Context

The Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in its 7 th meeting held in February, 2004 at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia adopted the Programme of Work on Protected Areas (PoW-PA). The first objective of the PoW-PA is to establish and maintain by 2010 a comprehensive, effectively managed, and ecologically representative national system of protected areas, that contributes to achieving the objectives of CBD. Pakistan as a signatory to the CBD strives to contribute to arrest the global loss of biological diversity. It as a signatory is working to adopt a country driven approach by making its CBD implementation dependent upon local circumstances. As a follow up it has recently received additional funding from the Global Environment Facility to undertake Biodiversity Enabling Activities. One of the three embarked upon activities is Promoting in situ/ex situ conservation in Pakistan under the CBD Programme of Work for Protected Areas. The said activity envisages the analysis and implementation of the outcomes of 5th Worlds Park Congress (Durban) on protected areas.

Worlds Park Congress

The world urgently needs an ecologically representative, effectively managed, global network of protected areas. Without this, society will miss out on the many benefits that protected areas can bring, the chances of alleviating poverty will be reduced and the inheritance of future generations will be greatly diminished. To cope up these challenges, the global conservation community gathers at an international Parks Congress after every 10 years, to assess the status of the global network of protected areas. As the worlds most influential gathering of people involved in protected area management, it sets the global agenda for the forthcoming decade. It urges action for the benefit of protected areas so that their benefits may be conserved and equitably shared. It brings together resource managers, scientists, politicians, ministers, civil servants, and industry leaders from all over the world. It includes leaders of non-governmental organisations both large and small of international bodies and grassroots groups; indigenous and mobile peoples and local communities; men and women of younger and older generations, hailing from major urban centres and small communities across the globe. The participants share experience from the Earths wildest frontiers and its most degraded lands and carry the voices of countless concerned people from every corner of the world.

Durban Action Plan

At the World Parks Congress held in Durban in 2003, some 5,000 assembled conservationists announced their adoption of a new paradigm for protected areas which would respect the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities. The 5th IUCN World Parks Congress marked a turning point for protected areas. It placed them at the centre of international efforts to conserve biodiversity and promote sustainable development. By taking as its theme Benefits Beyond Boundaries, the Congress recognised that protected areas cannot exist in isolation from the surrounding land and sea. Nor can they be managed without regard to the communities and economic activities within and around them. The Congress affirmed the immense value of protected areas to society, now and in the future.

In the past, the protected areas community has not sufficiently engaged with its many potential allies. It now needs to reach out to the wider community of interests that can benefit from the existence of well-managed protected areas. The need to make those connections is the underlying message of The Durban Accord: Our Global Commitment for People and Earths Protected Areas. The Accord establishes a new paradigm for protected areas, and issues a call for commitment and action from everyone involved in and affected by protected areas. The accord is supported by the Message to the Convention on Biological Diversity also adopted in Durban. To realise the goals of the Accord, action involving many stakeholders is needed at global, regional, national and local levels. This is turn requires that targets are set and progress is monitored and reported upon. The Durban Action Plan sets out the required targets and action. The leadership of IUCN, and particularly the members of its World Commission on Protected Areas, will be vital in translating the plan into reality. The Durban Action Plan is for all who are engaged in, or whose activities affect, protected areas in any way, whether or not they attended the Congress. It is the outcome of a unique international gathering of people and interests drawn from many sectors and every part of the world. It provides a checklist of the activities needed to increase the benefits of protected areas to society and to improve their coverage and management.

a. The rapidly changing world

All around us we see profound transformations: climate change, fragmentation of landscapes and seascapes and the spread of invasive alien species; growing populations, globalisation, urbanisation, decentralisation, and rising demands for food, fibre, fuel and water; along with loss of biological and cultural diversity and failing ecosystems that serve as vital organs of the Earth. Resultantly, billion of people are lowered in poverty, gripped by daily struggles for survival. Protected areas are providers of ecosystem goods and services, as irreplaceable sources of fresh water, fish stocks and flood protection, and as buffers against climate change. They act as refugia for life in the face of rapid, perhaps cataclysmic, ecological shifts. Protected areas play a vital role in poverty reduction and economic development and hence are creators and sustainers of livelihoods.

