Kalash Valley, September 2024: The United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Pakistan, Mr. Mohamed Yahya Mohamed, visited the picturesque Kalash Valley of Bumburate to review the ongoing restoration efforts under the FAO Chilghoza Project. During his visit, Mr. Mohamed expressed the UN’s commitment to addressing the challenges faced by the region’s Chilghoza forests and pledged continued support for their sustainable management.
The visit included meetings with key stakeholders from the Forest Department and local communities. Mr. Ajaz Ahmed, Provincial Coordinator of the FAO, briefed the UN Resident Coordinator on the project’s progress. He highlighted various initiatives under the Chilghoza Project, including the installation of Chilghoza processing units, the distribution of harvesting toolkits, and the provision of energy-efficient stoves to local households. Additionally, the FAO has focused on capacity building and the establishment of Assisted Natural Regeneration (ANRs) areas to promote sustainable forest management.
Mr. Ajaz credited both the Forest Department and the local communities for their dedication, noting the significant improvements in the rehabilitation of degraded Chilghoza forest areas and the development of the forest’s value chain.
Representatives from the local Chilghoza Forest Protection Committees, including Mr. Shamsu Rabbi and Mr. Sharif Ahmad, expressed their gratitude to the UN Resident Coordinator and the visiting delegation. They emphasized the positive impact of the FAO initiatives on the community and urged for the establishment of an endowment fund to further support local collectors in accessing national and international markets.
As a symbolic gesture of his visit, Mr. Mohamed Yahya Mohamed planted a deodar sapling in the valley, reaffirming the UN’s long-term commitment to environmental sustainability and forest conservation efforts in Kalash Valley.
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