AGROFORESTRY, LIVELIHOOD OPTION FOR REHABILITATION OF

FLOOD AFFECTED COMMUNITIES INHABITANCE OF INDUS BASIN

Synopsis

By

Muhammad Imran Mahmood

Supervisor

Dr. Muhammad Zubair

Department of Forestry Range management & wildlife, Bahuddin Zakriya University, Multan.

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Introduction

Forests are vital important for the well-being of humanity. They provide

foundations of life on earth through ecological functions, by regulating the climate

and water resources and by serving as habitats for plants and animals. Pakistan

is a very poor and low forest cover country in the world having forest cover about

5.2 % of its total land use (Economic survey of Pakistan 2011). When compared

with other parts of the world the 27 per cent of the developed countries and 26

per cent for the developing countries. Pakistan has only, 0.03 hectare of forest

per capita while corresponding figures for the developed and the developing

countries are 1.07 and 0.5 hectares respectively. In Pakistan, the per capita

forest area is about 0.05 hectare as compared to world average of 1.0 hectare. If

we compare the situation Pakistan Forest area with other developed and under

developed country the situation is grim, quite serious and pathetic.  Pakistan

experienced deforestation at the rate of 1.1 per cent (55,000 hectares) annually

(S.M. Alam, A.H. Shaikh, M.A. Khan 2006).

Pakistan's forest and woodland types include, littoral and swamp forests, tropical

dry deciduous forests, tropical thorn forests, sub-tropical broadleaved evergreen

forests, sub-tropical pine forests, Himalayan moist temperate forests, Himalayan

dry temperate forests, sub-alpine forests, and alpine scrub. Coniferous forests

predominate. Man-made plantations are an important wood source in Pakistan.

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Globally 1.2 billion hectares of forest are managed primarily for the production of

wood and non-wood forest products (FAO 2010). World Wood removals were

valued at just over US$100 billion annually in the period 2003–2007 while it is

reported value of NTFPs removals amounts to about US$18.5 billion for 2005

(FAO 2010). While Pakistan has limited, but diversified forest resources spread

over an area of 4.37 million hectares. These forest resources are providing both

timber forest products TFPs and non-timber forest products NTFPs, they are

providing job opportunities to large number of rural people,  livelihood of millions

of forest dwellers depend on them, and valuable foreign exchange (Rs130 to 150

million), is earned each year only in (KPK) Khaber Pakhtoon Khah. (Iqbal, 1991).

Rain which falls on bar slope acts in a different way. It is not held by the floor or

by the crown, nor is its flow into the streams hindered by the timber and fallen

waste from the trees. It does not sink into the ground more than half as readily as

in the forest. The result is that a great deal of water reaches the ground in a short

time, which is main reason why floods occur. It is true that forests tend to prevent

floods. This possible only when the forest covers a large part of drainage basin of

the stream. Even then forest may not prevent floods altogether. The forest floor,

which has more to do with the fallen rain water than any other part of the forest,

can affect its flow only so long as it has not taken up all the water it can hold.

That fall after the forest floor is saturated runs into the streams almost as fast as

it would over bare ground (From: Gifford Pinchot, A primer for Forestry, 1905).

Forests normally exert a sponge effect, soaking up abundant rainfall and storing

it before releasing it in regular amount over an extended period. When the forest

is cleared, river turns muddy and swollen during the wet season, before shrinking

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during drier period (Myers 1986). Extensive reforestation or afforestation will

increase the low flows in the dry season (Hamiltonand Pearce 1987).

Pakistan floods history reveal that in 1950,1973,1976,1988, 1992 and 1997 flood

resulted in a large number of deaths and severe loss of property (NDMA 2010).

The recent abnormal July 2010 catastrophic floods have been described as the

worst in the last eighty years and led to profound effects on human, property, and

economies in Pakistan. The magnitude of 2010 flood was high in both in scale

and destruction in comparison to the earthquake of 2005, indian ocean Tsunami

2004, cyclone Nargis 2008 and Haiti Earthquake 2010 (NDMA 2010). Nearly 20

million people being significantly affected by flood 2010 (UN 2010). Globally,

floods affect the personal and economic fortunes of more than 60 million people

each year (FAO 2010).