b. Global challenges faced by protected areas

It is a matter of great concern that many areas of irreplaceable and immediately threatened biological diversity have not yet been protected. Many places that conserved over the ages by local communities, mobile and indigenous peoples are not given recognition, protection and support. Consequently wild and natural areas outside of protected areas have shrunk by half in the last 20 years, and that biological diversity, in turn, is on the brink of mass extinction. Many proclaimed protected areas exist more on paper than in practice, especially in developing nations and in the marine realm. Whereas more than 11.5% of the worlds land area now enjoys protection, less than 1% of the worlds oceans, seas and coasts have protected status, exposing fisheries and rich storehouses of biodiversity to overexploitation; including freshwater ecosystems natural reservoirs for a non-negotiable element for life on Earth. Ironically development plans do not include attention to protected areas. As a result many costs of protected areas are borne locally particularly by poor communities while benefits accrue globally and remain under-appreciated. Moreover existing protected areas suffer funding gaps, excluding additional resources required to expand and enhance protected area systems.

Human-induced climate change threatens to reverse our past achievements and jeopardise future efforts and that the world has not started substantial reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Likely we are facing a closing window of opportunity, that if we fail to act now we will miss our last chance to pass on our rich natural and cultural heritage to future generations

c. Durban commitments
The Durban Action Plan is organised around ten desired outcomes and related wide ranging set of fifteen targets, broadly reflecting the main themes of the Congress. Under each outcome, it identifies the required levels of (international, regional and; national and local) action.

d. Analysis of Pakistans response

Ministry of Climate Change (devolved Ministry of Environment) is the focal authority conscientious for the implementation and progress analysis of the outcomes of Worlds Park Congress (Durban) under the activity Promoting in situ/ex situ conservation in Pakistan under the CBD Programme of Work for Protected Areas with the closed and active coordination with relevant provincial institutions and authorities. Pakistans actions for contribution to the global commitments are summarized in the annex-I.

1. Protected areas fulfill their full role in biodiversity conservation

i. The Convention on Biological Diversity adopts a work programme in 2004 on protected areas that significantly strengthens their role under the Convention by the time of the next IUCN World Parks Congress The CBD adopted Programme of Works on Protected Areas in February 2004. The Ministry of Environment (now Ministry of Climate Change) implemented a GEF/World Bank funded project entitled Protected Areas Management Project (PAMP) in collaboration with Provincial Line Departments and WWF-Pakistan to apply systematic conservation planning tools, using information on species, habitats and ecological processes, to identify gaps in the existing national protected area systems; and use these to help select new protected areas at the national level. Management regimes were improved in three national parks of Pakistan with active community participation. The people parks conflicts were resolved and the lessons learnt and best practices identified are planned to be replicated in other protected areas of Pakistan. To Use zoning and other management planning processes to assist in designing and enhancing comprehensive protected area networks, zoning has been extensively used in management of national parks in Pakistan. The effective design and processes developed under PAMP project used in the three national parks including setting aside a core zone for strict protection ensuring undisturbed breeding of the key species is planned to be used in other national parks of the country. In Pakistan most of the provinces are developing and implementing innovative plans and legislation, in process of updating their relevant legislation ensuring involvement of all stakeholders especially the communities around the protected areas to conserve

