is threatened by human pop- ronmental education, the project provides
ulation growth and the resulting expansion incentives to agro-pastoral communities
of settlements to the uplands. In 2001, and herders to protect this endangered
WWF–Pakistan launched the Snow species.

Part 2
Strategy
The challenge for the Chitral Conservation Strategy (CCS) is to sustainably
improve the livelihood of local communities, while protecting the environment
and enabling improvements to be made in physical and social capital.
The strategy envisions federal and provincial government support will be
provided in sectors that are the state’s responsibility, such as economic
growth, poverty eradication and infrastructure.
Chapter 4
Governance

Governance
To date, government spending on develop- electricity and women’s development, with

ment in Chitral district amounts to more only 10% set aside for other purposes.
than Rs 1 billion, yet this investment is not Sectors such as forestry, grazing land man-
reflected in the standard of living of the agement and biodiversity are not provided
people. Nor has it altered negative public for in either of these government initiatives.
perception regarding the work of govern-
ment departments. The reasons for this are In the face of limited public-sector
myriad and include the pressure of a bur- resources, implementing CCS proposals is
geoning population, the vagaries of nature not necessarily an expensive undertaking.
and significant cutbacks in development In fact, more than 60% of the CCS objec-
outlays in recent years. Dissatisfaction with tives can be attained simply by introducing
the government also results from the self-reliance, community participation and
centralised planning and implementation of good governance while utilising existing
development programmes carried out development allocations. Additional
without public participation. With the resources will however be needed for large-
introduction of the new local government scale projects advocated in the CCS, such
system, locally monitored participatory as construction of the Lowari tunnel and a
development is expected to become the road to Tajikistan, as well as for medium-
norm rather than the exception. An sized schemes such as those aimed at har-
important function of the Zilla Nazim under nessing Chitral’s hydroelectric potential.
the new system is to provide vision for These funds will have to be sought from the
development in the district. provincial and federal governments, and
their assistance will be required to obtain
The North-West Frontier Province Local additional support from donors.
Government Ordinance 2001 lays the
groundwork for more effective, locally The new local government system aims to
accountable administration. However, a develop mechanisms to ensure fair and
number of issues remain to be addressed locally responsible governance. However,
before the system can be considered a effective functioning of the councils and
good model for people-centred governance. committees set up at various levels will
To begin with, the new system is represen- require vigilance and commitment from all
tative for the most part rather than fully those involved in the process of planning,
participatory, even though avenues have implementation and monitoring.
been provided for public involvement in
local government through provisions allow- Strategy
ing for the creation of Citizen Community The CCS proposes the following measures
Boards. While the system is still evolving, it to improve governance:
is necessary to create a mechanism to draw ■ awarding the highest priority to building
community-based organisations more the technical capacity of district govern-
closely into the process of planning, ment functionaries as well as elected
implementation and monitoring. members of various councils and
committees;
As far as resources are concerned, current ■ making transparency and accountability
public sector outlays for development an integral feature of all development
include a small Annual Development interventions;
Programme (ADP) allocation and a larger ■ generating internal as well as external
grant from the Khushhal Pakistan funding;
Programme. ADP funds for 2001–02 are ■ ensuring that natural resources are used
assigned mainly for communications and wisely by improving management
education (the latter under the Social practices; and
Action Programme), while Khushhal ■ seeking the involvement of organised
Pakistan Programme outlays are local communities in the identification,
earmarked for farm-to-market roads (40%), planning, implementation and monitoring
drinking water supply schemes, sanitation, of development initiatives.

Subsistence agriculture has been practised in Chitral for many generations.
Today, traditional farming activities alone are no longer able to sustain the
population. One way to address this problem is to diversify economic activity
in the area. For this purpose, human resources will need to be developed.
Human Resource Development

Chapter 5
and Economic Uplift

Human Resource Development and Economic Uplift
5.1 5.2
Education Health
Widening the availability of education and Access to health care is an important
improving standards are key to upgrading measure of development. Only four
human capital. Currently, the standard of female and 33 male doctors work in
basic education on offer is unsatisfactory, Chitral’s public health system, rendering
while flaws exist in the focus of higher edu- the state of medical facilities abysmal.
cation. Growth that has taken place in the With a single district headquarters
education sector to date does not ade- hospital, two tehsil hospitals, three rural
quately reflect the needs of the people. In health centres and 22 basic health units
addition to factors specific to each locality, serving 463 rural habitations, access to
the quality of education suffers because medical treatment is restricted even at the
schools are ill-equipped, teachers are not best of times. When roads and bridges are
motivated and supervision is ineffective. washed away by floods or blocked with
heavy snow, however, some communities
Low enrolment figures, meanwhile, may be are left with no access whatsoever to
attributed in part to a lack of awareness health care.
about the importance of education but this
is not the only reason why few individuals Chitral’s widely scattered population and dif-
pursue academics. In the case of young ficulties of access hinder the timely delivery
men, poverty forces even those already of health services. Inadequate waste man-
enrolled in school or college to drop out and agement, improper hygiene practices and
instead seek employment. Without the contaminated water contribute to poor
benefit of vocational skills or technical train- health, putting additional pressure on
ing, men are forced to take up low-paying medical facilities which are already short-
unskilled work which only serves to trap staffed and ill-equipped. Public health is also
them deeper in a cycle of poverty. Among undermined by the fact that local communi-
women, the most serious constraint to ties lack basic health education.
expanding education is the insufficient
number of middle and high schools for girls. Strategy
The strategy to improve public health will
Strategy focus on the following areas:
The Chitral Conservation Strategy (CCS) ■ emphasising primary and preventive
proposes the following measures to improve health care;
both the quality and reach of education: ■ expanding the supply of potable water;
■ adopting a two-track approach to focus ■ providing for the safe disposal of
on mass education as well as profes- sewage and solid waste;
sional training; ■ adopting innovative methods to improve
■ seeking policy, administrative, moral and health care; learning from the efforts of
material support from stakeholders to organisations such as the Aga Khan
improve educational institutions; Health Services, which employs trained
stakeholder participation will also help community health workers in conjunction
overcome site-specific obstacles; with qualified medical practitioners;
■ establishing a quality facility for technical ■ creating a mobile extension unit within
education with a curriculum geared the Health Department to motivate and
towards employment opportunities educate both ordinary citizens as well as
available in Pakistan and abroad; local government functionaries in pri-
■ obtaining policy support at the national mary and preventive health care prac-
level to enable students from Chitral to tices; and
gain admission to professional institu- ■ extending district government support to
tions elsewhere in the country; and health care initiatives taken up by non-
■ instituting a student scholarship governmental organisations (NGOs) and
programme. the private sector.

5
A government school
Several other CCS initiatives will synergis- their households. Besides being ineffective,
tically impact the health sector. These this indirect approach is also inequitable.
include: Knowledge is power and transferring it
■ improving governance, selectively through men is likely to further
■ upgrading roads and bridges, increase their dominance over women.
■ alleviating poverty,
■ encouraging social organisation, Development projects also assume that
■ focusing on gender concerns, and income earned by male members of the
■ increasing agricultural productivity. household will automatically be spent on
the needs of all members of the family.
5.3 This seldom happens. Rather, men
Gender Mainstreaming consider it their prerogative to spend their
earnings as they wish, generally favouring
Until recently, development planning has social activities and luxury expenses. The
focused on households rather than individ- priorities of women within the household,
uals. The underlying assumption has been and basic needs such as education and
that all members of a family share similar child nutrition, are often considered
needs, perform the same functions and secondary. The major gender concern in
enjoy equal access to opportunities and development is to provide men and women
resources. In reality, however, significant with equal access to nutrition, health and
disparities exist within a household education, and to create earning opportu-
between its male and female members, nities for women in socially acceptable
with the latter in a disadvantaged position. occupations.
Moreover, men and women perform differ-
ent functions in various spheres of activity. Strategy
The CCS gender strategy will focus on the
Most government research and extension following initiatives:
programmes target men in the hope that ■ persuading line departments, Citizen
knowledge will trickle down to the women of Community Boards and community-

Chitrali rugs at display
based organisations to work towards ing popular rather than traditional cuisine.
levelling the field for development; Similarly, young people are losing interest
■ providing men and women with equal in traditional local games and sports. As a
access to nutrition, health care and result, the cultural heritage of Chitral is in
education; danger of being lost forever.
■ enhancing women’s skills in income
generating activities by establishing Strategy
training programmes; and The strategy to preserve and promote
■ providing incentives and creating the cultural heritage of Chitral calls for
employment opportunities for women. the district government to focus on the
following areas:
5.4 ■ liaising with national agencies to
Cultural Heritage promote Chitral’s traditional arts and
crafts in order to establish a market for
Chitral’s architectural and archaeological these products and provide incentives to
heritage has suffered from the neglect of craftsmen and women;
public-sector agencies as well as local ■ facilitating the efforts of local NGOs to
communities. Preserving ancient architec- promote traditional arts, crafts and
ture and protecting sites of archaeological sports; and
importance is a capital-intensive undertak- ■ seeking assistance from the provincial
ing which neither the government nor ordi- and federal governments to prepare
nary citizens have been able to fund. projects for the preservation of architec-
Market forces, meanwhile, have compelled ture and archaeological remains.
traditional artisans to abandon handicraft
manufacture, which brings in only limited 5.5
earnings, and switch to more lucrative Enterprise
forms of income generation. In the case of
traditional foods and beverages, commer- Chitral is a semi-arid region with a small
cial outlets aim to increase profits by serv- area of land under cultivation and some

