| PART II: THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF THE BCS The first blocks of Part II deal with there
source base on which the population subsists: land, water, biodiversity,
the coastal zone, the atmosphere, and minerals and energy. The next
two blocks on industry and urban environment review the potential
of the province for sustainable development based on its natural resources.
The following three blocks look at the relationship between people
and their environment in terms of health, population and poverty,
and cultural heritage. The final five blocks look at key elements
for the successful understanding, acceptance, and implementation of
the strategy: governance, the role of civil society organizations,
gender and development, information management, and environmental
communication and education. Land Mountains dominate the terrain, and valley floors and piedmont plains make up only 15% of the landscape. It is these two landforms on which most human settlements, farms, and roads are developed. Accurate and detailed information on land use is hard to find . Land use in only half of the province has been reported , and in some districts it amounts to less than 20%. Key issues include a lack of awareness about the potential and limitations of the land; a poor or absent information base; several incompletely developed land classification systems; a continuing controversy over the impact of grazing on processes of desertification; and a complex , poorly understood land ownership system . Dealing with these issues will require introducing a comprehensive and integrated land use planning process. Decisions on land use and development will take account of the needs of the people, the national interest, and the importance of taking advantage of the province’s geopolitical location in respect of Central Asia. Traditionally, decision-making has been most effective at the local level. The process will be geared to participatory, local decision-making, with national needs and regional development set in that context. This approach is in line with the wishes of the communities and is consistent with the decentralization of decision-making, devolution of power to district level, the strengthening of local bodies, and empowerment of local communities. The process and institutional arrangements will ensure that information flows freely to those who require it and that responsibility and accountability is in local hands. The first and most important step is involving stakeholders from the beginning in the planning process. A Land Use Planning Commission will oversee the process. A second, related activity will be the preparation of an Electronic Resource Atlas of Balochistan. This will be a groundbreaking initiative that will literally put Balochistan on the map. It will be an invaluable tool for land use planners, resource managers, and the development community. The Atlas will capitalize on the large amount of existing information and expertise within the province. It will be used to identify and fill information gaps on the distribution of renewable and non-renewable resources. The Atlas can readily be distributed and updated. A much-neglected characteristic of Balochistan is its seismic activity. Earthquakes and tsunamis have shaped the history of the province and have had a profound effect on people and property. Balochistan is located on several active faults. A risk assessment will be undertaken as an input to development planning and emergency preparedness measures. This would include coastal areas, where major port development is anticipated, and areas where water control schemes are planned. About 6% of the land is currently being cultivated, mostly in small landholdings. Agriculture is the mainstay of the economy and employs 67% of the total work-force. Approximately 60% of cultivated land is under dry land farming. These crops give poor yields but are important in the subsistence economy. It is the orchards in the upland valleys that produce the highest returns. The production of orchards per unit of land fetches three to four times the income of grain or vegetable crops. At intermediate elevations (500–1,500 meters) where there is perennial water and a marketing infrastructure, farmers can produce off-season vegetable crops that command a premium price in major urban areas. In valleys above 1,500 meters, farmers can obtain significant returns from fruit production if irrigation water is available. The promise of high returns has promoted the shift to irrigated agriculture. There has been a tremendous increase in land brought under irrigation since 1985. This has been made possible through the increase in the number of tube wells and additional surface water from the Indus. Investment in groundwater abstraction is high and orchards have proliferated. Provincial revenues have increased by over Rs. 12 billion since 1985 from orchards, grain crops and vegetables. There are many issues of concern in the agricultural sector. The most pressing, however, relate to the heavy and inefficient use of water and the extensive, often indiscriminate use of agrochemicals. There are more than 21,000 tube wells in operation, contributing to the rapid decline in groundwater reserves. Irrigation systems operate at 45% efficiency due to poor maintenance of channels, field losses, and over irrigation. All aspects of agrochemical use, including handling, storage, use, and disposal, are cause for concern. Little attention has been paid to integrated pest management approaches. The strategy for agriculture includes measures to improve water management practices and marketing, provision of research and extension services, training in the use of agrochemicals, and reorienting and improving service delivery at the community level. Range-based livestock production systems are one of the major sources of livelihood for people in rural areas. Rangelands constitute 79% of the total area of the province. There may be more than 20 million sheep and goats – six times the estimated carrying capacity. Animals are low in productivity and prone to a variety of diseases. The uplands of Balochistan are characterized by flocks of sheep and goats and the seasonal movements of the people who tend them. It is a traditional way of life, full of cultural and social traditions and characterized by established seasonal migratory patterns. It is more than a romantic image. These people may have few options open to them. They are not organized and have no voice in resource management. It is a way of life that is very susceptible to unintended changes as a result of development activities. Pastoralists have an intimate knowledge of the land and its resources. Understanding their cultures may provide some answers to the issues of overgrazing and desertification and provide some strategies for ameliorating the situation and reversing these trends. The strategy calls for the development of a policy on nomadic and tran shumant pastoralism to ensure the sustainability of these life-styles, to understand it better, and to enhance the flow of benefits that flow from it. This involves privatizing and setting up veterinary services where and when people need them. It means obtaining fair prices for producers, promoting security of tenure, working with pastoralists to improve range management practices based on traditional practices such as pargorh, and applying the lessons learned from almost 50 years of range science in Balochistan.
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