biodiversity and ecological processes effectively under various systems of land and resource ownership and usage rights, and across national boundaries. Special category of protected areas namely Community based conservation areas has also been included in traditional protected area categories. The custodian communities have been authorised to get 80% of the revenue generated. Establishment an international network of training organizations involved in capacity building, under the proposed CBD Programme of Work on protected areas, is in progress. Pakistan was committed to increase its protected areas network under MDGs up to 11% of its total land area by 2015. Pakistan has already achieved this target by including community conservation areas, community managed areas, and private and indigenous community reserves within national protected area systems where these areas meet the IUCN and CBD definitions of a protected area. Under ABT we are committed to increase it to 17 per cent of terrestrial and inland water, and 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas by 2020. In Pakistan we are lagging behind in terms of coastal and marine protected areas. The new protected areas focus active community participation and are in line with IUCN and CBD definitions of protected areas. The rights of the custodian communities are being increasingly recognized in the management planning of the protected areas. The new category of community based conservation areas give maximum decision making and resource sharing to the custodian communities and ensures that further work towards building comprehensive protected areas systems takes full account of the rights, interests and aspirations of indigenous peoples, as well as of their desire to see their lands, territories and resources protected for their own social and cultural survival. As already mentioned the PAMP focus on promotion of socioeconomic and cultural benefits of protected areas in the custodian communities; and the models developed during the project are planned to be replicated in other protected areas of Pakistan to foster support for the expansion of national networks of protected areas. The role of the protected areas in achieving the CBD objectives is being increasingly recognized in all the policy decision making. Contribution of national and local biodiversity plans has been recognized; that protected areas make in achieving all three CBD objectives and their part in meeting targets which help to measure progress in respect of these.

ii. All sites whose biodiversity values are of outstanding universal value are inscribed on the World Heritage List by the time of the next IUCN World Parks Congress New areas are being proposed under Man and Biosphere (MaB) Programme and World Heritage Sites by the focal ministry of science and technology. Palas valley and Chitral Gol National Park/Kalash valley (KPK Province); Juniper forests of Ziarat and Zarghoon areas (Baluchistan Province); and Keti Bundar Mangroves (Sind Province) are candidate sites for MaB and progress is being made in collecting the requisite information.

The development of the national policy and legislation for the protection of world heritage properties is process. Some pilot projects were implemented having strong focus on education and awareness measures regarding World Heritage.

2. Protected areas make a full contribution to sustainable development

iii. By the time of the next IUCN World Parks Congress (2014), the management of all protected areas is reviewed to ensure that they help alleviate poverty, and do not exacerbate it As part of national and local planning frameworks and action programmes, schemes have been developed for protected areas which avoid increasing poverty and help in its alleviation; and which encourage changes in patterns of production and consumption towards greater sustainability. Actions are supporting the role that protected areas can play as places for protecting and managing natural resources for social and economic development, especially by encouraging the wider use of payments for environmental services from protected areas (for example, in the provision of safe drinking water supplies in a cost-effective and environmentally sustainable way; or for their role as potential sources of sustainable supplies of food). All the management planning of the protected areas duly recognizes the need of poverty alleviation through resource sharing and alternate livelihoods initiatives. The employment opportunities are being increasingly offered to the suitable candidates of the custodian communities. The promotion of the ecotourism in potential protected areas has also helped in poverty alleviation and increasing employment opportunities. The holistic approach of protected areas management was highlighted in PAMP and all the lessons learnt are being replicated. This approach essentially included social well being and payment for ecosystem goods and services. Trophy hunting is a strong economic instrument which now being increasingly used to underwrite the costs of conservation and mobilizing the custodian communities towards conservation. Pakistan is one of the pioneer countries in managing trophy hunting programmes in a way that let the conservation of the endangered species as well as proactive involvement of the custodian communities to achieve sustainable development benefits from protected areas. Poverty reduction strategy has been mainstreamed in all the development projects of Pakistan including PAMP. It is now becoming an essential part of the regular planning and management of protected areas Resettlement of indigenous communities has been discouraged in new management regime of the protected areas. As far as the mobile indigenous people are concerned the government is increasingly cognizant of the issue and an international policy seminar for landless pastoralists was organized emphasizing recognition of their rights. A delegation of