24,000 males between the ages of 15 and

64 facing unemployment. The people are
poor, with average per capita income about
half that of Pakistan as a whole.
Traditionally, local communities have
managed to subsist on agricultural activi-
ties involving cereal production and
livestock rearing. This precarious balance
has been grossly disturbed in recent years
5
by an increasing population and rising
aspirations. What is needed today is to
diversify the economy by accelerating the
installation of hydel plants and promoting
local resource-based microenterprise
initiatives in sectors such as horticulture,
husbandry and tourism.
Chitral’s enterprise sector covers both farm

and non-farm activities. On-farm enterpris-
es include retail and wholesale activities in
horticultural and livestock products. Off-
farm enterprises include retail and whole-
sale businesses, hotels and restaurants, Making value added woolen products
bread making ovens, fruit dehydration, shu
weaving, embroidery and carpentry. These
enterprises operate for the most part in a making local entrepreneurs reluctant to
suboptimal business and infrastructure risk marketing their products outside
environment. Chitral; and
■ food insecurity in winter, impeding the
Significant recent initiatives that will serve transition from cereal production to horti-
to boost microenterprise in the area culture, and requiring restrictions on the
include the construction of the export of agricultural products.
Chitral–Booni road, the withdrawal of the
ban on exports of farm products and the A number of these issues are already the
establishment of the Aga Khan Rural focus of government and NGO initiatives,
Support Programme’s Enterprise and more areas will receive attention once
Development Division. However, a number the CCS is implemented.
of major obstacles continue to hamper the
development of enterprise in Chitral. Strategy
These include: The strategy for enterprise development
will involve:
■ small, scattered farm and non-farm ■ making sustainable use of the region’s
production; comparative advantages;
■ inadequate physical and institutional ■ providing intensive training in production
infrastructure; techniques, marketing and entrepreneurial
■ insufficient social development; skills;
■ inaccessibility to modern inputs and ■ supplying guidance and inputs, such as
technology; technical expertise, packaging materials
■ inadequate training facilities; and storage facilities;
■ high transportation costs; ■ providing marketing support; and
■ inefficient backward and forward ■ ensuring that enterprise development
linkages with markets; interventions are made on a scale that
■ isolated economy; will enable a breakthrough in this largely
■ historical and geographical isolation, static sector.

district itself or in other parts of the country.

Chitral’s remote location and isolation also
restrict access to information about
employment opportunities abroad.
The Khushhal Pakistan Programme, for-

merly known as the Integrated Urban and
Rural Development Programme for Poverty
Alleviation, offers a ray of hope for local
communities. Some progress is expected
to be made in the area of poverty allevia-
tion, since the programme aims to develop
infrastructure facilities which should in turn
create employment.
Strategy
The strategy for poverty alleviation will
require the district government to focus on
the following:
■ ensuring that funds from the Khushhal
Pakistan Programme are spent
judiciously, and monitoring the impact of
A local blacksmith in Chitral bazaar the programme on poverty as well as
the environment;
■ reviewing allocations to various sectors
5.6 in the light of past experience in order to
Poverty Reduction maximise the impact on poverty
alleviation;
Along with a sense of powerlessness, ■ working closely with the federal
poverty generates apathy among the peo- government to provide up-to-date
ple, leaving individuals fatalistic about their information about overseas employment
own lives and indifferent to environmental opportunities; and
concerns. It goes without saying that ■ facilitating private sector investment in
poverty also hinders access to nutrition, mining, tourism, enterprise development
education, health care, potable water and and cottage industry.
other basic human needs. Poverty in
Chitral is the result of a number of factors 5.7
specific to the area, including the shortage Tourism
of irrigated cultivable land, difficulties of
external and internal communications, the The aim of promoting tourism in Chitral is to
scarcity of institutions offering high quality increase the income of local communities
education and marketable skills training, and provide funds for environmental
and undeveloped potential in sectors such rehabilitation. Developing the area’s
as tourism and mining. considerable potential as a destination for
tourism will also provide incentives to the
Difficulties of access make Chitral less local government to undertake initiatives in
attractive to private-sector investment, other sectors, such as reducing air
particularly in enterprise, cottage industry pollution, providing sewage and solid waste
and small-scale trade development. As a disposal facilities, improving communica-
result, employment opportunities are tions, conserving biodiversity and diversify-
limited. A small percentage of the ing agriculture.
population is employed in the formal sector,
while the majority of the workforce seeks The current law and order situation in the
seasonal employment either within the country has not only brought international

tourism to a grinding halt but also discour- Strategy

aged domestic travel. A quantum improve- Planning for tourism development
ment in security must occur to encourage envisages the following:
tourism in Pakistan in general and Chitral in ■ mapping and documenting cultural
particular. Besides security concerns, diffi- resources, strengthening the resource
culties of external and internal access serve where necessary, and marketing the
as serious deterrents to the expansion of the resource to ensure that local
sector. Construction of the proposed Lowari communities are the prime beneficiaries;
tunnel, increasing the frequency of air serv- ■ providing control mechanisms to protect
5
ices, and improving and extending the inter- both cultural heritage and the
nal roads network will encourage tourism. environment;
■ developing infrastructure facilities,
To protect the cultural heritage and envi- including an all-weather road to Chitral
ronment of Chitral, it is essential that the across the Lowari Pass;
expansion of tourism be guided by ecolog- ■ constructing metalled roads to sites of
ical and environmental concerns, and that cultural interest, side valleys and picnic
the process be carefully monitored. The spots;
undesirable impact of uncontrolled tourism ■ opening up areas hitherto closed to
is evident in the Kalash valleys. Tourism in tourists, such as Baroghil, Begusht,
Chitral must be culturally sensitive as well Madaklasht and Urtsun;
as ecologically sustainable. Individual com- ■ imposing an environmental levy on
munities must be allowed to decide which tourists to generate resources for
type of tourist activities they wish to conservation;
encourage—if at all—and in which areas.
Tourism in Chitral must be
Tourism should be organised in a manner
that ensures its primary beneficiaries are
culturally sensitive as well as
the local people. Towards this end, it is ecologically sustainable. Individual
essential to train tourist guides for trekking, communities must be allowed to
mountaineering and wildlife observation.
Other necessary measures include devel-
decide which type of tourist
oping and maintaining fully equipped camp- activities they wish to encourage—
sites; providing potable water and sanitation if at all—and in which areas.
facilities; and ensuring that visitors have
access to hygienically prepared food. Tehsil ■ motivating local communities to develop
Municipal Administrations in the new local sustainable tourism in areas of cultural
government have a major role to play in this or ecological interest;
regard, since it is their responsibility to ■ initiating a training programme for tourist
ensure a clean environment, arrange for the guides;
disposal of sewage and solid waste, and ■ developing a code of conduct for
devise ways to reduce air pollution. tourists; and
■ evolving financial procedures for sharing
Implementation of other sector strategies the income from tourism among
will have a synergistic impact on the individuals and local communities.
promotion of tourism. Improvements in
communications, education, health, 5.8
sanitation, potable water supply, electricity Mineral Resources
and agriculture will complement each other
to create an environment conducive to If properly exploited, Chitral’s mineral
tourist activity. Measures to preserve the deposits could open up an additional
area’s cultural heritage will also serve to sector of economic activity in the area.
attract visitors. In addition, trophy hunting However, development in this sector is at
can be encouraged, as long as measures present constrained by a number of
are taken to protect biodiversity. factors. The most important of these is the

Polo at Shandur
lack of a properly developed infrastructure. government will be required to take the

Existing shingle roads leading to mineral following measures:
deposit sites are only navigable by jeep, ■ approaching the provincial government
making access inconvenient. Chitral’s to conduct geophysical surveys, geo-
distance from the urban centres of the chemical investigations and large-scale
country raises transportation costs, with mapping of reported and unreported
the result that the area’s minerals become mineral deposits;
uncompetitive in the market. With the ■ prioritising the supply of electricity, and
limited availability of electricity, meanwhile, improving roads and tracks leading to
no value adding process can be carried mine sites;
out on site, requiring raw minerals to be ■ seeking the support of lending institu-
transported to other parts of the province tions and donor agencies to provide
for processing. financial incentives for private-sector
investment;
Mining projects involve considerable risk ■ taking measures to ensure that the
and long gestation periods, and exploration environment is protected in areas
requires substantial investment outlays. where mining and mineral development
The absence of incentives for private- activities are carried out; such
sector investment and the limited capacity measures will include the use of safe
of public-sector organisations responsible explosives and the safe disposal of
for minerals and mines further restrict the waste and effluent;
development of mining in Chitral. In ■ encouraging and facilitating private-
addition, financial institutions do not offer sector investment in mining and mineral
sector-specific loans for private investment development; and
in the mining sector. ■ providing support for the development of
a partnership mechanism between
Strategy private-sector investors and local
To bring mining activities into the main- communities to avoid conflicts involving
stream of Chitral’s economy, the district rights and royalties.

