North Waziristan, Tank, and Afghanistan’s Paktika Province are rich in biodiversity. It has mixed pine forests and landscapes covered with pure patches of Chilghoza forests that are the abode of the endangered Suleman Markhor. The mountains of the Agency are home to several other wildlife species including Kabul Markhor, Urial, and Goral. The bird fauna is abundant and includes migratory species o
f Ducks, Geese, Cranes, Falcons, and Houbara Bustard. The hunters from Bannu and Lakki established their hunting camps along the river in South Waziristan, specifically at Gul Kach and Zarmilana to trap Cranes. The local community, having an abundance of weapons, has been ruthlessly hunting wildlife and cutting the precious Chilghoza forests. Being a tribal belt, there has been no regulatory mechanism to check the ruthless hunting of birds and animals. The Waziristan Nature Conservation Organisation (WNCO), though recently registered, has been informally working on the creation of awareness against the hunting of birds in the area for a long. The organization, through the active activism of its president, succeeded in a ban on hunting in the area that was imposed by influential tribal leaders. The organization has also successfully explored the use of the migratory route by bird species such as blue throat that travels between its breeding grounds in the uplands of Central Asia, Ladakh in India, and probably Pakistan to the Scandinavian countries. Till this point, the organization has recorded 10 birds banded at Annsjon Bird Station” in Sweden. It has also recovered a band from crane hunters and tracked it with a German Organisation to its banding in Bhutan. The organization, though working for the past 10 years, is new to adopting scientific approaches for saving natural resources of South Waziristan, FATA, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The Organization proposed the volunteer and self-funded project and started the assessment of the natural wealth of the agency and the threats posed by them with finding a way to save these from further degradation and downfall. Assess the extent of various types of forests including Chilghoza and Oak forests in the agency;
Assess key biodiversity of the area associated with various forest types and wetlands ecosystems;
Identify key threats to the biodiversity including forests, wetlands, animals, and birds found in South Waziristan; and Consult the local community, tribal leaders, and local activists on the best possible options to conserve the valuable elements of biodiversity of the agency for the benefit of nature and the local community. The organization has a plan for the future to protect the worthy and natural assets of FATA and KPK.
