Socio-Economic Factors Threatening the Sustainability of Natural Resource Base in Roghani Valley, Hindu Raj Mountains, Northern Pakistan

Abstract

Natural resource based activities contribute a substantial share to the
economic development of the developing countries including Pakistan.
The communities inhabiting the remote and marginal mountainous
areas in particular, depend heavily on natural resources to sustain
their livelihood. Three major resources i.e. land; forests and water
support the livelihood of mountains’ inhabitants. Due to topography
and climatic conditions, generally the mountainous areas have a
limited resource base whereas population is continuously growing,
which changes the whole socio-economic setup and affects the already
scarce natural resources in a number of ways. This paper aims to
explore the socio-economic factors responsible for the degradation of
mountains’ resources. The study is carried out in Roghani Valley
located on the boundary of District Dir Lower and Upper. Data for this
paper was collected mostly from primary sources, like field
observations, questionnaire survey and interviews. The study reveals
that the natural resources of the area have been severely degraded in
the last 4 to 5 decades. There are a number of socio-economic factors
behind this environmental disturbance, such as population growth,
family system, indigenous tenure arrangements and high dependency
on natural resources for fuel and livestock fodder requirements.