The efficient delivery of municipal services is an important indicator of social
development and plays a crucial role in safeguarding public health. In Chitral,
the municipal service delivery system functions far below desirable levels.
Development of Municipal
Chapter 6
Services and Infrastructure

Development of Municipal Services and Infrastructure
Eroded land – a disturbingly common feature
6.1 the people. At all tehsil and village consulta-

Potable Water tions held during the preparation of this
strategy, the topic of water invariably came
Since more than 80% of diseases afflicting up for discussion. Judging by the partici-
the local population are water-borne, the pants’ views, current data on supply are
state of public health depends on the based on the assessment of the concerned
supply of clean water. Expansion of supply government departments and are at odds
alone is not sufficient; the water must also with the reality on the ground. Participants
be fit for human consumption. also identified the shortcomings of water
supply schemes implemented so far.
Chitral’s traditional system of securing drink-
ing water for use in the winter involved Anumber of technical problems need to be
storing summer run-off in household or addressed in order to improve the
community wells. For this purpose, effectiveness of the system. These include
seasonal watercourses in the vicinity of the bursting of water pipes in winter and
habitations were kept clear and their flow the inadequacy of the water sources
was diverted to wells during the rainy selected, particularly in years of subnormal
season. With the introduction of piped water, precipitation. The problem of water source
local communities have neglected to keep selection can be remedied by employing
natural watercourses free of dirt and debris. hydrogeologists as well as by drawing on
As a result, they are no longer able to utilise local knowledge. To arrive at cost-effective
well water when pipes burst in the winter. solutions to the problem of bursting
pipelines, methods used in other countries
Although considerable work has been car- with a similar climate and terrain will need
ried out over the past two decades, to be studied.
mainly by the former Public Health
Engineering Department, to expand water Logistical difficulties are the principal cause
supply, access to clean drinking water of another problem identified by local
remains one of the most urgent needs of communities: the tendency of contractors

to abandon water supply schemes before 6.2

completion. One solution would be to Sewage and Solid Waste
entrust the task to organised rural commu- Disposal
nities, with technical support provided by
the Water Supply and Sanitation Unit of the Improving sanitation is one of the most
Works and Services Department. effective ways to safeguard public health. At
present, nowhere in Chitral have adequate
Besides technical difficulties, the system of arrangements been made to dispose of
administration also needs to be examined. sewage and solid waste. Consequently,
6
With a widely scattered population residing night soil and animal excreta pollute food
in so rugged a terrain that barely 30% of and drinking water, creating ideal conditions
habitations are linked even by unmetalled for the proliferation of disease vectors.
roads, the centralised system of monitoring
water supply has proved to be ineffective. Critical problems in the sanitation sector
Infrequent inspections, difficulties in report- include congested construction and the
ing faults and delays in taking remedial rocky ground on which most habitations are
action render the system far from efficient. built, coupled with a lack of awareness
Centralised control is likely to hinder any about proper hygiene among local commu-
large-scale effort to expand water supply in nities. In the villages, most residents defe-
the area. cate in the fields or a corner of the home,
from where the excrement is removed and
Two important lessons have been learned dumped in the open. Drying in the sun is
from water supply schemes completed in thought to be sufficient to render this waste
the past. First, the participation of local harmless. Although the urban population is
communities in planning and implementa- increasingly becoming aware of the impor-
tion must be ensured. Second, the opera- tance of sanitation, current efforts are
tion of completed projects should be confined to the construction of latrines from
handed over to them for operation and where sewage is allowed to collect in open
maintenance under the technical guidance spaces. Part of this waste is then removed
of the Water Supply and Sanitation Wing of and burned in the open. Clearly, this
the district Works and Services Department. method of waste disposal cannot by any
means be considered sanitary.
Strategy
The strategy to expand the supply of Nowhere in Chitral have adequate
potable water will involve:
■ securing the participation of organised arrangements been made to
communities in the planning, implemen- dispose of sewage and solid waste.
tation, monitoring and operation of water
supply schemes; Consequently, night soil and animal
■ seeking technical guidance from the
excreta pollute food and drinking
Water Supply and Sanitation Wing of the
district Works and Services Department; water, creating ideal conditions for
■ motivating area residents to maintain and
the proliferation of disease vectors.
improve the traditional system of collect-
ing water for use in the winter, making this
system both reliable and hygienic; training Under the devolved local government
village activists to serve as facilitators; system, the newly-established Tehsil
■ requiring the Works and Services Municipal Administrations (TMAs) are now
Department to take stock of technical responsible for the disposal of solid, liquid,
difficulties and evolve solutions; and industrial and hospital waste.
■ ensuring that the water supplied is safe
for human consumption by preventing Strategy
contamination at source as well as The strategy to improve the disposal of
during transit. sewage and solid waste will involve:

Unplanned growth, Chitral Town
■ sensitising local communities to the Reliable, year-round access to the rest of the
importance of proper sanitation; country is high on the list of priorities of the
■ seeking cost-effective alternative meth- intelligentsia and business community, as
ods of waste disposal that are appropri- well as those who seek employment outside
ate to the specific circumstances of Chitral. The problem of access is exacerbat-
Chitral; and ed at the moment because the road to
■ generating resources to execute new Arandu via Mohmand Agency and the Kunar
waste disposal schemes with the help of province of Afghanistan, the only route that
the local government, Citizen remains passable during the winter, is closed
Community Boards and community- owing to the current geopolitical situation.
based organisations.
The matter engages the attention of the
6.3 government about once every decade,
Roads and Bridges when the question of excavating a tunnel
below the Lowari Pass comes up for
Year-round access within the district, as discussion and is invariably dropped
well between Chitral and the rest of the because of the high costs involved.
country, is essential if employment, trade Frustrated by the repeated abandonment of
and tourism are to be promoted. Attempts to the Lowari tunnel proposal, in 1998 local
introduce high-value fruit and off-season communities themselves began building an
vegetable cultivation, and to promote local all-weather road from Damel to Panakot
handicrafts, will only yield satisfactory (Dir) over Zakhani Kandao. Eventually, they
dividends if goods can be transported to were forced to abandon construction
markets with ease. It is not just in economic because the highest stretch turned out to be
terms, however, that properly maintained at an elevation of 4,260 m compared to
roads and bridges are crucial. By providing 3,200 m for the Lowari Pass.
access to information and outside
expertise, they are also essential for the For its part, the government has studied
optimal functioning of other sectors, such as several other options, including clearing
education, health and family planning. snow from the Lowari Pass, constructing

snow galleries at various stretches to protect advocating them forcefully through politi-
roads from snow slides, exploring alternative cal and administrative channels, in order
routes less susceptible to snow build-up and to acquire additional funding from the
acquiring aircraft to overfly the Lowari Pass provincial and federal governments; and
in the winter. However, the Lowari tunnel ■ seeking the active participation and eco-
has now been identified as the best solution nomic contribution of local communities.
to Chitral’s land access problems and the
National Highway Authority is examining the 6.4
proposal. Another means of access to the Physical Planning and
6
outside world which merits consideration is Housing
a road to Tajikistan.
The scarcity of flat land in this mountainous
The Aga Khan Rural Support Programme region has forced settlements to develop
(AKRSP) and Chitral Area Development haphazardly. Unregulated land develop-
Project (CADP), as well as the former District ment in Chitral, Booni and Drosh, as well
Council, have done commendable work to as rural areas of the district, has created a
expand the network of roads and bridges in narrow winding circulation pattern and dis-
the area. It is essential to evaluate these persed housing. Unplanned construction
efforts in order to draw lessons for the future. has also led to incompatible land uses and
unhygienic living conditions.
The steep mountain terrain of Chitral poses
an environmental hazard, with torrential Uncontrolled land development in the towns
floods in the summer and avalanches in the is partly a result of the apathy of public-sec-
winter, which must be countered in the tor organisations and local municipal bodies
design, implementation and monitoring of which have failed to prepare a land use mas-
projects. Requirements for the proper main- ter plan. To make matters worse, many gov-
tenance of roads must be strictly enforced ernment departments and organisations
and it must be ensured that all new projects have themselves occupied pockets of flat
meet modern environmental standards. land for their offices, facilities and employee
housing. Developed in a horizontal pattern,
Funds to improve internal communications such construction has further limited the
will always fall short of actual needs. The availability of flat land for the local population.
challenge for the local government is to Building has also been carried out without
streamline governance in order to utilise recourse to technical expertise, such as town
available resources effectively. All new and urban planning services. As a result,
communications projects must be sustain- area residents are forced to build wherever
able, and local communities must be land is available, using whatever materials
invited to participate in planning, construc- they are able to afford. The situation in the
tion and maintenance. towns is further aggravated by private-sector
investment in commercial buildings.
Strategy
The strategy to improve physical communi- Today, whatever unoccupied flat land
cations between Chitral and the rest of the remains in Chitral town, Booni and Drosh is
country involves: under immense pressure for development
■ pursuing the Lowari tunnel proposal with from both the public and private sector.
the federal government (the newly Land development needs to be regulated
elected Zilla Nazim has already and all future construction must be brought
taken up the issue); under a planning framework.
■ preparing a proposal for the construction
of a road to Tajikistan; Strategy
■ developing a network of environmentally In order to rationalise land use, the
sustainable roads with available following steps will be necessary:
resources; ■ ensuring that all new construction in the
■ preparing convincing projects and district follows a strict scrutiny and

for domestic use. In areas like Chitral,

Booni, Drosh and Lotkuh, electricity is
supplied to small industries, such as saw
mills, marble factories, weaving looms and
automobile engineering works.
At present, 15,726 kVA of electricity is avail-

able for Chitral, meeting the needs of 67% of
the district’s population. Some 27% of this
supply comes from microhydels facilitated by
the AKRSP and CADP, 23% from the Water
and Power Development Authority (WAPDA)
and 17% from the Sarhad Hydel
Development Organization (SHYDO), while
work is in progress on the Reshun and Shishi
hydel schemes. In addition, SHYDO has
identified 22 feasible sites in Chitral for the
generation of 184,000 KW of electricity, and
it is essential to vigorously pursue this option.
Local communities are keenly aware of

the benefits of increasing electricity supply
to the area. Particularly at tehsil meetings,
participants were of the view that increas-
ing supply would promoting microenter-
A typical Kalash house prise and allow more land to be brought
under irrigation. It is also recognised that
access to electricity will help conserve
approval process with the involvement forest resources, once villagers are not
of the TMAs; forced to depend as heavily on firewood
■ developing available wasteland to build as they do at the moment. Meanwhile, an
housing colonies in fast-growing towns incidental but key benefit of introducing
such as Chitral, Booni and Drosh; microhydel power plants has been that
■ seeking provincial government irrigation channels, which are also used to
assistance to prepare land use and generate electricity, are being diligently
building regulations for Chitral, and maintained.
zoning plans for Chitral, Booni and Drosh;
■ implementing a capacity development Even though power from WAPDA’s national
plan to train TMA staff in the formulation grid will eventually be supplied to all parts
and design of a physical planning of Chitral where distribution is cost-effec-
framework; and tive, this will still leave large segments of
■ enlisting the assistance of the provincial the population without electricity. Such
Environment Protection Agency to communities will need to set up microhy-
initiate a campaign forcing owners of dels with assistance from the AKRSP and
commercial entities to adopt proper envi- other support organisations.
ronmental and waste disposal practices.
Despite their many benefits, microhydel
6.5 plants have several serious shortcomings:
Electricity initial set-up costs are high, requiring sub-
sidies; they break down frequently and
Chitral’s potential for hydroelectric power components must be taken to Peshawar for
generation has never been properly repair, while the plant remains at a stand-
exploited. As a result, electricity is available still; and trained technicians capable of
only to a section of the population, mainly operation and maintenance are in short

6
A potential resource for generating electricity
supply. These drawbacks need to be ■ providing assistance to rural communi-

addressed before microhydels can be ties through the AKRSP and other
considered a viable option to provide organisations to establish and operate
electricity to outlying settlements. microhydels;
■ training microhydel plant operators and
Strategy establishing a repair workshop in Chitral;
The strategy for the sustainable supply of and
electricity will include: ■ advocating to the federal government
■ completing the Reshun and Shishi the need to harness the district’s full
schemes and distribution systems; hydroelectricity generating potential.

