Rs64m to be spent on revival of Juniper forests under 'Green Pakistan Programme'

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Rs64m to be spent on revival of Juniper forests under 'Green Pakistan Programme'

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An allocation of Rs 64 million has been made for the revival of Juniper and Chilgoza forests in Ziarat, Balochistan under Green Pakistan Programme.

“The programme will be implemented by the Balochistan Forest Department over the next five years period”, senior officials of the Ministry of Climate Change informed Senate Standing Committee on Climate Change.

Initially, the local community would be taken onboard by creating awareness and mobilize them to become part of the programme.

A provision for livelihood activity has been made by compensating them for voluntary withdrawal from resource use rights over treated areas for the required period.

On an average, enclosures will be established over an area of 15 acres at potential locations. Besides, that rehabilitation of degraded land will also be done through rainwater harvesting techniques.

Juniper forests in Ziarat are unique because of their high ecological significance extremely slow rate of growth and scenic value. It is estimated that the age of a mature Juniper tree in Ziarat can exceed 1,500 years. Ziarat Juniper Forest has been declared a Biosphere Reserve under the UNESCO’s Man and Biosphere (MAB) Programme.

The biosphere reserve is home to the largest area of Juniper forest in Pakistan, covering an area of 111,852 hectares.

The Balochistan Forest and Wildlife Department has developed a management plan for preservation and conservation of this reserve.

If the key areas, in the core forest zone fenced for a prolonged period, it will ensure respite to natural regeneration.

The mature trees within the fenced areas will be used for seed dispersal in adjoining areas.
Over a period of years, the area would be covered with good regeneration of key species and its associate species.

One of the major reasons for degradation of these forests is fuel wood and grazing rights of local community. Due to excessive grazing the natural regeneration is affected.

 

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Juniper Forests, Ziarat

Ziarat District is located at 30° 22' 51 N, 67° 43' 37 E with an altitude of 2453 meters and is a famous holiday resort of Balochistan.

A living fossils of Ziarat, Junipers forests, which are also found in Zarghoon mount and some other mounted areas of Balochistan and famous for being the second largest Juniper forest in the world, which covers an area of about 999.60 hectares.

Juniper trees (Juniperus macropoda) have a slow growth rate and estimates put the age of mature trees at 5,000 to 7,000 years earning them the title “living fossils”. United Nations (UN) included this forest in the world heritage list.

This is the second biosphere reserve in Pakistan with the first one being the Lal Suhanra National Park in Bahawalpur, recognized internationally under UNESCO's MAB. Ziarat is also famous for Ziarat residency where Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah lived his last days of life. Quaid-e-Azam Residency was completely burnt during militant attack in 2013.

There are many important species found in this ecosystem including animal and birds, The Suleiman markhor, urial, black bear, and wolf, as well as more common species such as Afghan pica, foxes, jackals, and several species of birds like chakor partridge are found.

The forest also contains a rich diversity of plant species of medicinal significance with over 50 per cent of the 54 cataloged species known to have medicinal or ethno-botanic value, which local people use as indigenous treatments for a variety of diseases. Previously people of Ziarat relied on herbal remedies as a principal means of preventing and curing illnesses.

However, these resources, and local knowledge of them, are being threatened by unsustainable uses, eroded by cultural change, and a lack of institutional support. The junipers are considered to be the real treasure of Ziarat. There are trees in the valley which are more than 5000 to 7000 years old. In Ziarat a herb called Ephedra Sinica is found in abundance from which a chemical called ephedrine is extracted. Ephedrine is an important constituent of various medicines, especially cough syrups. When the snow falls in Ziarat during winter, the juniper valley is at its most beautiful.