PJB-2017-895
Assessment of livelihood improvement through Non-Wood Forest Products among the tribal communities of Thakht-e-Sulaiman Hills, Pakistan
Khalid Ahmad
Abstract
The current fast socioeconomic fluctuations and significant environmental changes constitute existential challenges for tribal communities of Thakht-e-Sulaiman Hills, Pakistan. Therefore, manifold problems get arrived which needs to improve the livelihood of these people through sustainable livelihood strategies which should be ecologically comprehensive, economically feasible and socially acceptable. The present project was based on Non-timber forest products based livelihood strategies of tribal communities living on thakht-e-Sulaiman hills- the highest peak of Sulaiman ranges. For the collection of quantitative and qualitative data on socioeconomic issues, household and community surveys (semi-structured and structured interviews) were carried out. Besides semi-structured interviews on NWFPs collection and marketing, transect walks were also made for a quantitative assessment of the forest use. Information on total yields of different products were obtained in interviews with local people involved in its collection and village leaders and triangulation were made for confirmation. The whole project conducted and data collected was in according to national and international law, especially the guidelines of the ‘Convention on Biological Diversity’ (CBD). The commercial wild food species were an important source of income for 11% households in the study area where each family in the area has adopted multiple sources of income for a livelihood. A total of 13 species from 13 different families with 256 use reports obtained from 40 informants comprise the commercial wild food plants category. The wild fruits were the most important and prominent category regarding sub-categories of commercial food species, from which each village gets highest earnings while medicinal food and wild vegetables have comparatively similar contributions but medicinal food has village wise more variations (like Gums of Acacia modesta and fruiting body of Morchella esculenta). During the present study, each species has engaged several families in its collection for sell and plays a specific role in their income. The number of families involved are mostly directly proportional to the village size. Generally, Pinus gerardiana and Morchella esculenta were contributing quite well as an income source in the area. The producers/collectors are totally unaware of market processes and consumer’s demands and that is why they do not value the sophistications in the collection. The middlemen in the product chain just perform the role of a link between collectors and main dealer without any value addition to the products. The main dealers/whole seller reduces the rates at the peak seasons with knowing that primary collectors do not have the capacity for their product storage. So, awareness to the collectors regarding marketing, consumer’s demands, training in the sustainable and sophisticated collection, storage facility and the encouragement for marketing of the less utilized species should be taken in consideration and implemented at the government level. The implementations of these recommendations will not only improve the livelihoods of the locals but it will also help the governments in catching a good income through export of these NTFPs.
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