pastoralists was facilitated for exposure visit across the central Asia for mutual learning and information sharing under the MACP. While planning protected areas management Pakistan is cognizant to avoid conservation actions which cause or increase impoverishment, including cultural impoverishment. The thorough involvement of all the stake holders in planning also ensures that actions causing cultural impoverishment never happen. National and regional authorities working with businesses, protected area agencies and the voluntary sector to develop cross sectoral approaches to sustainable development, in which protected areas are key components in regional and national sustainable development programmes. National Conservation Strategy and Biodiversity Action Plan of Pakistan are exactly in line with sustainable development approach. Moreover private-public partnerships in conservation and management of protected areas are also being encouraged. Biodiversity concerns are being increasingly mainstreamed in all sectors of development. Multi-sectoral integrated approaches are being adopted for securing resources so as to support the role of protected areas in poverty alleviation and community development. Pakistan Environmental Protection Act, 1997 calls upon addressing reversal of all actions causing ecosystem and biodiversity losses. Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Strategy gives due cognizance to essential role of biodiversity in national development. The approach refined by PAMP involves participation of all the players in development sector while planning the management regimes of protected areas. While ensuring that human population concerns are taken into account in protected area planning and management; protected areas management is being integrated into wider development plans. This approach is being replicated in other protected areas. Moreover PEPA, 1997 also ensures impact assessment as well as broad consultation and mitigation measures before taking off any development schemes. HIV/AIDS pandemic is accelerating the unsustainable use of natural resources; and to promote alternatives for the livelihoods of affected communities, including sustainable natural resource-based enterprises; extensive awareness campaigns are being practised by the health sector. One of the major initiatives of PAMP was to reduce human/wildlife conflicts. All conservation efforts for big cats and other Canids are focused to reduce such conflicts with remedial measures. Actions have been taken to prevent or mitigate human/wildlife conflicts in and around protected areas, including through the establishment of fora and support mechanisms to share lessons and strengthen skills in the management of such problems. Compensation and livestock insurance schemes are being piloted and the lessons learnt shall be replicated.

3. A global system of protected areas, with links to surrounding landscapes and seascapes, is in place

iv. A system of protected areas representing all the worlds ecosystems is in place by the time of the next IUCN World Parks Congress (2014) v. All protected areas are linked into wider ecological/environmental systems of resource management and protection on land and at sea by the time of the next IUCN World Parks Congress Although an overall plan for protected areas, within a framework that is based on biogeographical regions and in consultation with all relevant constituencies needs to be developed by 2010, however in 2012 an all inclusive and comprehensive consultative stock taking exercise was conducted under the Biodiversity Enabling Activities Project-GoP. The gaps in PA system, taxonomic (Floral and faunal), capacities and awareness were identified through a consultative process. The process culminated in setting up of sub national targets leading to a set of clear recommendations and targets at the national level. New potential areas and ecosystems were identified by taking account of environmental, social, cultural and economic linkages, and in consultation with all relevant constituencies including adjacent jurisdictions, which include reviews on: Scope and need for boundary changes, including the expansion of protected areas beyond existing boundaries; o Zoning measures within and on the edge of protected areas; and o Frameworks for connectivity, such as ecological and social networks, ecological corridors and freshwater flows. In a public-private partnership the PPEPCA, WWF and the then Ministry of Environment implemented a project to delineate/demarcate the boundaries of selected PAs in each province to ensure their sanctity and ecological integrity while promoting sustainable development. During the process the Government of Baluchistan in Partnership with the local custodian communities has initiated a process to facilitate the declaration of Juniper Forest Ecosystem as Biosphere Reserve. o