Besides its obvious value in terms of food production, agricultural activity
also creates employment and provides households with disposable income.
Natural Resource
Chapter 7
Management

Natural Resource Management
Cropland in Chitral
7.1 vaccination, apricot drying, and fruit and

Agriculture vegetable preservation.
Recent initiatives to vitalise the agricultural Given the scarcity of high quality agricultural
sector include projects to improve shu mak- land and the exorbitant cost of extending
ing, introduce more efficient apricot dehy- irrigation to new areas, it is of crucial impor-
dration, increase production of fruits and tance to conserve land already under
off-season vegetables, and promote mar- cultivation and maintain existing irrigation
keting. The government’s agriculture channels. Yet such measures have been
research and extension unit, in conjunction neglected by the concerned government
with the Aga Khan Rural Support departments. Agricultural land is often pre-
Programme (AKRSP), is attempting to empted for other uses, such as construction
increase the productivity of agricultural and even graveyards, while farmers have no
crops grown in the region. It is also working access to technical assistance for soil con-
to reduce disease-induced mortality in servation. The renovation of water channels
livestock and poultry. and precision land levelling initiatives carried
out by the provincial government with World
At tehsil and village consultations held Bank funding from 1992–93 to 1996–97
during the preparation of this strategy, under the On-Farm Water Management
participants assigned the highest priority to Programme have since been abandoned.
extending the area under irrigation. This
was followed closely by the need to protect Considering the many difficulties that farm-
agricultural land from flood and river ers face, the quality of Chitral’s agricultural
erosion, and to improve land levelling. produce is surprisingly good. Where irriga-
Issues such as agricultural inputs, market- tion is possible, Chitral’s semi-arid climate
ing facilities and veterinary care for is ideal for growing fruits and off-season
livestock were mentioned occasionally, vegetables. Cereal yields are on the whole
while women in particular appreciated the satisfactory, except for wheat.
training provided by the AKRSP in poultry Considerable improvements in wheat,

vegetable and fodder yields will become prevent upgrading to higher-yielding but
possible with the cultivation of suitable more nutritionally demanding genotypes.
seed varieties, the application of balanced Livestock extension and research must
nutrients and improved management. address this problem, and find cost-effective
ways to improve livestock and poultry hous-
In the mean time, income from existing irri- ing. In terms of veterinary care, disease pre-
gated land can be optimised by transform- vention programmes sponsored by govern-
ing input supply, research and extension. ment agencies, donors, the AKRSP and the
The focus of current agronomic research in CADP, have been well-received by local
7
Chitral revolves around improved crop vari- communities. A daunting challenge in this
eties and the use of fertilisers. Compared to regard is to prevent disease transmission
indigenous varieties, the so-called from Afghan-owned livestock. With the ongo-
improved varieties of wheat currently avail- ing repatriation of Afghan refugees and the
able in the North-West Frontier Province introduction of a quarantine system for live-
(NWFP) are more susceptible to disease. At stock entering the area from adjacent coun-
the same time, they yield less fodder and tries, the incidence of disease can be
are less palatable to local livestock—impor- reduced considerably.
tant drawbacks in the context of Chitral’s
mixed farming/livestock subsistence
economy, where animal fodder crops are as
It is of crucial importance to
important as grain for human consumption. conserve land already under
Although farmers place a high value on
cultivation and maintain existing
fertiliser, it is expensive and not easily avail-
able. Agronomists also tend to favour the irrigation channels. Yet such
demonstration plot type of research, where
measures have been neglected by the
the concern is generally to show a statisti-
cally significant increase in yields. What is concerned government departments.
perhaps more relevant to the farmer,
however, is the value of the additional yield,
both in monetary terms as well as in terms Strategy
of the effort involved and risks entailed. The sustainable development of the agricul-
ture sector will require that a number of
In addition to increasing farm household measures are taken:
income, improving horticulture and expand- ■ extending the area under irrigation;
ing marketing will generate considerable ■ designing a comprehensive, cost-effective
employment in the sales and transportation and responsive agricultural system for
sectors. Several initiatives have already Chitral, incorporating soil conservation
been undertaken in this regard by the techniques, improved irrigation, and
AKRSP, Chitral Area Development Project adaptive research and extension;
(CADP) and Project for Horticultural ■ providing agricultural inputs, credit
Promotion (PHP). These include widening facilities and marketing support; the
and blacktopping the Chitral–Booni road, system will operate through organised
advocating the withdrawal of the ban on local communities with guidance from
fruit and vegetable exports, and establish- experts and the support of local councils;
ing North-South Seeds to promote potato ■ ensuring sustainability by framing and
and vegetable seed production. An all- enforcing laws for land use planning and
weather road link to the rest of the country zoning;
is now needed to help increase the ■ encouraging the use of soil conservation
profitability of Chitral’s horticulture sector. techniques to prevent the loss of agricul-
tural land through soil erosion;
In the livestock sector, scarcity of livestock ■ curtailing the diversion of prime
feed is the single most important constraint agricultural land to non-agricultural uses
to expansion. Fodder shortages not only limit by enforcing existing legislation and
the productivity of existing stock, but also framing new laws where necessary;

An under construction irrigation channel
■ advocating the extension for another five Chitral’s traditional system of irrigation is
years of the work undertaken by the PHP, gravity based. Before engineers came on
to be taken up by the AKRSP and other the scene, water channels were aligned by
organisations; trial and error. Today, levelling instruments
■ balancing food security concerns with the are widely used for this purpose, and
need to increase agricultural income by drilling and blasting have considerably
promoting cereal and fodder production facilitated the work.
as well as fruit and vegetable cultivation;
■ strengthening quarantine measures to Historically, local communities built thou-
control the influx of livestock diseases sands of water channels along steep unsta-
from neighbouring countries; and ble hill slopes and maintained them collec-
■ stepping up the pace of livestock disease tively. More recently, the AKRSP and CADP
prevention programmes. have relied on voluntary social organisation
to extend and maintain irrigation works. In
7.2 many such cases, irrigation projects are
Irrigation and Flood Control identified by the communities themselves.
The AKRSP provides grants to cover materi-
Agriculture is currently the single most impor- al costs and a portion of labour costs, while
tant economic activity in Chitral. As the maintenance is the responsibility of the
sector expands, it is likely to become a major communities. In the future, too, community
source of cash income for a significant per- organisation will be the cornerstone of
centage of the population. Since farming in sustainable irrigation initiatives. This endeav-
Chitral is not viable without irrigation, the our will benefit considerably from the bottom-
overwhelming desire of local communities to up planning envisaged under the NWFP
increase the area under irrigation is under- Local Government Ordinance 2001.
standable. Although considerable attention
has been given to the subject, an optimum At present, local communities manage
and sustainable system of irrigation has yet irrigation over some 19,000 ha. Since 1973,
to be developed. the provincial Irrigation Department has

7
A pasture in upper Chitral
completed 13 irrigation schemes covering This acute awareness of the need to

1,916 ha. It is currently working on two more increase the area under irrigation is accom-
schemes which are expected to irrigate an panied by a widely held perception that
additional 1,498 ha. This work has been large tracts of barren land exist which, once
executed through contractors and, upon irrigated, are capable of sustaining cultiva-
completion, the schemes are maintained by tion. At almost all meetings, participants list-
the Zilla Council/TMAs at an annual cost of ed the names of such lashts and the water
Rs 25 million. sources that could be tapped to irrigate
them. International agencies have also
At tehsil and village consultations held during found that a significant amount of land in
the preparation of this strategy, the need to the area is fit for irrigation. The 1984
expand and improve irrigation came up for International Fund for Agricultural
discussion most frequently. Participants were Development mission to Chitral compiled a
unanimous in their view that, in addition to list of cultivable wasteland totalling at least
increasing food supply and income, extend- 30,000 ha, while Kreditanstalt für
ing irrigation would also allow them to grow Wiederaufbau lists 26,000 ha which may be
more forest trees and fodder. In the village of developed for agriculture.
Harchin (Mastuj), Mir Niat summed up the
general consensus on irrigation eloquently: “I Bringing new land under irrigation in Chitral
don’t know how to make a speech. We want is time consuming and exorbitantly expen-
a canal from Sorlaspur to Bedi Dok, and noth- sive. Irrigation projects cost millions of
ing short of this from the AKRSP, CADP and rupees and take years to complete, during
IUCN. If you rain gold coins on our houses which time costs escalate while community
instead, we will not accept them. This canal is interest begins to wane. Unstable geological
the total solution to all our problems.” formations and the rugged terrain also entail
Similarly, Muhammad Zia Shah of Broz said high running costs. The per-hectare opera-
at the Mori Lasht Tehsil meeting: “Arrange tion and maintenance cost of the system set
siphon irrigation for Broz and Ghoch, and up by the provincial government’s Irrigation
even the insects of the area will bless you.” Department varies from Rs 570 (Green

