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University of the Punjab

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Workshop on Participatory Rural Appraisal for Natural Resource Management around Mangla Reservoir”
Workshop on Participatory Rural Appraisal for Natural Resource Management around Mangla Reservoir”


LAHORE: (Friday, January 24, 2014): Punjab University Department of Zoology has organized a three-day workshop on “Participatory Rural Appraisal for Natural Resource Management around Mangla Reservoir” at MirPur Azad Kashmir. Dr. Zulfiqar Ali, Associate Professor, Zoology Department and PhD scholar Bushra Nisar Khan were among the organizers in which renowned experts including Dr. Zaheer Ahmad Nasir from University College London-UK participated. The workshop and lectures attended by 94 female and 72 male participants. The topics included the resource map, social map, wealth ranking, local perceptions of natural resources management, venn diagram on institutions, seasonal calendar, income and expenditure matrix, and daily activity clocks. Other than lectures focus group discussion on constraints and opportunities to achieving sustainable living and semi structured interview were apprehended.

Addressing the workshop, Dr Zulfiqar Ali said that participatory rural appraisal was an approach to collect, analyze and evaluate information on rural conditions and local knowledge. He said the information was generated in close cooperation with the local population in rural areas. Therefore, he said, the research methods had to be adjusted to local conditions, i.e. they had to meet the communication needs of illiterate people or people who were not used to communicating in scientific terms. The workshop concluded that sustainable management of wildlife was critical for maintaining the ecological integrity of Mangla Dam and associated rivers. Deforestation affects the rate of sedimentation, the stability of in-stream morphological features, the input of biomass necessary for aquatic production, and availability of woody debris. Reforestation can help restore conditions where river has already been silted by over harvesting of forest products. Local support for biodiversity conservation efforts is vital. Local people need to be encouraged to become involved in awareness programmes that focus on the cultural, economic and ecological value of aquatic fauna. The richness of biodiversity in Mangla Dam reflects different and interconnected ecological processes that remain largely a mystery. Scientifically, credible research can greatly help the development of effective conservation strategies.