To restore ecological processes in degraded areas, both within protected areas and in their surrounding landscapes, so as to ensure the ecological integrity of protected areas, the PAs like national parks and wildlife sanctuaries have the provision of a buffer zone of few kilometres around their boundaries to ensure biodiversity conservation. However the communities can be benefitted from these areas for their essential needs. The concept of biological corridors connecting the key PAs is being promoted. In Pakistan, efforts are made to establish partnership within stakeholders (particularly indigenous and local communities affected by or interested in conservation initiatives) to recognise, harmonise and connect innovative, traditional/customary and other types of governance within an overall protected area system. The diverse cultural context influences the management of PAs in various geographical settings. In Baluchistan Province the proposed ZJBR management regime is based on the tribal distribution and usufruct of catchments and sub catchments as per tribal traditions. All the policy documents of GoP related to NRM and conservation recognises the participatory approach involving all stakeholders that encourage the active participation of local communities in biodiversity stewardship. GoP is increasingly cognizant of the issue of special needs of the mobile indigenous people and an international policy seminar for landless pastoralists was organized emphasizing recognition of their rights. In near future, further consultations will continue to develop a framework to adapt protected areas and community conserved areas management to the special needs of mobile communities, including protecting their seasonal or temporary use rights, preserving the integrity of their migratory routes or corridors, and supporting mobile use where it can achieve conservation objectives. GoP is planning to duly incorporate PAs concerns in the adaption plans of UNFCCC.

4. Protected areas are effectively managed, with reliable reporting on their management
vi. All protected areas have effective management systems in place by the time of the next IUCN World Parks Congress Under PAMP, criteria and indicators for effective management of PAs were developed with involvement of all the stake holders including the provincial line departments. These evaluation systems shall be developed in collaboration with other stakeholders, for all the PAs in near future to establish quantifiable, verifiable and sustained monitoring and evaluation systems to chart the state of protected areas and their key attributes, as developed by WCPA. Resultantly, the results will be used to influence planning and management decisions, and assess progress towards agreed targets. Resources are being made available from national government and devolved administrations to enable protected area authorities, including and with the involvement of indigenous and local communities, to implement evaluation systems for improving management effectiveness.

In Pakistan, national government and most of the provinces are in process of updating their relevant legislation ensuring involvement of all stakeholders especially the communities around the protected areas to establish and implement a legal (or other relevant and appropriate) basis for all protected areas. Special category of protected areas namely community based conservation areas has also been included in traditional protected area categories. The custodian communities have been authorised to get 80% of the revenue generated. The role of local communities in PAs management is being incorporated in the new revisions. Ministry of Climate Change is the focal ministry for UNFCCC and CBD. It assesses the impacts of climate and other significant changes on protected areas to ensure that the adaptation plans will duly address the concerns of PAs.

vii. All protected areas have effective management capacity by the time of the next IUCN World Parks Congress To develop and implement national strategies and guidelines to ensure adequate capacity building for all protected areas stakeholders an all inclusive and comprehensive consultative stock taking exercise was conducted in 2012 under the Biodiversity Enabling Activities Project-GoP. The gaps in PA system, taxonomic (Floral and faunal), capacities and awareness were identified through a consultative process. The process culminated in setting up of sub national targets leading to a set of clear recommendations and targets at the national level. To promote linkages between non-formal and formal educational institutions to enhance the effectiveness of capacity-building processes, all the reputable universities and educational institutions in Pakistan are involved in carrying out faunal and floristic research in various protective areas of Pakistan. The major national and local NGOs; like WWF, IUCN Pakistan, and Bio-resource Centre, Islamabad are also actively contributing to Knowledge base about protected areas of Pakistan and formally providing the capacity building of all the stakeholders, including the communities and the government line departments. To establish recruitment, training and continuing professional development programmes to ensure that all necessary skills and expertise are available to protected area authorities and other relevant constituencies, PAMP project was implemented by the federal govt, with components in the 3 provincial entities. The main objective was to provide model management regimes in the protected areas including skill enhancement. Moreover, the IUCNs protected areas network program was also helpful in providing professional training and skill development in the field of protected areas. The GoP as well as the national conservation NGOs through various projects have been encouraging community based conservation organization in and around the protected areas of Pakistan since mid 1990s. Various government projects namely MACP and others were implemented by both IUCN Pakistan and WWF Pakistan to make available resources for establishing, developing and maintaining volunteer development programmes in relation to protected area management. Various village level organizations were established that aimed at wise use of natural resources of the area leading to conservation of the natural resources

as well as, well being of the communities. In this regard, MACF was also established in the project areas of the MACP to ensure financial sustainability after the closure of the project. A similar fund namely FPA was also established under PAMP project.

