Freshwater Resources
It comes as no surprise that a reliable supply of water is central to the sustainable development of this arid region. Problems of water shortages affect every living thing and every human endeavour. Access to water is fundamental to the growth and prosperity of the province. What is surprising is that very little planning has been done to ensure that water resources are used and developed in a sustainable manner.

While data are deficient in many respects, the basic facts are fairly well known. The bottom line is that within the next 50 years, over 90% of all available sources will be fully used, with 86% of this dedicated to agriculture. All of the province’s share of Indus waters will be used, together with all of the groundwater reserves and most of the water from surface runoff and floods. Harnessing flash floods will be an enormous challenge. In cities such as Quetta, the gap between supply and demand is growing rapidly. The collapse of the water supply predicted in 1992 in the Environmental Profile Balochistan is a spectre that now looms very large.

The major issues that must be tackled are ground water mining and the inefficient use of the resource. The strategy will be to manage ground water on a sustainable use basis. If properly managed, the resource will be available in the long term. Shifting from the present practice of ground water mining to sustainable use requires a great deal of planning. It also means evaluating some current practices, such as the use of delay action dams, to ensure that human and financial resources are efficiently and effectively deployed. Agriculture places the heaviest demand on the resource. The strategy recommends that all stake holders work together to develop a clear vision for the future of irrigated agriculture in the province for the next 5–25 years. A round table will be established for the purpose. The development of a sense of vision is urgently needed at a time when some orchard owners are cutting down their trees due to lack of economic viability or lack of water, while others are busy installing new wells and planting more fruit trees .

A sovereign Balochistan Water Board will be established initially for Pishin Lora Basin by expanding the mandate of the recently established Provincial Water Management Authority and restructuring or linking the existing water related bodies to improve water management. The jurisdiction of this Board will be expanded to other river basins. Ideally, there should be one Board for each of the 14 river basins in Balochistan. The Board will have sweeping powers to deal with what is a major crisis. It will be supported by a Technical Committee, and a lead agency e.g. Irrigation and Power Department will be designated to collect, maintain, and distribute information on supply, demand, and quality of water. The Board will develop and implement management plans; decide on the issuance of water licenses; monitor enforcement of laws; recommend comprehensive water policy and enabling legislation; oversee research, and monitoring and evaluation programmes; and ensure that environmental impact assessments are carried out for all major water projects. The Board will focus on addressing the issue of groundwater depletion in upland districts, promoting irrigation efficiency, harnessing surface runoff and sustainable water development.

There is a rich tradition of water rights and local water resource management in Balochistan. Local people can provide considerable insights into what to this point has largely been the subject of mathematical models. The Water Board will consult widely with local people in developing management plans and will take advantage of effective and efficient water management practices where they exist or can be reintroduced. Watershed rehabilitation and management will be given priority attention. The specific needs will be assessed on a basin-by-basin basis, at the valley level The major task for the Water Board will be to work with local people to reach consensus on the nature of the problem, and to get their assistance in solving it.

Biodiversity
Balochistan is rich in biodiversity. Wide variations in physical features and climate have produced diverse landscapes, ecosystems and habitats that are important to the national and global heritage. Much of the province remains poorly investigated. Systematic knowledge of the flora remains incomplete and a comprehensive analysis of endemicity and species distribution and abundance has not been completed. What is certain is that Balochistan is one of the most important wildlife regions of Pakistan, and contains a large number of species not found elsewhere in the country.

Balochistan has one of the largest blocks of juniper (Juniperus excelsa) forests in the world. They cover approximately 141,000 hectares. The most extensive and best - known examples are found in the Ziarat and Zarghoon valleys, which occur at elevations between 1,980 – 3,350 met res. Growing conditions are harsh. The trees are very slow growing. Consequently, these forests are believed to be among the primitive in the world.

The province also has some of the world’s finest wetland habitats. These are small in number and extent, but have enhanced value when viewed in the perspective of an arid environment. They attract a variety of waterfowl including swans, geese, ducks, grebes, herons, and several species of waders. Zangi Nawar Lake in Chagai District is a wetland of international importance.

There are four species of threatened mammals in Balochistan. Two are critically endangered – the Balochistan black bear and the Chiltan markhor. Two species are endangered – the straight - horned markhor and the urial. There are many important species of migratory birds. The Chagai Desert hosts a unique assemblage of reptiles including six endemics and at least six others found only in the region . Among the marine species, the status of the endangered green turtle, the vulnerable marsh crocodile, and sea snakes is uncertain. There are a number of endemic species of fresh water fish. Less well known is the diversity of crop plants, live stock and wild relatives of crop plants.

The protected areas system consists of two national parks, 14 wildlife sanctuaries, and eight game reserves. It adds up to 5.3% of the province. To this can be added five private game reserves and one community conservation area. But with few exceptions the protected areas contain few, if any, of the animals they were set up to protect. Competition with other land uses such as agriculture and livestock grazing, indiscriminate and uncontrolled hunting, and the removal of natural vegetation for fuel are some of the contributing factors. The indiscriminate use of agrochemicals is a cause for concern.

The Biodiversity Action Plan for Pakistan provides the basis for action to address issues related to biodiversity. It sets out the steps to be taken to promote the conservation and sustainable use of Balochistan’s biodiversity. Key measures include: a comprehensive education and awareness programme;

• development of a biodiversity database;

• community-based sustainable use programmes;

• developing and strengthening the protected areas system;

• developing a policy for ex-situ conservation ofbiodiversity;

• developing an effective policy framework and enabling legislation; and

• developing institutional capacity to manage biodiversity.