Bio-diversity

Primary Objective of the project is to establish community-based system for monitoring, prevention and fighting forest fires in the Soon Sakesar forest area by organizing formal groups of volunteer fire-fighters in 12 villages situated in Sakesar forest range (Referred to in this document as Community Fire Brigade ) Context of the Activity The proposed activity falls under biodiversity conservation category of GEF mandate. It is also very relevant to the new GEF Pakistan strategic framework of eco-regional approach. Soon Valley is heart of the Salt Range ecosystem. The proposed project villages are very important ecological part of Soon Valley. Also the forests of these villages are inhabited by vital wildlife like Punjab Urial and black partridges. This forest range is watershed area for Ochhali and Khabeki wetlands, which is a Ramsar site. GEF-SGP is already supporting three conservation initiatives in the valley. These are: conservation of underground water through watershed management, community-based protection of Sakesar range forest and Khura forest development and training centre. Description of the Proposed Activity 1.Current Situation: There are about 8 to 15 incidents of forest fires in a year in different parts of Soon Valley in which hundreds of acres of forest is burnt mostly because of absence any fire prevention system inefficient fire fighting approach by forest department and concerned communities. There are two type of forest fire i.e. natural forest fire and unnatural or human-made forest fire that occur on a regular basis in the Soon Sakesar Forest range. Natural fire often occurs with happening of thunderstorm and lowering of humidity level. Unnatural fire often occurs due to human omission and commission. Sometimes community members harvesting forest produce or just passing through carelessly throw away burning cigarettes or match stick or just burn a little fire to make tea and their negligence causes fire. Sometimes professional woodcutter mafia sets forest on fire during summer to benefit from burnt trees in winter. Even forest guards some times do it to hide their connivance with woodcutter mafia and consequent damage to government forest. It has been observed and a forum of Soon Valley communities held in May 2000 jointly agreed that people who want illegal benefit from forest deliberately ignite most of the forest fires. (Copy of the proceeding of forum report has already been circulated to the GEF NSC in its meeting of 7 August 2000). Also due to excessive grazing and deforestation activities have lessened the forest biomass in the valley and consequently chances of natural fires have also decreased. 2. The Problem Routine efforts by forest department to fight forest fires, natural and unnatural, are not delivering because of lack of staff in the forest department and motivation among communities. There is a need to integrate efforts of stakeholder communities with government action to get better results. Under the current situation, when a forest fire occurs, typically a few officials of the forest department will mobilize some men from nearby villages to beat out the fire. This is usually done without training and in a haphazard manner that can often cause harm to the forest where there are young tree saplings in the forest. In cases where there is fire in the protected area at PAF base, a front line approach of quickly approaching the problem is weak. In the past few years, two incidences were observed when a fire in PAF base area took on a large scale and the para- military forces were called in to fight fire that may have caused damage to PAF equipment and infrastructure. However, this approach is expensive, and does not take into account the protection of the health of the forest and can in itself cause damage to the forest that takes decades of regeneration to rectify. Much of this harm can be avoided and a far more efficient approach can be obtained if the communities are organized, trained and equipped to fight forest fires. This can be further improved if community action is coordinated with the forest department in the first instance. When relevant the PAF protected area of Sakesar can also coordinate with community action. This is particularly important when there is fire in areas of forest that lie adjacent to Sakesar especially in Ucchali, Chitta and Ugali. Fire Prevention There are a fewer incidences of natural fire in forests in the Salt Range area because the biomass has already degraded to a great extent. The unnatural fire incidents are quite frequent. Sometimes the forest products harvester or passers-by carelessly throw away burning cigarettes and match sticks and cause fire or make tea and do not extinguish fire. But as the common perception holds in the valley, most of the forest fires are unnatural and caused by commission. The woodcutting Mafia and the forest department officials cause such fires to hide their worst practices in the forest. What Happens when there is a forest fire Recurrence of forest fire in Soon Valley forests is a common thing. About 8 to 15 fire incidents occur in Sakesar range forest in a year. Most of the time communities living in forest premises inform forest guards about fires as forest guards are rarely found in forest premises. Then the forest guards go to fire spots with community members, ill-equipped and start extinguishing fire. Forest Department or communities do not have necessary equipment to fight fire. They

Pakistan