National park, not a city park

[Lahore_Real_Estate]

Margallah Hills National Park needs information center

ISLAMABAD: The residents of Islamabad are lucky to have the Margallah Hills National Park at a stone’s throw from the city. Comprising the Margallah hills, Shakarparian and the Rawal Lake, the area was designated as a National Park in 1980 keeping in view the splendor of the lush green hills and the unique Sino-Himalayan flora and fauna found here. Unlike a wildlife sanctuary, where closing all public access protects precious plants and animals, a National Park welcomes visitors allowing them to learn, enjoy and experience the beauty of an area.

While visitors are welcome to the National Park, it is vital that they understand the basic principles of conservation and adopt their movement and activities to minimise their impact on the park’s biodiversity. A visitor information center is thus an important part of any national park. Unfortunately, until recently, the Margallah Hills National Park lacked such a center even though several hundred visitors come to the Margallahs every day. Other than a few ‘don’t feed the monkeys’ signboards, there is hardly any guidance available on how to protect the wildlife of the national park. Most people do know that hunting is not permitted within national park boundaries. But very few visitors understand proper hiking, trekking and camping procedures, how to avoid forest fires, how to prevent the spread of invasive plant species, how to dispose of waste material etc. An information center that guides visitors about the park’s management procedures, conservation principles and relevant rules and regulations, is a vital part of any national park!

In view of this, The Himalayan Wildlife Foundation (HWF) set up a Visitor Information Centre in the Darra Jangla valley early last year. Covering an area of approximately 700 square feet, the information centre, is strategically located at the entrance of one of the popular trails of the Margallahs - Trail 5. Funding for the project has been provided by the oil company BHP Billiton while the operation and management of the company is the joint responsibility of CDA and HWF. Visitors that intend to go into the park for nature walks and camping are received here and briefed about the natural resources of the park, facilities available, as well as the guidelines, rules and ethics for activities while in the National Park area. The aim is to maximize the recreational and educational benefit of the national park while ensuring that visitor activities are not a threat to its ecological integrity.

In a span of less than one year, presentations have been made to several hundred students from both government and private schools. In addition, training events have been organized for the students and teachers of the Pakistan Girl Guide Association as well as staff members of various environmental organizations and NGOs. Subjects covered in these trainings include the ecosystems of Pakistan, national park management, biodiversity conservation as well as identification of native and invasive alien plant species. Perhaps the most important training organized by the Center has been for the so called ‘custodians’ of the Margallah Hills National Park – the CDA staff. Seminars, workshops and short courses on a wide range of topics have been arranged for the forest guards, fire-fighting staff and national park staff members of the CDA.

“Unfortunately, even CDA staff members do not know the difference between a city park and a national park’, says Shadmeena Khan, Park Manager of the Darra Janglan Valley Conservation Project. “Sometimes, we get suggestions from senior CDA official on planting exotic flower yielding bushes. They need to understand that planting new species will upset the delicate balance of nature and destroy the local ecosystem. The essence of a national park is to preserve the naturalness of the area. Management of the park is necessary but in a way that it maintains the ecological integrity of the park and does not interfere with the existing flora-fauna interactions” explains Shadmeena. “Making flower beds and preening shrubs might be essential to a city park but are definitely not permissible in an area designated as a national park.”

According to Vaqar Zakaria, Director of the HFW, “the proximity of the Margallah Hills National Park to a major urban center as well as the presence of rural settlements around it makes it vulnerable to exploitation and degradation. The idea of a national park is not to exclude visitors for environmental conservation, but to realize that they are an integral part of it. The purpose of the Information Center is to guide these visitors about necessary steps that need to be taken to ensure protection of the Margallah Hills ecology.”

The establishment of the Visitor Information Centre is a commendable step taken by the HWF and BHP Billiton. The government should encourage such ventures and support the development of such facilities in all national parks of the country. This will ensure greater learning opportunities and maximize the learning and recreational experience of similar protected areas. fareeha irfan ovais