FINAL  TECHNICAL  REPORT  (Revised)                                                                                                                      

Enhancing  value  of  hydrological  resources    for  livelihood,  Youth  employability  and  climate  resilience    

(an  R  &  D  pilot  in  Gilgit-­‐Baltistan,  Pakistan)    

[March  31,  2015  –  May  31,  2016]    

Photo: MISGAR, HUNZA / Noorani Mir (WWF-Pakistan)  

May  2016      

World  Wide  Fund  for  Nature  Pakistan  Regional  Office  (Gilgit-­‐Baltistan)  

GCIC  Complex,  NLI  Colony  Jutial,  Gilgit  15100  Pakistan  Phone:  +92  5811  455658  &  455725,  Fax:  +92  5811  455688  

URL:wwfpak.org  

2016

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 SUMMARY

Recipient Institution:

World Wide Fund for Nature, Pakistan

Project Title: Enhancing the Value of Hydrological Resources for Livelihoods, Youth Employability and Resilience, an R&D Pilot in Gilgit-Baltistan (Pakistan)

Project Number:

NW-PAK-02 / 2014

Country: Pakistan

Report Technical Report – FINAL

Period covered by the report:

From: 31 March 2015 To: 31 May 2016

Submission date:

May 31, 2016

I, Babar Khan, acting as the Authorized Person of the World Wide Fund for Nature Pakistan (WWF-Pakistan) confirm and certify that the information contained in this Report is correct and accurate to the best of my knowledge and understanding.

Name and signature Date

Prepared by:

Babar Khan (Ph.D) Head (Gilgit-Baltistan) WWF-Pakistan, Gilgit Ms. Noorani Mir (MSc) Livelihood Development Officer, New World Project 2014, WWF-Pakistan, Gilgit

31 May 2016

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SUMMARY OF RESULTS For the third time in recorded agricultural history of Gilgit-Baltistan, this project provided the opportunity to import high quality certified germplasm of promising high yielding varieties of fruits and cereals, after FAO (1982) and AKRSP (1992), respectively. Previously introduced hybrid varieties of apple and cherry had lost their genetic vigor and were no more highly productive and marketable. Hence the project imported high quality certified germplasm (>2000 FI rootstocks and budded plants) of Apple (03 varieties), Apricot (03 varieties), Cherry (03 varieties), Grapes (01 variety), Black berry (01 variety), and Straw berry (02 varieties) from temperate environs of USA and Europe (Italy), dwarf in size but high yielding and marketability. The imported germplasm has been stocked at agricultural research stations of the Mountain Agricultural Research Centre (MARC) of Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) and Gilgit-Baltistan Agriculture department (GBAD), for field-testing, local adaptation, certification and future multiplication into at least 9 future generations, producing more than at least 20 million plants for distribution among 1.0 million local farmers in GB, which for sure will help replenish never less than 4-5 million m3 of water over the next 8-10 years. The sale proceed from the fruits will bring an economic revolution in the region, as export of cherry, apple and apricot beyond the national boundaries is already in practice, and will get impetus with China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and One belt-one road (OBOR) initiatives. The training of 500+ local farmers, especially female youth (60%) in horticultural value chains will help establish agri-businesses while enabling them to generate income for their families and be empowered socially. The demonstration of high efficiency irrigation technologies like Drip and Sprinkler Irrigation, at Mountain Agricultural Research Station (MARS), Chilas (Diamer), will help local farmers learn least water farming techniques. Land use classification and Agro-ecological zoning is another important initiative of the project that will help develop an outline for future Agricultural policy for Gilgit-Baltistan (GB). Youth leaders, mostly agricultural graduates from Karakoram International University (KIU) and other universities of Pakistan, were provided internships to sharpen their employability skills, and the Information-Education-Communication (IEC) materials i.e., brochure, manuals and articles distributed among partners and farmers will continue to be used for awareness raising in local communities. This project has been a SEED of agricultural development for the upcoming multi-million UN-IFAD (123 million USD), and OBOR - CPEC initiatives. Agro-ecologically GB has immense potential for development niche horticultural produces, especially fruits, vegetables and seeds, while IFAD has a direct focus on land development and OBOR is a multi sector economic development opportunity. Hence continuation of this project with more emphasis on horticultural value chain development, helping educated trained youth (42% of total population) establish model commercial orchards of the imported cherished varieties, for large-scale production, processing and marketing, will not only ensure food security in the locale, but will also help bring economic prosperity into the region.   Project Funding (USD) In the table below; please indicate the amount of funding from each partner. Include the New World funding contributions as well as external funding partners and contributions by implementing partners, communities, and others.

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Partner Name Role Financial Contribution In-Kind Contribution

New World Initiative Funding agency 142,000 USD

WWF-Pakistan Implementing partner

38,500 USD

MARC (PARC) Project Associate 18,300 USD

KNR (pvt) Limited Project Associate 5000 USD

Local communities Field implementation partners

0000 USD