Socio-Economic Factors Threatening the Sustainability of Natural Resource Base in Roghani Valley, Hindu Raj Mountains, Northern Pakistan

Natural resource based activities contribute a substantial share to the economic development of the developing countries including Pakistan. The communities inhabiting the remote and marginal mountainous areas in particular, depend heavily on natural resources to sustain their livelihood. Three major resources i.e. land; forests and water support the livelihood of mountains’ inhabitants. Due to topography and climatic conditions, generally the mountainous areas have a limited resource base whereas population is continuously growing, which changes the whole socio-economic setup and affects the already scarce natural resources in a number of ways. This paper aims to explore the socio-economic factors responsible for the degradation of mountains’ resources. The study is carried out in Roghani Valley located on the boundary of District Dir Lower and Upper. Data for this paper was collected mostly from primary sources, like field observations, questionnaire survey and interviews. The study reveals that the natural resources of the area have been severely degraded in the last 4 to 5 decades. There are a number of socio-economic factors behind this environmental disturbance, such as population growth, family system, indigenous tenure arrangements and high dependency on natural resources for fuel and livestock fodder requirements.