A BS TR A CTThe northern area of Pakistan, Gilgit Baltistan (GB), has huge tourist potential due to its exotic mountain beauty. According to the GB Tourism Department, a large number of tourists (around 200651) visit GB every year from across the country. Due to a large influx of tourists in the area both positive and negative impacts have been felt especially on the environment and on the local communities. The environmental impacts of tourism were investigated in this research in two districts of GB. Three villages were selected from each of the districts of Hunza and Diamer as the basis of this research. This study was based on the perceptions and attitudes of the respondents. The total number of questionnaires completed was 340 filled from different respondent categories. Results showed that deforestation, loss of biodiversity, generation of solid waste, water, air and noise pollution, damage cultural and heritage sites and are the main environmental issues caused by tourism activities in the villages in these districts. About 42% of respondents said that deforestation and loss of biodiversity were high in the Diamer district while in Hunza 39% of respondents said that solid waste generation was high. Similarly, 21% respondents in Hunza and 14% respondents in Diamer agreed that water pollution is caused by tourism activities. Microbial analysis of water confirmed the presence of Salmonella typhi, E. coli and Enterobacter sp. There were positive impacts of tourism with results revealing that 87% of villagers and 98% of businessmen responded that tourism had provided them with jobs and business during the peak tourism season. Hotels and restaurants are the main source of jobs in GB mainly as porters and guides. According to the data collected dry fruits, medicinal herbs, gemstones and handicrafts provided considerable attractions for tourists. It is recommended that a combined effort be made by the local communities, tourism departments and other Govt. Agencies to ensure the cleanliness of tourist attractions. KEY WORDS: tourism; water pollution; air and noise pollution; health, solid waste generation; cultural and heritage damage ARTICLE HISTORY:
Iodine deficiency in soils and plants is a common problem in the hilly areas and has still been ignored. The aim of the current study is to investigate associated health issues, socio-economic characteristics and people's perception regarding iodine deficiency. Furthermore, a follow-up study was conducted to determine iodine and nutrients concentration in soil and crops at District Diamer, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan. A descriptive and empirical analysis was examined. Most importantly, male was significantly observed as more affected for iodine deficiency than female, as contrary to the literature, socio-economic factors such as households' income and awareness (education) are reported as negative and significant contributor to reduce the iodine deficiency among the people irrespective of the gender. Majority of people (84%) heard about the iodine, but about 51.6% people argue that iodine has no effect on the human body and 56% of the respondents do not know why iodine is necessary for human. It was found that 11.5% of the community was affected from the IDD and majority of them were females. Wheat crops were the principal crop since it supplies 75% of calorific energy in an average Pakistani diet. The concentrations of iodine in soil samples range from 4.21 to 5.45 mg kg. The concentration of iodine in wheat crop plant sampled were considerably varied as Boner > Gais > Goher Abad with 1.12, 0.91 and 0.81 mg kg. respectively. Likewise, grain iodine concentration was varied as Gais > Boner > Goher Abad with 0.126, 0.102 and 0.078 mg kg, respectively. This study exposed that community using the cereal crops could face iodine deficiency in their diet which can cause endemic goiter among the population and control the iodine deficiency by empowering the rural community to raise the income level and providing the awareness to the people.
Pheasants are declining everywhere in the world and therefore updated information about their population and habitats are important for conservation and management. The present study was conducted in the Palas Valley, District Kohistan, Pakistan in late spring (May and June) 2020 and early spring (March and April) 2021 to assess the population and anthropogenic stress. The major focus was on three sympatric pheasant species, including Western Horned Tragopan (Tragopan melanocephalus), Himalayan Monal (Lophophorus impejanus), and Koklass Pheasant (Pucrasia macrolopha). We used the “Call Count Method” for the population assessment in the field, and a questionnaire survey was conducted to document the risk assessment of local residents of the valley. The population assessments revealed that the Koklass Pheasant is more adapted to increasing anthropogenic activities and its population appeared more or less similar as 22 years ago. In the past 22 years, Western Tragopan and Himalayan Monal have lost about 40–50% of their populations. Human interference in the form of illegal hunting, deforestation, and overgrazing was found to be common in the valley. The study concludes that the Palas Valley habitat is ideal for pheasant species; however, human interference in the form of urbanization, habitat fragmentation, illegal hunting, and deforestation is occurring at a rapid pace, causing havoc in the pheasant population.
Pheasants play a distinctive and significant role in high altitudinal ecosystems. These are good indicators of environmental changes, and their presence determines the health and balance of the bio-network. Recent human pressure continues to degrade their populations, and some pheasant species are already extinct. Therefore, the current study focuses on pheasant abundance and emerging conservation issues. The pheasant population was assessed using “Call count methods” and analyzed by DISTANCE software. The results revealed that the valleys where human interference is minimum had significantly higher encounter rates and densities of pheasants. At the same time, the pheasant population was severely affected, whether found at lower or higher altitudes, showing seasonal migration toward human settlements. The habitat suitability modeling was performed using the MaxEnt model and showed that human activities overlap with the suitable natural habitats of pheasants. The threats were identified using a systematic questionnaire survey from the nearest villages of the potential habitat, and particular attention was paid to valleys where human pressures were found to be high. Major infrastructure development projects, illegal hunting, and deforestation were identified as the major threats to the pheasant population. The study concluded that proper conservation measures are required to protect pheasants in their potential habitats.
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