ISLAMABAD, April 1 (ABC): The Ministry of National Food Security and Research has proposed a Rs400 million project to restore degraded rangelands and promote climate-resilient livestock development in Pakistan’s arid and semi-arid regions through modern management practices and digital monitoring systems.
According to official documents available with Wealth Pakistan, the five-year initiative (July 2026 to June 2031) aims to strengthen sustainable rangeland management and boost livestock productivity in areas facing harsh climatic conditions and limited forage resources.
Titled “Climate-Resilient Rangeland Improvement and Sustainable Livestock Development through Digital Monitoring in Arid Regions of Pakistan”, the project aims to restore degraded arid and semi-arid rangelands through revegetation and improved vegetation cover, while introducing silvopastoral systems, ranching models, and alley-cropping approaches to improve forage availability and sustainable grazing practices.
In addition, the project will focus on the mass multiplication of elite rangeland species and the establishment of seed and fodder banks to ensure a reliable supply of quality forage for livestock in dryland regions.
A key feature of the initiative is the use of Geographic Information System (GIS) and remote sensing technologies for digital rangeland monitoring, which will help improve grazing management, water resource utilization and overall rangeland productivity.
The project will be implemented through the Rangeland Research Institute of the National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC) under the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council, with collaboration from the Rangeland Research Institutes, including Arid Zone Research Center (AZRC) Quetta, Arid Zone Research Institute (AZRI) Bahawalpur, AZRI Dera Ismail Khan, and AZRI Umerkot.
The project aligns with national development priorities, including the government’s 5Es Framework, the 13th Five-Year Plan, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs), and the National Agriculture Innovation and Growth Program (NAIGP).
The document states that the initiative will support sustainable rangeland management, forage development, and improved productivity of indigenous livestock breeds, while strengthening the resilience of pastoral livelihoods.
Economic benefits are expected through reduced feed costs, higher livestock productivity, and increased rural incomes.
The project will also encourage community participation and inclusion of pastoralists, youth, and women, helping strengthen local capacity in rangeland and livestock management.
Environmental gains include desertification control, biodiversity conservation, and soil carbon sequestration, contributing to climate adaptation in arid ecosystems.
Among its key deliverables, the project will restore rangeland areas with improved vegetation cover, establish operational seed and fodder banks, and develop a functioning GIS-based monitoring system. It will also train farmers, pastoralists, and technical workers, improve the productivity of arid-adapted livestock breeds, reduce livestock mortality and disease incidence, and increase household income from livestock enterprises.
The initiative is also expected to strengthen institutional and community capacity for sustainable rangeland management, supporting long-term livestock development in Pakistan’s arid regions.
