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Indigenous land tenure system in the Hindu-Raj Mountains, Pakistan: development, transformation and implications

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Research Paper 01/10/2018
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Indigenous land tenure system in the Hindu-Raj Mountains, Pakistan: development, transformation and implications

Fazlul Haq, Liaqat Ali Waseem, Ihsan Ullah, Saima Siddiqui, Fazlur-Rahman, Iffat Tabassum
J. Bio. Env. Sci.13( 4), 73-87, October 2018.
Certificate: JBES 2018 [Generate Certificate]
Key: Dir valleyIndigenous environmental knowledgeNatural resource managementRoghani valleySocial institutions

Abstract

In mountainous areas, land tenure systems are mostly introduced by local inhabitants in accordance with the prevailing physical and anthropogenic conditions of the area. The locally introduced land tenure system has played a vital role in the integration of the society and natural resource management in the mountainous areas of Pakistan. However, due to the complex nature of the system and remoteness of the area, there is a lack of organized research on the subject. An attempt has been made to explore and analyze the mechanism, effectiveness and transformation of traditional tenure system. The study is entirely based on qualitative information collected through; Key Informants Interviews; and Focused Group Discussions (FGDs). The study reveals that the natural resources are kept and managed under the traditional tenure system called wesh, which was temporal in the initial times and transformed to the permanent tenure late on. Both the systems have their own strengths and weaknesses regarding their effectiveness in the sustainable management of natural resources.

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