Paper presented at Global Biodiversity Forum, Sri Lanka, October 24-27, 1999.
Mainstreaming Biodiversity through Rural Support Programmes
Abid Ullah Jan
Sarhad Rural Support Corporation (SRSC) is one of the non-government, non-political, nor-religious and none profit Rural Support Programmes in Pakistan that are working for poverty alleviation at the grassroots through harnessing people's potential and building their capacity to help themselves and manage their resources in an efficient way for sustainable development.
SRSC is working in areas with different kind of land and climatic conditions ranging from arid, to semi-arid and forest areas of diverse ecosystems. It has been observed after working with the poorest of the poor over the years that the more the poor the more is the dependence on the natural resources for survival and the more our interventions are affecting their natural resource base. Most of our community members are either average landholders or tenants working on the land of a big landowner. Agriculture is one of the major component of our NRM programme whereby the community members are trained as will as provided with different inputs for agriculture development.
The intensification of agriculture have been major contributors to the loss of biodiversity in our programme areas but due to lack of awareness no one realises the impact and extent of this loss. As agricultural production rises to meet the growing demands of the poor communities, it is critical to find ways to minimise conflicts and enhance complementarities between agriculture and biodiversity.
Agricultural expansion is a major contributor to the loss of biodiversity in the rural areas of Pakistan. Conversion of natural habitat to agricultural use through land levelling activities substantially reduces its biodiversity. Naturally occurring plant species are replaced by a small number of introduced species (usually non-native and identical to crops produced elsewhere); wildlife is displaced; and insects and micro-organisms are decimated by pesticides or uncontrolled use of fertilisers that is being provided to these farmers on low cost for an increase in their production.
Agricultural areas include more common species, while forest ecosystems tend to have more endemic and indigenous species. All types of conversion are not equally harmful, however. For example, some traditional Agroforestry systems contain as much as half the species diversity found in neighbouring primary forest, a level substantially higher than those of other agricultural land use systems in the area.
Agriculture can also affect biodiversity outside the areas on which it is practised. Common opportunistic species tend to move into areas where natural and agricultural land uses meet and displace local or endemic plants and animals. Agricultural areas frequently break up the remaining natural areas, which affects the number and types of species they can support. Management of water for agricultural purposes can substantially affect the timing, volume, and speed of water flow, and the replenishment of groundwater, altering natural aquatic and riparian habitats. Pollution by agrochemical exacerbates these problems. In addition, agriculture's supporting infrastructure (including roads, irrigation systems, and farm housing) can also significantly affect biodiversity.
Although unaware agricultural practices are the main threat, intensified cultivation of existing agricultural land can also damage the remaining biodiversity. On-site biodiversity can be reduced because of increased specialisation and reliance on a few improved crop species, while off-site damage can increase through increased use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides.
SRSC has stated working in collaboration with IUCN to integrate environmental concerns into its programme. Due to the huge programme of SRSC with4000 men and 2500 women community organisation and has the opportunity to make a great impact on conserving biodiversity in its programme area that covers the whole province of NWFP. SRSC and IUCN has made joint efforts in designing environmental sensitisation programmes for community as well as for staff members and biodiversity is its main components.
This paper would cover the following points:
* The damage that threatens the many important benefits provided by diverse ecosystems in our programme area in Pakistan.
* Many of the benefits of biodiversity that accrue to agriculture itself, and the way human management greatly modify natural Ecosystems.
* They way our agriculture activities reduce bio-diversity and suggested alternatives for or community members.
* Functioning of the markets for many of the benefits of biodiversity which often poorly function as benefits of biodiversity do not accrue to those who preserve it. How to influence the decisions that reduce biodiversity is the question that we try to answer through our training programme for our community members.
* Ways to counter the negative influence of the institutional structure and social rules and norms of the communities on the decisions of the farmers who live and work there.
* The paper would cover how to encourage sustainable forms of agriculture intensification that would reduce loss of biodiversity in our programme area and that can be replicated elsewhere.
* The basic outline of the needed biodiversity friendly macroeconomic and agriculture policy.
* Training programmes that will help the rural communities understand the benefits the farmers can obtain by understanding the damage they are doing and conserving biodiversity through their agriculture practices.
Recommendations
Biodiversity conservation programs need to be consistent with local needs and site ecology; management options must integrate local and scientific knowledge.
Rural Support Programs should encourage community participation in biodiversity conservation and management practices.
Instead of indiscriminately funding for increasing production through the use of chemicals, biological control methods should be encouraged
Rural support and other multi-sectoral programs should be encouraged to make the promotion of biodiversity friendly practices a core activity.
There were four workshops held at Global Biodiversity Forum with 110 well learned professionals participating from all over the world
Only selected papers were presented at the following workshop sessions
Workshops |
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Alien and invasive species |
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Biodiversity friendly practices and technologies |
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Ecosystem approach to conservation in arid, semi-arid (including arid mountains) and coastal and marine ecosystems |
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National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans - Lessons from South East Asia |
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Sustainable Use |
The author's recommendations become part of the final recommendations of the Global forum.