5. The rights of indigenous peoples, including mobile indigenous peoples, and local communities are secured in relation to natural resources and biodiversity conservation
viii. All existing and future protected areas are established and managed in full compliance with the rights of indigenous peoples, including mobile indigenous peoples, and local communities by the time of the next IUCN World Parks Congress The issue of addressing the rights of mobile indigenous people e.g. Gujjars, has been brought to the agenda of the policy makers and the issue is discussed at various policy formulation forum with all the stakeholders and shall be addressed in near future.

ix. The management of all relevant protected areas involves representatives chosen by indigenous peoples, including mobile indigenous peoples, and local communities proportionate to their rights and interests, by the time of the next IUCN World Parks Congress The PAMP project established park management committees including representatives from the indigenous peoples, mobile indigenous peoples, and local communities along with govt line departments. The lessons learned by the projects have been shared with the provincial line departments and it is envisioned that in future similar pro-active and representative park management committees shall be replicated on the protected areas of Pakistan.

x. Participatory mechanisms for the restitution of indigenous peoples traditional lands and territories that were incorporated in protected areas without their free and informed consent are established and implemented by the time of the next IUCN World Parks Congress In Pakistan most of the provinces are in process of updating their relevant legislation ensuring involvement of all stakeholders especially the communities around the protected areas. Special category of protected areas namely Community based conservation areas has also been included in traditional protected area categories. The custodian communities have been authorised to get 80% of the revenue generated. Moreover, all the policy documents of GoP related to NRM and conservation recognised the participatory approach involving all stakeholders. A review of all existing conservation laws and policies that impact on indigenous peoples and local communities, including mobile indigenous peoples, has been carried out. This review has already been catered for in recent ABS legislation preparation and the rights of the indigenous people and the local community has been recognized in the draft legislation ensuring effective involvement and participation in PA management. Laws and policies concerning indigenous peoples and local communities control over their sacred places, with their full and effective participation are being adopted and implemented.

The importance of mobility as a vital livelihood system and a traditional lifestyle relevant for conservation in the areas where mobile indigenous peoples have lived traditionally has been recognized. The rights of the mobile indigenous people are duly recognised at the policy level and future revisions of the environment laws shall cater for the rights of these communities. Integrated efforts are being made to preserve and restore the integrity of mobile indigenous peoples traditional lands, including migration routes. Draft ABS law promotes adaptive management approaches that recognise the dependence of mobile indigenous peoples on common property resources, and build on their mobility and different lifestyles, livelihoods, resource rights and tenure, customary laws and dynamic scales of land use. After the approval of the law by the cabinet the other relevant legislations will be aligned in a way that the rights of the mobile indigenous communities will be protected. As mentioned above, most of the legislations related to natural resource management have been revised and give due importance to the traditional knowledge institutions, customary laws and resource management practices of mobile indigenous peoples. Working alongside mainstream science on a complementary basis; develop common conservation objectives; and ensure that development of protected areas and related interventions are evaluated on the basis of local knowledge and are implemented through mobile indigenous peoples institutions. In the official policy level fora the issues pertaining to restitution of the lands and resources to mobile indigenous communities are being discussed and appropriate decisions shall be taken in the near future. Park management committees are constituted to resolve conflict issues, if any, which include all the stakeholders. Once the park management committees are replicated in other PA they will provide appropriate fora to promote cross-cultural dialogue and conflictresolution within and between mobile and sedentary people around and in protected areas.

