Natural Resources and Their Utilization, with Special Reference to Cholistan Desert, Pakistan (original) (raw)
Related papers
Indigenous knowledge and utilization of arid and semi-arid rangelands by Iranian pastoralists
2012
This paper aims to study the indigenous systems of natural resource management, specifically utilization strategies of rangelands, among the Kalhor nomads in Kermānsh āh province. In the last few decades, the natural resources in arid and semi-arid nomadic regions of the Kalhor have been seriously damaged by the negative impact of modernization, industrialization and destructive natural forces. The results are drought, flood and environmental pollution. This ongoing situation is threatening the survival of the nomads, forcing them to abandon their traditional way of life, and adding to the inhabitants of the slums around big cities. This article argues that in spite of the negative effects of artificial and natural factors on rangelands in the above area, the use of indigenous systems of natural resource management will inevitably improve the conditions of the rangelands, leading towards a sustainable development. It is believed that the combination of short term and a long term str...
Indian Journal of Natural Products and Resources, 2018
The present study is carried out in Ladakh to document the indigenous knowledge on bio-resources management. People here practice various indigenous techniques for storage, use and management of their local resources. Some of the indigenous practices for storage of cultivated crops ( i.e. , food grains, vegetables, and fruits), fuel, fodder and several other bioresources in nutshell are described in this paper. The present study not only established the validity of traditional knowledge but also indicates the urgency to use and keep them in a sustainable mode. Indigenous knowledge if not conserved properly will be seriously threatened under pressure of modernization and especially on account of the apathy among the new generation.
Community Based Natural Resource Management in Roghani Valley, Northern Pakistan
Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 2013
AbstractFacing the scarcity of natural resources, high environmental risks and threats, and undependable accessibility, most of the mountain communities have evolved indigenous sustenance strategies through adaptations. Adaptation is a two-way process either adapting human demands according to resource limitations or amending the resources according to the rising human needs and wants. Such adaptations make them able to cope with the growing gap between the productivity of natural resources and the demands of increasing number of dependent users. The present study is an attempt to investigate the indigenous resource management and utilization mechanisms in a mountainous community located in Dir district northern Pakistan. The study is based on qualitative information collected through interviews and focused group discussion. Like most parts of the northern mountainous belt of Pakistan, the resources are kept and managed under locally introduced ownership system in the study area as ...
Journal of Medicinal Plants Studies, 2015
In this study two quantitative techniques were used to investigate ethnobotanical data from Thal Desert, Punjab Pakistan. The relative importance of 124 native species reported as being useful by 90 informants was calculated employing the Use-Value (UV) and Relative Importance (RI) techniques. Both techniques place value on a given taxon based on the number of uses attributed to it. Results obtained for both techniques are positively correlated, suggesting that they can be used interchangeably to evaluate local knowledge of a given resource. The implications and interpretation limitations of these two techniques are discussed in detail.
Role of Economy as Social Institution in Cholistan Desert
Journal of Economic Impact
Cholistan is the second largest desert of Pakistan with semi-nomadic culture. Based on its landscape, Cholistan is divided into two parts, i.e., Greater and Lesser Cholistan. This study review highlights the economic activities of native people of Cholistan, challenges faced by people and ways to improve the economic standard of native people. Due to its rough terrain, Cholistan is hardly accessible from outside except specialized vehicles. The entire Cholistan is the least populated area and the existing population is scattered among sand dunes. Cholistan is deprived of socio-economic development and hence there is a lack of basic amenities of life such as drinking water, food, education, healthcare and housing. Due to the scarcity of irrigation water and the landscape of Cholistan, there is hardly any possibility of agri-farming and production grains for livelihood. Animal herds are a major source of livelihood and sustenance for the people of Cholistan. Local people own larger he...
An Impact Assessment of Nomadic Gujjars on Environment in Block Marh and Block Satwari of Jammu
ABASRACT: Migration of nomadic gujjars is a traditional, seasonal activity associated with economic interest. Since the Neolithic revolution pastoral nomads have roamed along the fringes of settled society. Their economy mainly depends on the products of their flocks and the use of natural pastures. The reliance of nomads on their animals brings them closer to the lands where agricultural based societies are present. They are poor, illiterate and without sufficient food and other basic facilities of life and hence are dependent on natural pastures. The harmonious interaction of nomads and their environment enables them to live a sustainable existence with some detrimental impacts on local ecosystem like overgrazing, soil erosion, cutting of trees, and pollution of water bodies, air pollution etc. While no system pastoralists or nomads is in perfect symbiosis with their environment. The associated ecological problems of their lifestyle or subsistence strategies are thereby effecting the environment. There is a dire need to manage the environmental problems associated with the cattle rearing of nomads. The present study is based on primary and secondary data. With the help of questionnaire, a stratified random sample survey was undertaken, 200 local residents were interviewed, 100 in each block i.e. Marh and Satwari of Jammu District. The response to each question was calculated on five point Likert scale ranging from 1 to 5. Taking into consideration the importance of pastoral mobility, necessity to equally exploit the rangelands of summer and winter pasture, their rights for grazing, and ecological imperatives for co-existence that points to a promising new direction for long-term sustainability, we only need to educate the pastoralists and local people regarding proper lifestyle that should not harm the environment.
Rangelands are the main sources of forage for livestock feeding by local people. Beside forage production, rangeland ecosystems provide many other goods and services such as medicinal plants, recreation, soil and water conservation, wildlife habitat, fishing, hunting, hiking, etc. Nevertheless, there are no much information about the way that local communities think about the rangelands goods and services. Therefore, a study was conducted to examine how local people think about rangelands goods and services and what their priorities are. The statistical populations were farmers, pastoralists and beekeepers of Hezarjarib, Mazandaran Province, Iran and 100 people of them were randomly selected as a sample. First, 17 indices of rangeland importance (goods and services) were identified through questionnaires and oral interviews. Each indicator was questioned using a 5-point Likert-type scale. Validity was established using a panel of experts and Cronbach's alpha was used for reliability of questionnaire. Data were analyzed and then, interpreted using coefficients of variance. Medicinal plants, beekeeping, food production for human and grazing lands for livestock were the first four priorities respectively considered as the most important indices by local people. Aquaculture and fishing and soil conservation with the highest CVs were considered as the less important indices in local people views. The results showed that the extent of range exploitation had significant relationships with the education of exploiters, number of livestock, income and farmland area. It was concluded that rangelands goods and services should be defined and evaluated based on local people views to be considered as a source of alternative income or new enterprises for local people.