Lasht Scheme) to Rs 5,357 (Batrik uses simple structures to divert water from
Scheme)—much higher than in other moun- channels on to hill slopes, will increase the
tainous areas of the NWFP. availability of firewood and fodder, improve
watershed protection and conserve
Expanding the irrigation network is made all biodiversity in planted areas.
the more difficult by the fact that no land
settlement has been carried out in the In determining the course of future expan-
Chitral area, rendering current data on sion in the sector, it is imperative to evaluate
irrigated land unreliable. The absence of the work done so far. In particular, it is impor-
clear titles to land causes difficulties in the tant to determine how much of the current
assessment of revenue as well as the irrigated area is under grain cultivation and
implementation of technically feasible horticultural crops, and what percentage
projects. To create an optimum and sustain- supports forest trees and pasture. The
able irrigation system, land settlement is vulnerability of newly-irrigated areas and
therefore a prerequisite. No new irrigation water channels to flood damage will also
scheme should be executed until titles to need to be evaluated. At the same time, soil
land proposed for irrigation, water sources surveys must be carried out to establish
and land traversed by water channels, have areas fit for grain, horticultural crops, forests
been clearly established and all potential for and pasture, and to assess the technical
future disputes eliminated. feasibility of bringing them under irrigation.
In the mean time, it is far more cost-effec-

Expanding the irrigation network is
tive to protect existing agricultural land from
made all the more difficult by the fact being lost to construction and erosion, than
that no land settlement has been it is to bring under irrigation new land with
carried out in the Chitral area, poor potential for crop production. In this
connection, soil conservation and flood
rendering current data on irrigated protection are essential, along with strictly
land unreliable. The absence of clear enforced legislation to prevent prime agri-
titles to land causes difficulties in the cultural land from being diverted to other
assessment of revenue as well uses. It is also of critical importance to
improve management, introducing a
as the implementation of technically decentralised, participatory system
feasible projects. involving all stakeholders in the planning,
implementation and maintenance of irriga-
tion schemes.
Given the high cost of bringing new land
under irrigation, it is necessary to find more Strategy
efficient systems of water conveyance. The The sustainable development of irrigation in
most important technological innovation in Chitral will require the following initiatives:
this regard has been siphon irrigation, ■ improving management of the system to
introduced by the AKRSP in Parwak in the include stakeholders;
mid-1980s. The system, allowing water to be ■ ensuring the conservation and productive
carried from river beds to considerably agricultural use of irrigated land;
higher elevations, has been successfully ■ carrying out land settlement;
replicated by the CADP in Barghuzi, Koghuzi ■ conducting detailed surveys of areas
and Mori. Increasing the availability of hydro- being considered for irrigation to ensure
electricity will facilitate the task of pumping that they are suitable for agriculture, that
water to cultivable land situated at higher no land ownership disputes exist and that
elevations than water sources. cost-effective and sustainable technology
is employed; and
Another alternative worth exploring is water ■ encouraging the use of water harvesting
harvesting, particularly to raise forests and to grow forests and pasture as a means to
pastures. Employing this technique, which increase the supply of firewood and

7
A forest nursery
fodder, protect watersheds and conserve Mogh and Thengshen (Chitral Tehsil),
the biodiversity of the area. forestry issues were raised on two
occasions. The women of Booni
7.3 complained of flood damage caused by
Forestry excessive run-off from mountains, which
they correctly attributed to denudation.
Besides serving as a source of timber and They also complained of the high price of
firewood to meet local subsistence needs, firewood which was selling for Rs 100 per
Chitral’s forests carry the potential to fulfil maund (40 kg). The women of Drosh,
important economic and ecological functions. meanwhile, asked why technical assistance
Sanitary commercial felling, for instance, can and resources had not been provided for
generate resources to prime development, the wide-scale application of biogas
while the area’s rich variety of flora and fauna technology in Chitral.
can provide a basis for ecotourism.
Forestry was the most frequently discussed
Particularly for the more remote habitations topic at the Lotkuh tehsil consultation,
of Chitral, oak woodlands serve an extreme- second in the Chitral and Mastuj meetings,
ly important function as a source of fuel and third in Drosh and Mulkhow, and fourth in
fodder reserves. Under heavy pressure from Torkhow. In the Kalash valley, forestry
grazing, winter fodder requirements and the overshadowed all other concerns. Although
need for firewood, oak woodlands and scat- the topic was discussed in two thirds of all
tered wooded growth are on the verge of village consultations, participants awarded
extinction. Meanwhile, the protection, man- higher priority to other concerns such as
agement and use of coniferous forests, irrigation, potable water, electricity, flood
which is the responsibility of the Forest protection, roads, health, education, sanita-
Department, needs urgent improvement. tion, female embroidery centres, veterinary
hospitals, children’s playgrounds,
At meetings held with women’s organisa- telephones, agricultural markets and pur-
tions in Booni, Bumburet, Drosh, Mastuj, chase points for inputs.

Fuel wood in the local market
Whenever the issue came up for discus- in order to meet local needs for timber and
sion, participants pointed out the need for firewood. At the same time, forests are not
more forest trees to increase the supply of regenerating under heavy pressure from
firewood and fodder, and to serve as a uncontrolled grazing. As a result, forest cover
means of flood protection. In areas with continues to decline despite the ban on com-
abundant forest cover, the emphasis was mercial timber harvesting.
on improved protection, although partici-
pants agreed that protection from felling Local communities do not gain from the
and grazing would depend on the availabil- exploitation of Chitral’s forest resources.
ity of alternative sources of fuel and fodder. Forest contractors, most of whom do not
Several speakers also emphasised the futil- belong to the area, have purchased from
ity of trying to grow forest trees without the local rightsholders their share in the sale pro-
aid of irrigation. ceeds of timber. These purchases, made in
advance and at heavy discount, allow con-
Regeneration is an essential prerequisite tractors to secure a windfall by illegally cutting
for sustainable forestry. Harvested trees more trees than permissible. Consequently, a
must be replaced by new growth. few contractors receive the majority of the
Restricting the removal of trees alone will benefits from timber harvesting, both by legal
not serve to perpetuate forests. In fact, the means and through illegal practices.
entire annual growth of a forest can safely
be removed in the form of defective, dis- Strategy
eased, mature and overmature trees, pro- The strategy to conserve coniferous forests
vided regeneration is ensured. Far from will entail the following measures:
being depleted, the forest would improve in ■ focusing management on meeting local
quality and value with each cut. needs for forest produce, as well as pro-
tecting landscapes and biodiversity in
Although a ban on commercial timber har- order to promote tourism;
vesting in Chitral has been in place since ■ carrying out sanitary timber harvesting
1992, trees continue to be removed illegally where appropriate;

■ enlisting the participation of local

communities in sustainable management
initiatives;
■ ensuring natural regeneration takes place
in areas from which mature and overma-
ture trees are removed;
■ marking trees for felling with the participa-
tion of community-based organisations;
■ implementing effective grazing control,
7
as demonstrated in Kaghan in the 1980s
by the Kaghan Intensive Forest
Management Project;
■ evaluating the success rate of artificial
regeneration without the aid of irrigation,
and discontinuing all such programmes
until the success of past efforts has been
established;
■ initiating research under the guidance of
the Divisional Forest Officer to determine
appropriate, cost-effective methods for
natural regeneration and replantation;
■ creating opportunities for local communi-
ties to benefit from forest resources by Planting saplings
exploring new sectors in agroforestry and
making distribution of the benefits more
equitable; and this pressure. Trees can be also be grown
■ paying particular attention to non-consump- in combination with fodder crops, using
tive forest uses, including promoting water spreading, or planted along with
ecotourism and harvesting non-wood forest farm crops by selecting the appropriate
products such as chilghozas (pine nuts). species and employing suitable farming
methods.
The conservation of oak woodlands will
require adaptive research with the participa- Strategy
tion of organised rural communities to The strategy to promote agroforestry will
develop methods for sustainable manage- involve favouring those poverty reduction,
ment and regeneration. agriculture and integrated rural develop-
ment projects which include agroforestry
7.4 initiatives.
Agroforestry
7.5
Promoting agroforestry is essential to ease Grazing land management
the pressure of firewood removal from
forests and the countryside. Since the In the cereals/livestock economy of Chitral,
poorest farm households derive 20% of animals are essential for human survival.
their income from agroforestry, improve- Cattle, goats and sheep derive 80% of their
ments in this sector will also serve to sustenance from grazing, yet little work has
reduce poverty. been done to improve the condition of graz-
ing land. Chitral’s subtropical and temperate
The major concern with regard to the grazing lands appear to be in a highly
expansion of agroforestry is the competi- depleted state. While herds return well fed
tion between agricultural crops and forest from high-elevation grazing lands, no
trees planted on farmland. Confining forest detailed studies have been carried out to
trees to uncultivable land or areas being classify the vegetation and assess ecologi-
developed for agriculture will ease some of cal trends in these areas.