Agroforestry provide a wide variety of social, economic and environmental

benefits, ranging from easily quantified economic values associated with forest

products, to less tangible services and contributions to society (FAO 2010).

Eighty percent of the global forests are publicly owned, but ownership and

management of forests by communities, individuals and private companies is on

the rise. There is increasing interest in the role that forests and agroforestry play

in supporting the poor, in reducing their vulnerability to economic and

environmental shocks, and in reducing poverty. However, the contribution that

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forests and agroforestry actually make to poverty reduction and increasing the

livelihood resilience of the poor. Economic growth, employment, and income

generation activities in the rural areas are a must for the overall development of

the country as is improvement of productivity in agriculture and forestry. Because

of poverty and poor education facilities in rural areas, the population is generally

apathetic towards the destruction of the forests. In 2005 18 percent of forest was

privately owned. A public relations campaign needs to educate the people on the

costs of such degradation in terms of their own livelihoods. There is a tendency

to underestimate the contribution of forests , agroforestry and off-farm natural

resources in general – to livelihoods, and the role of agroforestry in poverty

reduction has so far not been reflected in any significant way in national level

strategy in most countries. Purpose of this special study is underway to highlight

the links between Agroforestry, vulnerability, poverty and livelihoods.

LIKELY BENEFITS AND JUSTIFICATION

Forest resources are reducing and increasing demand for forest products

especially of the rural people who depend on forests for livelihoods have widened

the gap between the demand and supply of forest products in Pakistan.

Agroforestry seems to have potential to provide options for rural livelihoods.

Objectives:

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Explore status of agroforestry practice in Indus Basin.

Role of agroforestry in sustaining livelihoods.

Evaluations of farmers believe towards agroforestry as income generation (IGA)

activity after flood.

PLAN OF WORK

Study designed, involves two phases of 12 months for Question development

and design, data analysis & compilation and manuscript writing.

Phase1: Questioner structuring/designing.

Information’s collection from local originations and government.

Phase 2: Selection villages having agroforestry practices.

Conducting interview with the farmer community and other stock

holders.

METHODOLOGY:

1. Study design : Sustainable livelihoods approach as formulated by DIFID 1999.

2. Place of study : Layyah, Muzaffargarh and DG Khan.

3. Duration of study : One year.

4. Study population : Rural Farming community of Indus Basin.

5. Sample size : Selected Villages in each District and its Farming community

having agroforestry practices.

6. Sampling technique : Random sampling.

7. Inclusion criteria : Farmer having agroforestry practice as a source of livelihood.

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8. Exclusion criteria :a. Persons unable to understand or intelligently answer the questions

because of illiteracy / lack of interest.

b. Individuals unwilling to participate in the study.

9. Data Collection: Data will be collected through a structured and pre-tested

questionnaire.

10.Ethical Considerations: Formal permission of the concerned authority will be

sought to conduct the study. Fully informed, well understood and volunteer

consent will be obtained from each study subject, and those agreeing to

participate will be interviewed. Confidentiality about respondent’s names,

addresses and contents of their interviews will be maintained.

11.Data analysis : Data will be analyzed by using computer software Epi Info

version 3.5.1. Mean and standard deviation will be calculated for continuous

variables. The categorical variables will be described in terms of frequency and

percentages. Data shall be presented in tables, graphs and diagrams.

Literature cited

Economic Survey of Pakistan (2011-2012). Ministry of Finance. Economic Division, Islamabad.

Hamilton, L.S. and Pearce, A.J. 1987. What are the soil and water benefits of planting trees in developing country watersheds? In: Sustainable Development of Natural Resources in the Third World. Eds. Southgate, D.D. and Disinger, J.D. Westview Press, Boulder CO, USA, pp. 39-58.

Iqbal, M. 1991. Non-timber forest products: their income-generation potential for rural women in North West Frontier Province (Pakistan). International Labour Organization and Government of NWFP. Peshawar.

Myers, N. 1986 Environmental repercussions of deforestation in the Himalaya. Journal of World Forest Resource Management 2: 63-72.

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Pinchot, G. 1905. A Primer of Forestry, Part II - Practical Forestry, Bulletin 24, Part II. Bureau of Forestry, US Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C.

S.M. Alam, A.H. Shaikh, M.A. Khan. 2006. Depleting forest growth in Pakistan.

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