6. Younger generations are empowered in relation to protected areas

xi. Significantly greater participation of younger people in the governance and management of protected areas is secured by the time of the next IUCN World Parks Congress To include environmental education as a fundamental component of curricula at all levels of education, with a particular emphasis on the importance of protected areas, most of the curricula at primary and secondary level education in Pakistan are highlighting the importance of bio-diversity and PA system. Most of the government projects as well as non-governmental initiatives do have a component of professional training and internships, fellowships, and exchange programs for younger people professionally engaged in protected areas management.

Efforts are being made to identify local opinion leaders from among the younger generation, and invite them to participate in disseminating positive protected area-related conservation messages in upcoming projects.

7. Significantly greater support is secured for protected areas from other constituencies
xii. Programmes of support for protected areas are achieved among all major stakeholder constituencies by the time of the next IUCN World Parks Congress Participatory reviews of the national and provincial policies related to PA were carried out during recent implementation of the biodiversity related projects to identify necessary changed requisite to ensure complementarity between economic and social policies and protected area objectives. The findings were shared with relevant policy makers to gather feedback for making them more robust and effective. The role and value of the PA as well as importance of biodiversity has been mainstreamed in most of the policies and plans at federal as well as provincial levels. To promote strategic environmental assessment and multi-criteria analysis as tools for identifying optimal land use and programme options, PEPA 1997 plays a vital role. The value of PAs as economic instruments to achieve sustainable benefits is being recognized in cross sectoral development projects and also being used as an incentive measure to improve the conservation of biodiversity. A typical example of this initiative is successful trophy hunting program in Pakistan. To recognise the total value of protected areas to economic activity, social well-being and provision of environmental goods and services, including the assessment of any opportunity costs; recently, a review of the valuation of biodiversity resources has been conducted by the MOCC and WWF Pakistan. Moreover both institutions have already carried out Forest biodiversity valuation studies. The result of these studies shall be shared with all the policy making institutions. To improve the sustainable management of protected areas, taking account of diverse national, regional, and local conditions, and aiming to maintain and improve the biological, landscape and cultural diversity of protected areas, chiefly giving significance to economic incentives to encourage those stakeholders depending on protected areas for their daily subsistence to support the areas protection, MACP was implemented with the prime goal to protect bio-diversity and ensure its sustainable use through community based conservation approach. The focus of MACP was on scaling up sustainable management of natural resources especially bio-diversity from village level to valley level and ultimately to wider landscape level of conservancy. These initiatives later on augmented in the national and provincial conservation policies. All the management planning of the protected areas duly recognizes the need of poverty alleviation through resource sharing and alternate livelihoods initiatives. The employment

opportunities are being increasingly offered to the suitable candidates of the custodian communities. The promotion of the ecotourism in potential protected areas has also helped in poverty alleviation and increasing employment opportunities. Poverty alleviation has now become an important component of global, national and regional projects by adopting a holistic collaborative approach from all relevant sectors and stakeholders. GoP is cognizant to the interdependence of cities with protected areas and green spaces, and to engage urban populations in work related to protected areas. Being a signatory of CBD Pakistan recognizes the various initiatives like city biodiversity index and green city initiatives. Moreover, various projects and initiatives like SUMA, CAI-Asia, and PSTP are some of the examples of national commitment for improving urban eco system. The development sector is now more concerned towards green entrepreneurship and green development regimes. To demarcate and recognise indigenous peoples territories as a means to support community based conservation, zoning has been extensively used in management of national parks in Pakistan. The effective design and processes developed under PAMP project used in the three national parks including setting aside a core zone for strict protection ensuring undisturbed breeding of the key species is planned to be used in other national parks of the country. Special category of protected areas namely Community based conservation areas has also been included in traditional protected area categories. The PAs like national parks and wildlife sanctuaries have the provision of a buffer zone of few kilometres around their boundaries to ensure biodiversity conservation. However the communities can be benefitted from these areas for their essential needs. The concept of biological corridors connecting the key PAs is being promoted. In Pakistan the diverse cultural context influences the management of PAs in various geographical settings. In Baluchistan Province the proposed ZJBRs management regime is based on the tribal distribution and usufruct of catchments and sub catchments as per tribal traditions. All the policy, documents and rules of government of Pakistan related to NRM and conservation recognize the responsibility co sharing in the management of protected areas.

