Hashoo Foundation (HF) organized a multi-stakeholder capacity-building workshop in Gilgit to equip local institutions and communities with practical methods for climate-resilient ecosystem services management.
Organized under the PPAF-funded Gilgit-Baltistan Local Area Development Programme (GBLADP), locally implemented by HF, the workshop introduced community stakeholders to market-based environmental instruments and demonstrated how these approaches can help reduce deforestation, improve environmental integrity, and offer new livelihood incentives. Participants also shared recommendations on how a localized Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) model could be integrated into existing policies.
The workshop brought together officials from the relevant government departments, technical experts, civil society representatives, community leaders, local small and medium enterprises, community based Forest Protection Committees, and community organizations including village organizations, women organizations and youth organizations. Participants explored policy tools and market-based instruments, such as PES and other incentive models that can internalize environmental cost to promote sustainable natural resource management and reduce depletion. Participants learned about international best practices that are adaptable to Gilgit-Baltistan’s unique ecological and socio-economic context and discussed ways to introduce a localized PES framework to support both long-term forest conservation and community livelihoods.
Diamer District contains 71% of Gilgit-Baltistan’s total forest cover, making it one of Pakistan’s most ecologically critical regions. This concentration of forests highlights the importance of incentive-based conservation, as unsustainable practices in the region can have disproportionate environmental and socio-economic impacts.
Uzma Nomani, Manager Resource Mobilisation & Climate Change at the Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund, outlined PPAF’s approach to poverty graduation and climate resilience, stressing that by aligning economic incentives with conservation goals, communities can be empowered to lead their own development. She noted that this is precisely what we aim to achieve in the target areas—supporting communities to protect their forests today while safeguarding their futures for generations to come.
Iftikhar Hussain, Range Forest Officer (RFO) Forest Department Gilgit-Baltistan, voiced support: “If we are paid for protecting our trees, not cutting them, we can think twice. This is good for our families and for nature.”
Hashoo Foundation highlighted its enduring commitment to driving sustainable development and climate-resilient resource management in Gilgit-Baltistan. Through the GBLADP, the Foundation is working closely with communities and local institutions to introduce incentive-based conservation approaches, strengthen local capacity, and ensure that both forests and livelihoods are safeguarded for the long term.