Although animal husbandry is practised on as well as professionals from the forestry,

a subsistence level, it is nevertheless a livestock husbandry, agricultural econom-
crucial component of Chitral’s agricultural ics and marketing sectors;
economy. Farm animals are well fed for ■ conducting adaptive research encompass-
only four months during the summer, when ing all stages of the production process,
herds graze in the alpine and subalpine including grazing systems, livestock
zones where 85% of Chitral’s grazing health and nutrition, and the hygienic
lands are located. For another four months manufacture, packaging and marketing of
(autumn and early spring), they graze in high-value dairy products such as cheese;
the remaining 15% of temperate and and
subtropical grazing areas. The four winter ■ including approximately 57,600 ha of
months, however, are a time of extreme smaller, low-yield subtropical dry temper-
scarcity, when farm animals subsist on ate grazing lands in the management of
meagre supplies of stored hay and crop village lands, with the participation of rural
residues, as well as reserves of body fat. It communities.
is generally during this time that
they weaken, falling prey to parasites and 7.6
disease. Biological Diversity
Biological diversity is not simply an indicator
Once rural communities come to
of the health of an ecosystem. In Chitral,
understand the importance of more immediate benefits also accrue from
biodiversity conservation, they are protecting biological resources, which serve
as a source of food and medicine as well as
still left to face the stark reality of a number of industrial products. Of particular
survival in an inhospitable importance are the wild relatives of domesti-
cated plants and animals, which will enable
environment. For conservation the breeding of species capable of with-
efforts to be successful and standing the vastly different climatic regimes
that will be ushered in by global climate
sustainable in the long term, they change in the decades to come. Wild plant
must squarely address this problem. and animal species serve as a form of insur-
ance for the human species and their extinc-
tion diminishes our own chances of survival.
The major hurdle in the expansion of animal
husbandry is winter feed scarcity, which Chitral is home to one national park (Chitral
forces households to limit the size of their Gol) and seven game reserves. While meas-
herds according to the quantity of fodder they ures are in place to prevent poaching in
are able to store for use in the winter. these areas, Chitral Gol alone offers protec-
Growing more fodder or buying additional tion against the consumptive use of
supplies are options available only to more biodiversity.
affluent households. As a result, such house-
holds derive a higher proportion (43%) of Faced as they are with severe economic
their farm income from livestock compared to hardship, the people of Chitral are not overly
poorer households (36%). concerned with biodiversity conservation. In
fact, the topic was only raised in two of 36
Strategy village meetings, those held in Brep and
The sustainable development of some Nichagh–Oveer. The issue came up for
316,000 ha of alpine and subalpine grazing discussion at five out of seven tehsil meet-
land will require launching an integrated ings, ranking seventh in priority, after
programme to upgrade the entire system of irrigation, forests, roads, drinking water,
livestock and dairy production. Patterned on electricity and floods. The people of Arandu
the PHP, the programme will involve: and Lotkuh tehsils had more urgent
■ seeking the participation of stakeholders concerns, however, and did not mention

biodiversity on a single occasion. Wherever

the subject was discussed, participants were
generally supportive of conservation, with
occasional concern raised about protecting
livestock from leopards.
Until the Chitral Conservation Strategy

process got underway, the local people
were unaware of the importance of wildlife.
7
Creating awareness about the uniqueness
of Chitral’s biodiversity and the need for
conservation is the first step in any sustain-
able management programme. Once rural
communities come to understand the
importance of biodiversity conservation,
they are still left to face the stark reality of
survival in an inhospitable environment. For
conservation efforts to be successful and
sustainable in the long term, they must
squarely address this problem. The basic The majestic snow leopard
needs of local communities must be met,
and they must be provided with alternative
avenues of income generation. in the participatory approach is a prerequisite
for the success of such endeavours.
Awareness alone cannot ensure that rural
communities take sustained action to con- As successor to the former Chitral state, the
serve biodiversity. Organisation and funding NWFP government in 1975 declared all
are also required. Even where communities grazing lands, hunting grounds and forests to
have been organised by the AKRSP and be government property. No land settlement
CADP, conservation efforts have suffered has been conducted to determine the rights
owing to a lack of adequate funding. of individuals and communities in such
Mobilisation of community-based conserva- areas. Settlement is essential, but the
tion efforts will require donor assistance as process is likely to be rife with conflict. As
well as government support. Unfortunately, such, the government will be required to take
government departments charged with the people’s representatives into confidence.
conservation have only implemented half-
hearted measures. Forest officials are con- Strategy
cerned mainly with trees of commercial value The strategy for the sustainable develop-
and wildlife authorities are largely interested ment of biodiversity will focus on:
in protecting game species. Flora and fauna ■ motivating, enabling and empowering
of little or no commercial value are over- organised rural communities to manage
looked in government-sponsored initiatives. biological resources sustainably through
effective implementation of the Mountain
Until recently, attempts at biodiversity con- Areas Conservancy Project and the
servation have relied on the coercive power Protected Areas Management Project;
of the government, with cases being regis- ■ demonstrating the viability of sustainable
tered against offenders, but this approach is use as an incentive for communities to
not cost-effective. If conservation efforts are scale up biodiversity conservation;
to succeed, local communities must become ■ establishing and capitalising trust funds to
involved in the process. The Mountain Area sustainably support village conservation
Conservancy Project is a step in the right initiatives; and
direction, with its work in the field of capacity ■ preparing new projects for funding, gradu-
building for conservation. Creating a dedicat- ally extending conservation initiatives to
ed corps of biodiversity professionals adept other areas of Chitral.

Part 3
Implementation
There are always lessons to be learned from the past. In the case of Chitral, these les-
sons have not been particularly gratifying. A number of development schemes for the
area have been planned and then suddenly scrapped, at great cost in terms of both
resources and the prosperity of the people. Meanwhile, the Lowari tunnel project stands
as an example of how decisions are made and reversed arbitrarily, without a word of
apology to those who are likely to be most affected. Resentment over the abandonment
of this particular scheme is still fresh in the minds of local communities.
Chapter 8
Implementing the Strategy

Cropland and orchards
The most important lesson learned from The establishment of a devolved system of
development planning undertaken since government in Chitral augers well for the
the mid-1950s is that sustainable future. Under the new system, schemes are
development does not result from the to be planned, implemented, monitored and
execution of individual schemes unless evaluated by the people’s elected represen-
they have been conceived as part of an tatives at the local level. The Zilla Nazim and
integrated long-term plan, and are District Coordination Officer (DCO) are to
monitored and evaluated rigorously. play a key role in formulating development
Another lesson is that such efforts are policy for the district, assisted by the Finance
often most successful when they are and Planning Office. The results achieved
undertaken in collaboration with local will depend on the level of skills that the
communities. Rather than imposing a personnel of these offices bring to their
plan from above, the Chitral Conservation assignments. Since staff will be transferred
Strategy (CCS) aims to reflect the from existing government departments, their
people’s own aspirations for the develop- capacity will be limited until they are provided
ment of their area. The challenge now is with the appropriate training. The local
to translate this vision into action. government will also need provincial govern-
ment assistance in formulating by-laws and
8.1 compiling procedural manuals.
Current Scenario
8.2
A potent criticism voiced by local communi- Resource Constraints
ties during the CCS consultation process
was that development initiatives undertaken In addition to the resources of the local
so far have lacked focus and continuity, and government and Tehsil Municipal
have failed to reflect their needs. Not only Administrations (TMAs), funds available for
must meaningful development occur, it must the district include transfers from the
be widely perceived to have occurred. province for development, establishment
Otherwise, a sense of deprivation will charges (as replacement for zilla tax and
continue to prevail. octroi), and operation and maintenance.

However, the last two will not be available immediate needs of the people at the cost
for development. TMAs will instead utilise of long-term programmes for the conserva-
zilla tax and octroi, but these funds are not tion and development of renewable natural
likely to be significant. resources.
Of the 2001–02 Annual Development The first and most important step in the
Programme (ADP) allocation of Rs 55 implementation of the CCS is to take stock
million, 11.8 million was released for four of all ongoing development and capacity
sectors: communications (5 million), educa- building projects, and to make sure that
8
tion (4.8 million, under the Social Action allocated resources are being used
Programme), health (1.7 million), and build- efficiently. Additional sources of funding are
ing and housing (0.3 million). In addition, a likely to become available as implementa-
sum of Rs 67 million was disbursed for tion of the CCS gets underway.
implementation of the Khushhal Pakistan
Programme (13 million revived, and 54 To assist the district government in imple-
million for 2001–02). The Chitral TMAshows mentation of the CCS, it is essential to
a gap of Rs 3.8 million between resources establish a technical assistance team
and expenditure for 2001–02. comprising professionals in various critical
disciplines. Implementation of the
The challenge for the district government is strategy’s proposals will begin in collabora-
to utilise available funds effectively and effi- tion with the CCS Unit of IUCN–The World
ciently. In addition, the local administration Conservation Union, but eventually the
must ensure that infrastructure develop- district government will take over sole
ment does not cause further damage to the responsibility. The CCS Unit’s foremost
fragile ecology of the area. A portfolio of task will be to analyse policy choices
well-conceived projects must be prepared presented to the local government, with a
and advocated, so that additional view to ensuring environmental integrity and
resources from the provincial and federal sustainability. The CCS Unit will facilitate
governments may be secured, particularly reviews of policy decisions, programming
for large-scale schemes such as the and projects; work on the creation of a fund
proposed Lowari tunnel. for sustainable development and assist the
local government in making it operational;
8.2.1 Overcoming Constraints and train selected local government func-
tionaries in sustainable development.
Developing the capacity of district and
provincial government functionaries is the 8.2.2 Resources
key to overcoming the constraints to
development. A proactive Finance and Compared to the needs of Chitral, available
Planning Office, and vigilant Executive resources are likely to be meagre. During
District Officers (EDOs) should be able to 2001–02, a sum of Rs 11.7 million was
determine what federal and provincial released through the ADP for education,
sources of funding are available and how to health and transport/communications. An
access them. Training will also allow additional Rs 120.5 million was provided in
government functionaries to prepare Phases I, II, and III of the Khushhal
convincing briefs and advocate develop- Pakistan Programme up to 2001–02 for
ment proposals effectively. farm-to-market roads, water supply,
women’s development, electricity and mis-
The new local government system is still in cellaneous schemes. Of this amount, bare-
the implementation stage and its current ly Rs 47 million could be utilised up to 28
limitations must be assessed in order to March 2002.
ensure long-term success. The district gov-
ernment and TMAs are under continuous Among donor-funded projects, two of the
pressure to respond to local choices for four conservancy areas of the ongoing
infrastructure projects that fulfil the Mountain Areas Conservancy Project are