8. Improved forms of governance are in place

xiii. Effective systems of governance are implemented by all countries by the time of the next IUCN World Parks Congress Government as well as the national conservation NGOs through various projects have been encouraging community based conservation organization in and around the protected areas of Pakistan to promote good governance in the management of PAs. Various village level organizations were established that aimed at wise use of natural resources of the area leading to conservation of the natural resources as well as, well being of the communities. All the foundation work to promote the capacity to establish and support a plurality of protected area governance types is in final phase. The target related activities will be commenced accordingly in future which includes, but not limited to, setting up basic training

and refresher courses for natural resource managers, fostering national and international exchange visits and encouraging joint learning initiatives. To ensure the incorporation of good governance concepts in planning and management structures all the development activities need to have an environmental assessment in their planning phase. Several development projects in PAs have been redesigned and restructured to sensitize them with the biodiversity and ecology of protected areas.

9. Greatly increased financial resources are secured for protected areas

xiv. Sufficient resources to identify, establish and meet the recurrent operating costs of a globally representative system of protected areas are secured by the time of the next IUCN World Parks Congress Although GoP and the private sector were supposed to adopt consistent principles and procedures for establishing and funding the operational needs and shortfalls in protected area systems by 2005. These includes assessments of the full benefits that protected areas generate at different levels (local, national, and global), and should be the basis for agreeing national and global targets for increased funding. Based on these estimates, by 2006, governments have to develop country-level Sustainable Financing Plans that support national systems of protected areas, and begin to implement these, including adopting the necessary regulatory, legislative, policy, institutional and other measures. Pakistan was committed to increase its protected areas network under MDGs up to 11% of its total land area by 2015. Pakistan has already achieved this target. Under ABT we are committed to increase it to 17 per cent of terrestrial and inland water, and 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas by 2020. In Pakistan we are lagging behind in terms of coastal and marine protected areas. The new protected areas focus active community participation and are in line with IUCN CBD definitions of protected areas. Pakistan is also committed o achieve AICHI biodiversity targets on time. A number of public private partnership initiates like mass plantation by PTC and significant environmental conservation efforts by Engro Pakistan have augmented as supporting pillars for achieving these targets. Pakistan has successfully achieved a substantial increase in funding for protected areas and conservation across the country, under the fourth replenishment of the GEF by 2005. A review has already been catered for in recent ABS legislation preparation and the rights of the indigenous people and the local community has been recognized in the draft legislation ensuring effective involvement and participation in PA management. Trophy hunting is now being increasingly used to underwrite the costs of conservation and mobilizing the custodian communities towards conservation. Pakistan is one of the pioneer countries in managing trophy hunting programmes in a way that let the conservation of the endangered species as well as proactive involvement of the custodian communities.

In Pakistan most of the provinces are in process of updating their relevant legislation ensuring involvement of all stakeholders especially the communities around the protected areas. Special category of protected areas namely Community based conservation areas has also been included in traditional protected area categories. The custodian communities have been authorised to get 80% of the revenue generated.

10. Better communication and education are achieved on the role and benefits of protected areas
xv. All national systems of protected areas are supported by communication and education strategies by the time of the next IUCN World Parks Congress Most of the environmental projects have significant out lays on awareness raising and publicity regarding biodiversity. Lessons learned are now being incorporated as a foundation stone for carrying out all the conservation projects.