The Karakoram International University (KIU) Gilgit is undertaking 14 research projects and comprehensive training programmes to strengthen the Central Karakoram National Park (CKNP) work, with an amount of Rs 23.462 million.
These projects are being implemented through a joint venture of Italy and Pakistan under Social, Economic and Environmental Development Project (SEED).
According to an official of the Karakoram International University, the faculty has started working over these research projects targeting the local population of Central Karakoram National Park (CKNP) area in Ganche, Skardu, Gilgit and Hunza Nagar districts of GB.
The allocated funds will be spent on different projects in CKNP areas like the socio economics and environmental impact of recent natural disasters in CKNP, studies on Nutracutical composition and anti microbial potential of barberry fruit from CKNP region, Geographical significance in assessing quality of life in CKNP inhabitants, women empowerment, threatened birds of CKNP and fishes and macro-invertebrates as indicator of water quality assessment in CKNP area.
The projects also include qualitative characterization of the active ingredients in medicinal plants, disease management of stone fruits prevailing in area, inventorying of the floral biodiversity of sub tropical desert area of Haramosh to Baltistan, Radioactive metals and their health hazards to local community, ecotourism and role of local entrepreneurs in CKNP, Bioassays of Bacillus thuringgiensis against codling month and discovery of anti-diabetic and anti cancer plants and live stock and pasture management.
The official said these projects will help improve the well-being of local communities and adopt sustainable livelihoods practices and building upon indigenous resources supported by the introduction of modern technologies. The outcome of these projects in various fields will strengthen management of Central Karakoram National Park.
Under medicinal use of Barberry Fruit project, KIU researchers have collected samples of barberry fruit, common shrub that grows as wild plant in CKNP region.
These samples will be analyzed and compared with root samples. If the constituents of barberry roots and fruits are similar (and most probably they are) an awareness campaign will be launched to inform local communities not to uproot barberry plants and they would be encouraged to use fruits instead of roots to derive medical benefits.
Several training workshops have also been conducted by KIU Agriculture and Food Technology Department in CKNP region, the official informed.
Farmers have been trained in various modern techniques including fruit harvesting, fruit grading, packing marketing and fruit processing. Farmers in Gilgit-Baltistan still use traditional farming methods for fruit harvesting. They shake apricot tree vigorously, all the ripe and unripe fruit comes down to the ground which causes injury to ripe fruit which becomes unmarketable, the official added.
This informative training exercise will help introduce modern methods of fruit harvesting, packing, marketing and processing, bringing economic prosperity to the region.
Vice Chancellor KIU, Professor Dr. Najma Najam is taking special interest and emphasizing on early competition of the research projects which are related to the development of CKNP area. Executive Director HEC, Professor Dr. Sohail H. Naqvi has also encouraged this innovative and useful initiative and hoped that other universities would also follow it.