located in Chitral, while upgrading manage- Divisional Forest Officer Chitral, Executive
ment of Chitral Gol National Park is part of Engineer Irrigation Chitral, and representa-
the Protected Areas Management Project. tives of the Aga Khan Rural Support
Another opportunity is the launching of Programme, the CCS Unit and community-
Sarhad Rural Support Programme in Chitral. based organisations. However, this
Committee has not been active.
In terms of human resources, Chitral’s
most important potential assets are good As a first step towards regulation, the local
governance and high-calibre capacity in informal system of natural resource manage-
the Finance and Planning Office to advo- ment must be documented and improved. At
cate policy, select projects, and streamline the same time, modern regulatory measures
approval, implementation and monitoring. should be developed and institutionalised.
The Finance and Planning Office must aim Where possible, formal regulation should
to ensure that along with poverty allevia- evolve on the basis of traditional practices. A
tion, expenditures incurred serve to regulatory code can be drawn up under
improve the environment as well as physi- Sections 191(2) and 192(2) of the North-
cal and social infrastructure. To multiply the West Frontier Province Local Government
impact of resources made available by the Ordinance 2001, read with the second part of
government, local communities must be the Fifth Schedule to the Ordinance.
persuaded to contribute physically and
financially. Participation will also increase 8.2.4 Coalitions for Advocacy
their stake in implementation and serve as
an incentive to maintain the assets created. A massive campaign must be launched to
Funding for large-scale projects such as educate the people about the importance
the proposed Lowari tunnel and road to of maintaining the integrity of the environ-
Tajikistan, as well as medium-scale initia- ment. For its part, the district government
tives to increase hydroelectricity genera- will need to maintain a balance between
tion, will require the advocacy of the district meeting the immediate needs of the people
government. Securing donor assistance and ensuring long-term sustainable devel-
entails constant vigilance regarding avail- opment. By creating ownership for
able opportunities, meticulous project schemes, the district government can
preparation and vigorous advocacy. foster coalitions for environmental and
Financial support will be required from the |sustainable development advocacy within
international community for technical assis- civil society. This will require building
tance projects identified in the CCS. capacity for analysis of issues, policy
choices and development initiatives, in
8.2.3 Environmental Regulation addition to effective communication skills.
Maintaining the integrity of the environment 8.2.5 A New Roundtable With a

in Chitral is the responsibility of the TMAs. New Mandate
Their functions in this regard include: (i)
controlling land use, subdivision, develop- The CCS Roundtable has served as an
ment and zoning by the public and private important institutional resource during the
sector; and (ii) providing, managing, oper- formulation phase of this strategy, providing
ating, maintaining and improving water a forum for people to voice their
supply, sewerage, sanitation and solid concerns and interact with government
waste disposal; traffic planning; parks, functionaries. Following the implementation
playgrounds and open spaces; and arbori- of the devolved local government system,
culture. Union Administrations, Tehsil Councils and
the Zilla Council have begun to provide
In addition, a District Environmental avenues for participation to citizens. Policy
Committee has been constituted with the formulation and decision making regarding
following members: EDOs of the development is already beginning to take
concerned devolved departments, the place through these bodies.

The new system, however, has not reduced (CFSD) is a concept aimed at creating a
the need for the Roundtable. As a multi- financial mechanism to fund sustainable
stakeholder advisory body comprising indi- development activities. It is envisaged that
viduals of repute, integrity and expertise, the CFSD, set up at the district level, will
the Roundtable can assist the government be capitalised by diverting provincial
in making informed decisions based on budget allocations for the district and man-
collective wisdom. It can also help to fend aged by a Board comprising members
off undue political pressure in development from both within and outside the govern-
planning. Allowed the necessary space and ment. To ensure credibility as well as
8
freedom, the Roundtable will be able to support from donor agencies, the majority
provide the district government with invalu- of Board members will be drawn from the
able input. Its role in policy making at the non-government sector. The Board will be
district level is shown in Figure 11. mandated to take decisions regarding
grants from the CFSD.
To enable it to perform its new role effec-
tively, the Roundtable should include mem- In establishing the CFSD, certain factors
bers from the government and TMAs (not cannot be ignored except at the peril of utter
more than one third of the total members), failure. These include social and economic
all parties or groups in the district and tehsil realities, the institutional regime as it exists
councils, major non-governmental organi- today and as it seems to be evolving, the
sations, professional associations (traders, political development of the district and the
academia), and communities with environ- capacity of various partners. Chitrali society
mental credentials. is patriarchal in nature, and organised in
increasingly loose but important social
8.2.6 Launching the Chitral structures based on tribal affiliations and
Fund For Sustainable socio-economic status, the latter determined
Development primarily by land ownership. Decision
making is carried out through the informal
Inspired by similar funds created and oper- institution of jirga, a council of elders which
ating in other parts of the world, the Chitral nearly always excludes women and which,
Fund for Sustainable Development in some cases, enjoys legal sanction.
FIGURE 11 District Policy Making and the District Roundtable

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN CHITRAL
Non-organised Civil Provincial District Mushavirat Civil Society

Society (Groups + Zilla Nazim Committee Organisations
Government
Individuals)
Non-devolved District Government

Provincial Government Zilla Council Tehsil Councils
Offices and DCO
Departments
CCS
Roundtable
Stakeholders and Interest Groups

Source: CCS Support Unit, IUCN.

Participatory approach to governance
Although many of the area’s inhabitants and therefore access to information—

have moved to the cities, the people of the remains limited.
region are nonetheless strongly rooted to
their ancestral villages. Those who have Development is a priority issue for elected
remained in Chitral continue to reside in the representatives, whether at the provincial
place of their birth. Chitral’s economy is or district level. The political capital to be
mainly agrarian, with a majority of the pop- gained by the delivery of ostensible devel-
ulation employed in agriculture. Outside the opment means that the district govern-
agriculture sector, the public sector is the ment is not likely to abdicate its power to
largest employer. Population has been take funding decisions. The size of the
district budget is for the most part deter-
The need to ensure electoral mined by provincial transfers, and such
funds are likely to be spent according to
success plays a major role in the development priorities of the political
development planning, with scarce executive of the district. In this scenario,
sustainable development initiatives will
resources directed towards only receive attention if they are part of
short-term priorities. mainstream policy.
growing at an annual rate of 2.75%, result- The CCS aims to do just that, requiring that
ing in fierce competition over development all planning and development in the district
resources, and leaving infrastructure and focuses on sustainable development. At
facilities struggling to cope. Agricultural and the same time, the CCS aims to influence
industrial activity, as well as employment local policy and tap internal sources for
opportunities in other sectors, are distrib- revenue generation, both of which are
uted unevenly among various parts of the essential to create self-reliance and a
district. Resource generation capacity also climate conducive to sustainable develop-
varies dramatically from area to area, and ment. Achieving fiscal autonomy will
competition for resources between localities require that the CCS be made a public
is played out through local elites. policy statement, while impetus for sustain-
Meanwhile literacy among the population— able development will come from local

FIGURE 12 Chitral Fund for Sustainable

ownership of conservation themes and Development (CFSD) in the
sustainable development norms. local fiscal arrangement
Ideally, development should follow a

Local Tax Recurrent
trajectory that conforms to sustainable Revenue Expenditure
norms. But in reality, the need to ensure
electoral success plays a major role in devel-
User Debt
opment planning, with scarce resources Charges Servicing
directed towards short-term priorities. For
8
instance, the district may decide to build
Natural Maintenance
roads and improve agriculture, but neglects DISTRICT
Resource & Repairment
BUDGET
to allocate resources for the regeneration of Royalties Expenditure
forests or reclamation of polluted water-

courses. The definition of priorities in such a Other Development
Incomes Expenditure
case may be short-term, owing to their
compatibility with political objectives of the
executive. As a result, long-term decisions Fiscal
CFSD
Transfers
favouring conservation may not receive due
attention, distorting the pattern of sustainable
development in the district. An adequately Source: CCS Support Unit, IUCN.
capitalised CFSD can address such distor-
tions, providing resources for ecological and
conservation priorities. In cases where the While the CFSD can serve as a useful
district executive chooses to ignore sustain- instrument to facilitate funding for sustain-
able development altogether, the CFSD able development initiatives, it will carry only
would play an even more important role, limited utility unless coupled with compre-
serving as a window through which funding hensive fiscal reform at the district level,
may be channelled directly to sectors that aimed at correcting the imbalance in
have been ignored by district initiatives. resource allocation. More funds will need to
be designated for green issues and to
It goes without saying that the creation of the improve environmental practices in the
CFSD requires that resources are made brown sector. In addition to the introduction
available for its capitalisation. In this regard, of environmental fees and taxes, royalties on
the experience with the provincial sustainable the use of natural resources and accounting
development fund has not been sanguine. In of externalities could help remove distortions
response to fiscal pressures, the develop- in the incentive regime, encouraging and
ment budget is often cut dramatically. As supporting environmentally responsible
such, a wider variety of funding sources will behaviour.
need to be tapped. Diverting provincial trans-
fers is one possibility, but the district budget The CFSD is by no means an impractical
relies heavily on such allocations to fund idea. In fact, it can serve as a useful extra-
routine service delivery, with the remainder fiscal instrument to promote sustainable
earmarked for other sectors. This means that development and conservation. The major
provincial transfers are not likely to serve as a share of the CFSD’s resources are expected
major source of funding for the CFSD. to come from the provincial government, but
it may also serve to attract additional financ-
Local environmental taxes can be levied to ing from the provincial and national sustain-
capitalise the CFSD, and income from able development funds (the latter has been
similar provincial taxes could be earmarked announced by the federal government as a
for the CFSD. Legal stipulations can be policy commitment). As such, it can serve as
written into the district budget, allocating a an instrument to mobilise additional resource
fixed percentage of resources for the CFSD. allocations for the district. The CFSD’s role in
Such measures would require consensus the local fiscal arrangement is illustrated in
building, followed by local legislation. Figure 12.

