Wildlife Resources in Balochistan

Balochistan is situated in the southwest of Pakistan and covers an area of 347,190 square kilometers (134,050 sq mi; 34,719,000 hectares). It is Pakistan’s largest province by area, constituting 44% of the country’s total land mass; but the smallest population, being home to less than 5% of its population. Balochistan province is bordered by Afghanistan to the north and north-west, Iran to the south-west, the Arabian Sea to the south, Punjab and Sindh to the east, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Federally Administered Tribal Areas to the north-east. Quetta is the capital and largest city of Balochistan.

Pakistan is signatory to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD); under the Aichi Biodiversity Targets (Target-11) of CBD, Pakistan is obliged to declare, by 2020, at least 17 percent of territorial and inland water and 10 percent of coastal and marine areas under protected areas (national park, wildlife sanctuary or game reserve, etc.) system. Further Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) agreed by UN General Assembly in September 2015 also call for conservation and sustainable use of the forests, wildlife habitats, oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development under its Goal 14 & 15.

At the national level, the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan formulated by the Ministry of Climate Change (MoCC) specifies actions for expanding of network of protected areas in the country with complete representation of ecosystems and habitats especially areas of particular importance for biodiversity.

Wildlife Resources in Balochistan

By virtue of its large area, sparse human population and diverse landscape, Balochistan province has the potential of wildernesses for a diverse flora and fauna. The diverse climatic zones have contributed to a set of ecological zones resulting in unique faunal and floral biodiversity; the documented status of species richness in Balochistan is given in the following table:

Important Wild Mammals of Balochistan

• Suleiman Markhor
• Wild Cat
• Chiltan Markhor (Wild goat)
• Common Leopard
• Sindh Ibex
• Asiatic Jackal
• Afghan Urial
• Hyena
• Chinkara Gazelle
• Wolf
• Black Bear
• Honey Badger

Important Bird Species of Balochistan

• Houbara bustard
• Golden eagle
• Cranes sp.
• Falcon ( covers a big range of Species)
• Chucker partridge/Rock partridge
• Finches
• See-see partridge
• Magpie
• Black partridge
• A variety of waterfowls
• Grey partridge  

Important Reptiles of Balochistan

• Turkistan rock Gecko (uncommon)
• Reticulate desert lacerta (uncommon and endemic)
• Sharp-tailed spider Gecko ( Rare and endemic)
• Caspian desert lacerta ( Rare)
• Lumsdeni Gecko  ( very rare and endemic)
• Chagai desert lacerta (Endemic)
• Whip-tailed sand Gecko ( Endemic)
• Dark headed dwarf racer (Rare)
• Baloch spiny-tailed lizard ( Rare)
• Tartary sand Boa (Rare)
• Mountain Dwarf Gecko ( Rare)
• Spotted desert racer ( Rare)
• Short-toed sand swimmer ( Extremely rare)
• Dark headed gamma snake (Rare)
• Eastern Dwarf skink ( Rare)
• Maynard’s awl-headed snake (Rare and endemic)
• Indian desert Monitor (Endangered)        

Protected Areas of Balochistan

The Balochistan province has unique biological diversity. Some of these Species are endemic to the province and found nowhere else in Pakistan and, in some cases, in the whole world.

The Balochistan Forests and Wildlife Department, at present, is managing following notified PAs:

• One (01) Biosphere Reserves
• Three (03) National Parks
• Fourteen (14) Wildlife Sanctuaries
• Eight (08) Game Reserves
• Five (05) RAMSAR sites
• Four (04) Community Game Reserves
• One (01) Co-management Area (Takatu State Forest & Zawar Kan Game Reserve)
• One (01) Marine Protected Area (Astola MPA)

These are covering a total area of about 2.192 million hectares. This represents about 6.320% of the total land area of the province and is legally covered by the Balochistan Wildlife (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management) Act, 2014 and Protection Rules made there under.

In addition, there are areas, which are protected and managed by the stakeholder communities. Four (04) of these areas are now managed for trophy hunting under certain management regime, whereas the remaining areas are still managed on traditional pattern.

National Parks of Balochistan

Wildlife Sanctuaries of Balochistan

Game Reserves of Balochistan

Community Game Reserves

The Balochistan Province is a pioneer in trophy hunting Programme in the country. Currently the Balochistan Forests & Wildlife Department with collaboration of resident communities are running trophy hunting programmed in following community managed protected areas which has opened new roads towards conservation of Wildlife Resources and Socio-economic uplifting of resident community livelihoods through proceeds of the trophy hunting programmes:

1. Torghar Conservancy at  Killa Saifullah district managed by STEP (Society for Torghar Environmental Protection),
2. Dureji Conservancy at Lasbella district managed by DEWS (Dureji Environmental and Wildlife Society),
3. Shah Noorani Conservancy District Khuzdar managed by WWS (Wadh Wildlife Society) and,
4.  Talo Band Conservancy at District Gwadar managed by Talo Band Wildlife Conservation Society

Critically Endangered Ecosystems of Balochistan

Most of the above protected areas are included in the official list, but they do not sustain any practical purpose for the protection of wildlife. Lack of awareness, financial constraints and other factors have always been the limiting factors in the sustainable use of our wildlife resources. We have yet not been able so far even to assess provincial wildlife resources and develop an inventory of the same. Potential Protected Areas either government declared or community owned requires immediate attention.

The declining status of these resources (forests, rangelands, watersheds) in Balochistan is exacerbated due to ecological limitations, increasing population, vague tenure and lack of awareness, etc. As a result, out of the 10 critically endangered ecosystems of Pakistan, 5 alone are in Balochistan Province (Biological Diversity Plan for Pakistan).

• Author Details

Naeem Javid Muhammad Hassani

Naeem Javid Muhammad Hassani is working as Conservator of Forests in Balochistan Forest & Wildlife Department (BFWD). He is the CEO of Tech Urdu (techurdu.net) Forestrypedia (forestrypedia.com), All Pak Notifications (allpaknotifications.com), Essayspedia, etc & their YouTube Channels). He is an Environmentalist, Blogger, YouTuber, Developer & Vlogger.

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