The Chitral Conservation Strategy (CCS) aims to formulate a crystallised vision for
the integrated development of the area. The district government is the prime spon-
sor of the proposed initiatives and interventions, while the vision itself is shared by
the people of Chitral, civil society organisations and all stakeholders, including the
ulema, members of academia, the media and private sector organisations.
Chapter 9
Action Plan

Action Plan
The table below maps out an action plan for implementation of the CCS. For practical
reasons, only 38 separate initiatives have been proposed. These interventions are divided
into the short-, medium- and long-term categories and listed sector by sector, along with the
organisations and agencies that are expected to play a role in implementation.
Sector Short-term Initiatives Proposed Role

Governance 1. Explore avenues of provincial, federal and donor Zilla Nazim Office /
assistance to build capacity at the district level; District Coordination
put into place a monitoring system for effective Office
implementation.
2. Develop project proposals for innovative and Finance and
sustainable development schemes at the district Planning Office /
level; explore avenues of financial assistance. Tehsil Municipal
Administration (TMA)
3. Enact legislation to check environmental pollution Zilla Nazim Office /
in urban areas, particularly to regulate the operations Zilla Assembly /
of slaughterhouses, automobile service stations, District Police /
hotels, restaurants and poultry shops. TMA
4. Enforce land use planning and zoning laws; enact Zilla Nazim Office /
new legislation to ensure the sustainability District Coordination
of agriculture. Office/ TMA
Water Supply 5. Rehabilitate non-functioning water supply schemes Works and Services
and Sanitation executed by the Public Health Engineering Office/ TMA / CBOs
Department; transfer operation and maintenance of
such schemes to community-based organisations
(CBOs) and village organisations.
6. Develop project proposals for waste disposal, TMA / CBOs / media
sanitation and sewerage in Chitral town; explore / private sector/ non-
funding opportunities. governmental
organisations (NGOs)
Agriculture 7. Build the capacity of local communities for on-farm Executive District
water management; provide technical support. Office, Agriculture /
CBOs / NGOs
8. Develop project proposals for water harvesting to Executive District
encourage farm forestry and fodder production. Office, Agriculture
9. Create a regulatory framework for land use through Zilla Nazim Office /
legislation to curb the conversion of agriculturally Zilla Assembly
productive land to non-agricultural uses.
10.Prepare a plan to relaunch and operate the agriculture Zilla Nazim Office /
research stations set up by the Chitral Area District Coordination
Development Project (CADP) in Chitral and Booni. Office
Cultural Heritage 11. Organise special events and seasonal festivals; Zilla Nazim Office /
and Tourism promote traditional festivals; prepare a calendar District Coordination
of events to enable tourists to plan their Office / TMA / NGOs
visit to Chitral. / CBOs / media /
private sector
12. Develop a code of conduct for tourists and tour Zilla Nazim Office /
operators to ensure the ecological and cultural District Coordination
sustainability of tourism. Office / Zilla Council
Medium-term Initiatives
Governance 13. Procure financial assistance to provide incentives, Zilla Nazim Office /
such as food aid to poor families, in order to District Coordination
increase enrolment and lower the dropout rate Office / Executive
at school level. District Office,
Education / NGOs

Action Plan
14. Seek financial assistance to introduce rural support Zilla Nazim Office /
mechanisms, such as the Sarhad Rural Support District Coordination
Programme and National Rural Support Programme, Office / NGOs
to ensure the perpetuation of social organisations
created by the CADP; initiate the process of
establishing rural support mechanisms in areas
not covered so far.
Education 15. Promote female education through extended Executive District

facilities at secondary and higher level. Office, Education /
9
NGOs / CBOs /
private sector
Cultural Heritage 16. Establish an ethnological museum. District Coordination

and Tourism Office / provincial
Museums Department
17. Map cultural sites. District Coordination

Office / NGOs /
provincial Tourism
Department / media
18. Evolve financial procedures to share revenues from Zilla Nazim Office /
tourism with local communities. District Coordination
Office / provincial
Tourism Department
/ NGOs
Water Supply 19. Develop innovative water supply schemes to be Works and Services
and Sanitation maintained by community organisations. Office / NGOs /
CBOs
20. Prepare plans for solid waste management, sanitation TMA / Union
and sewerage for all major towns in the district. Councils / NGOs /
CBOs
Irrigation 21. Explore opportunities and funding sources to irrigate Irrigation Division /
more land though siphon and lift irrigation systems. District Coordination
Office / NGOs /
CBOs
Energy 22. Advocate the construction of the 43 MW Golain Zilla Nazim Office /
Hydel Project, currently in the pipelines. District Coordination
Office / Water and
Power Development
Authority (WAPDA)
23. Explore alternate energy sources, such as wind Zilla Nazim Office /
and solar power; liaise with the relevant quarters District Coordination
in the federal Ministry of Petroleum and Energy Office / NGOs /
to garner financial support for this purpose. private sector
Agriculture 24. Provide capacity building support to farm service Zilla Nazim Office /
centres, enabling them to make maximum use of District Coordination
marketing possibilities after the enforcement of Office / Executive
the World Trade Organisation regime. District Office,
Agriculture / NGOs /
CBOs
Forestry 25. Prepare an inventory of all forests in Chitral Divisional Forest

through the Forest Management Centre; draw up Office / NGOs /
a participatory management plan. CBOs

Action Plan
26. Ensure the regeneration of harvested areas by Divisional Forest

skilful selection of trees for felling and effective Office / NGOs /
grazing control. CBOs
27. Motivate, train and assist communities in the Divisional Forest

sustainable harvesting and marketing of chilghozas Office / NGOs /
(pine nuts) and other non-wood forest products. CBOs
Health 28. Establish specialised health facilitates at the Zilla Nazim Office /
district level. District Coordination
Office / provincial
Health Department
Mineral 29. Conduct geophysical and geochemical surveys Provincial Industries

Development of mineral deposits in Chitral to develop and Minerals
mineral-based enterprise. Department / District
Coordination Office
Long-term Initiatives
Infrastructure 30. Advocate improving access to down-country Zilla Nazim Office /
markets through the construction of the Lowari District Coordination
tunnel and a road to Tajikistan. Office
31. Blacktop farm-to-market roads linking 32 valleys Works and Services

in the district in order to control dust pollution Office
and its effects on the ecology of the area.
Education 32. Seek the assistance of the provincial and federal District Coordination
governments as well as donors to expand Office / Executive
technical education. District Office,
Education / NGOs
33. Secure fellowships for promising students to Executive District

pursue higher education aboard. Office, Education
Water Supply 34. Develop project proposals for water supply to meet Works and Services
and Sanitation the growing requirements of the main towns of Office / TMA
the district; secure donor funding.
35. Prepare project proposals for the treatment of TMA / Union

effluent and liquid waste discharged into Councils
the Chitral river.
Agriculture 36. Explore sites for the construction of large-scale Zilla Nazim Office /
hydel power generation projects; secure funding. District Coordination
Office / WAPDA /
NGOs
37. Amend rules and procedures to enable the induction Provincial

of livestock husbandry and agricultural economics Environment
professionals into the provincial Agriculture Department
Department, offering them employment prospects
at par with forestry officials.
Forestry 38. Prepare and process for technical assistance a Provincial

participatory, integrated, multidisciplinary project Environment
for the sustainable development of alpine and Department
subalpine grazing lands.

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Select Bibliography
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CCS Sector Papers
Title Author
Agriculture G. M. Khattak
Biodiversity, Parks and Protected Areas Mumtaz Malik
Culture Heritage and Ecotourism Inayatulalh Faizi
Drinking Water Javed Hassan
Energy Habib Gul
Forest, Grazing Lands and Watersheds G. M. Khattak
Human Resource Development Noor Shahidin
Infrastructure Javed Hassan
Irrigation Masood-ul-Mulk
Micro Enterprise Development Mujib-ur-Rehman
Solid Waste Management Javed Hassan

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Chitral – An Integrated Development Vision (Chitral

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IUCN-CCS Support Unit

XIII Reader’s Guide

CONTEXT STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION

03 Chapter 1 53 Chapter 4 85 Chapter 8

CHITRAL Conservation Strategy III

CHITRAL Conservation Strategy V

CHITRAL Conservation Strategy VII

CHITRAL Conservation Strategy IX

Major Achievements Major Constraints to

X CHITRAL Conservation Strategy

current agricultural research and extension hydroelectric potential will considerably

CHITRAL Conservation Strategy XI

XII CHITRAL Conservation Strategy

CHITRAL Conservation Strategy XIII

CHITRAL Conservation Strategy 3

1.1 Formulation of the Pakistan National

The CCS attempts to find new cities;

which local communities, supported ■ biological diversity, parks and protected

prime engine for development. (GoNWFP and IUCN, 1996).

Implemented by the provincial government’s

4 CHITRAL Conservation Strategy

Atotal of 48 public consultations were held: During these consultations, participants

CHITRAL Conservation Strategy 5

The CCS public consultation process

1. irrigation; expressed by participants at public consul-

6 CHITRAL Conservation Strategy

CHITRAL Conservation Strategy 7

2.1 main valley is 354 km long and varies in

FIGURE 1 Population growth,

E = estimated population Source: Government of Pakistan, 1999.

8 CHITRAL Conservation Strategy

FIGURE 2 Chitral district urban/ FIGURE 3 Distribution of rural

Source: Government of Pakistan, 1999.

Programme (AKRSP) project area reveals

CHITRAL Conservation Strategy 9

FIGURE 4 Population by age group, 1998

Source: Government of Pakistan, 1999.

TABLE 1 Mean rainfall in Drosh and Chitral

10 CHITRAL Conservation Strategy

FIGURE 6 Mean maximum and FIGURE 7 Land cover and

Maximum temperature ■ Minimum temperature

TABLE 2 Mean maximum and ■ 3% Agriculture

minimum temperature in ■ 4.7% Forest

CHITRAL Conservation Strategy 11

and women are for the most part expected

2.6.4 Changes in Traditional

In response to changing socio-economic

ditions governing gender roles. An analysis TABLE 3 Changes in traditional

2.6.2 Khow TABLE 4 Changes in traditional

12 CHITRAL Conservation Strategy