Assessment of land use cover changes, carbon sequestration and carbon stock in dry temperate forests of Chilas watershed, Gilgit-Baltistan

Land use and land cover change are affecting the global environment and ecosystems of the different biospheres. Monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) of these changes is of utmost importance as they often results in several global environmental consequences such as land degradation, mass erosion, habitat deterioration as well as micro and macro climate of the regions. The advance technologies like remote sensing (RS) and geographical information system (GIS) are helpful in determining/ identifying these changes. In the current study area, changes in carbon stocks, notably in forest areas, are resulting in considerable dynamics of carbon stocks as a result of climate change and carbon sequestration. This study was carried out in the Diamer district of the Gilgit Baltistan (GB) Pakistan to investigate the change in cover change/land use change (particularly Forest Land use) as well as carbon sequestration potential of the forests in the district during almost last 25years. The land cover, temporal Landsat data (level 1, LIT) were downloaded from the USGS EROS (2016), for 1979-1989, 1990-2000 and 2001-2012. Change in land uses, particularly forest cover was investigated using GIS techniques. Forest inventory was carried out using random sampling techniques. A standard plot of size 0.1 ha (n=80) was laid out to determine the tree density, volume, biomass and C stocks. Simulation of C stocks was accomplished by application of the CO2FIX model with the data input from inventory. Results showed a decrease in both forest and snow cover in the region from 1979-2012. Similarly decrease was seen in tree volume, tree Biomass, dynamics of C Stocks and decrease was in occur tree density respectively. It is recommended we need further more like project such as BTAP (Billion Tree Afforestation Project) and green Pakistan project to increase the forest cover, to control on land use change, protect forest ecosystem and to protect snow cover.

Cultural Tourism and the Wellbeing of Local Citizens

Cultural tourism is an increasingly visible trend in the tourism industry. The chapter is one of the first academic studies to specifically analyze the possible impacts of cultural tourism on the local culture itself and the wellbeing of the host community while highlighting cultural conservation as a mediator. The study utilizes primary data collected from rural areas in the Himalayan Gilgit Baltistan region in Northern Pakistan. This region has experienced a significant rise in cultural tourism due to China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). As a result, there has been a significant and visible development of touristic facilities in the region. Hence, there is a visible shift from earlier tourism, which was mostly linked to mountaineering adventure, to more relatively mass cultural tourism. The results suggest that cultural conservation serves as a partial mediator and that cultural tourism tends to positively and significantly influence the host community's wellbeing, and cultural conservation partially mediates this relationship.

Changing Parental Perceptions Adding Value to School Improvement Processes in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan

Parental perceptions and perspectives play a critical role in their motivation, interest, participation, and valuation of children’s education which ultimately influences the quality of education in schools. This article reports the change of perception and perspectives of the parents under the influence of a comprehensive school improvement intervention. A quantitative survey approach was employed in this study including 680 parents from 6 districts. The data was collected in two rounds following the pre- and post- intervention approach. The first round of data was collected at the beginning of the project and the second round was collected at its end. The paired sample t-test showed significant difference between pre- and postintervention responses of parents about improved relationships between the school and the parents (p < 0.000), increased cocurricular activities in the school (p < 0.000), fulfillment of students’ educational curriculum requirements (p < 0.000), the provision of equal attention to both boys and girls (p < 0.002), the obligation of the parents to ensure the physical and moral development of their children (p < 0.000), the provision of a safe, healthy, and educational environment at home by the parents (p < 0.000), and the development and maintenance of positivity expressed by parents for the success of their children (p < 0.000). Hence, the study found that a planned intervention has the potential to positively change the perceptions, perspectives, and valuation of children’s academic development.

Awareness and Readiness of Dentists to Practice amidst the Covid-19 Pandemic in Pakistan

Background: Corona Virus spreads via droplets and air. Dentists are at high risk due to proximity to the oral cavity and the production of droplets during procedures. Aim: To assess awareness of COVID19 among dental professionals and check their knowledge about the COVID-19 disease, its route of spread, clinical symptoms, tests for diagnosis, prevention in dental practice for a safe return to the dental practice. Methods: Online questionnaires were shared with dentists all over the country using convenience and snowball sampling. The questionnaire assessed knowledge, aptitude and effect on dental practice. SPSS, v. 21.0 was used for analysis. Results: Total number of participants was (316) and were from all provinces of the country (Punjab, Sindh, Baluchistan, KPK, Gilgit Baltistan). Most of the entries were from Sindh province (58.1%). Most of the participants are qualified as BDS(69.4%), 11.7% are FCPS, 5.7% are BDS with additional certifications. Participation from the age group 20-30 years was 74% followed by 18% of the age group 30-40. Conclusions: Dentists of our country were well aware of this pandemic and are fully equipped to manage their practices while preventing cross-contamination. Keywords: dentists, COVID-19, pandemic, Personal protective equipment

Factors Affecting Farm Succession and Occupational Choices of Nominated Farm Successors in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan

Mountain farming communities in Pakistan are exhibiting an increased rate of rural-to-urban migration and a rapid growth in the non-farm sector, which has threatened the sustenance of agricultural activity. This study examined the determinants of farm succession using a logit regression model and employed a multinomial logit regression model to study the factors influencing the future occupational choices of the potential farm successors. The study was based on quantitative survey data obtained from 421 farm managers and 155 potential farm successors and qualitative data from 12 key informants from two different districts in Gilgit-Baltistan. The survey results show that around 67% of the farmers had a potential successor. Farm succession was mainly explained by farmer characteristics (e.g., farmer age, gender and education), farm characteristics (e.g., farm size, specialization in horticulture, etc.) and agricultural income. Regarding the occupational choices, part-time farming (66%) was the most commonly reported choice. The results indicate that it was mainly farm successors’ personal characteristics (such as age, education and marital status) and agricultural income that led to the choices “undecided” and “exit”, whilst farm characteristics (e.g., farm size) and the main farm operators’ non-farm activity were significantly associated with the choice “part-time”. Policies aimed at improving the local income situation and investments in skill-building and infrastructure development can assist in farm sustenance.

Community-based social and demographic assessment of knowledge, attitudes, practices and medical conditions related to vitamin D deficiency in Gilgit Baltistan, Pakistan

Vitamin D is an important nutrient for bone health, and vitamin D deficiency increases the risk of various diseases. Gilgit Baltistan, the northern-most area of Pakistan, has a high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency, despite many nutritional and food safety programmes. The present study aimed to find how knowledge, attitudes and practices associated with vitamin D related to the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among people residing in different areas of Gilgit Baltistan. The cross-sectional study was descriptive and used data from a survey carried out between February 2019 and December 2020 on individuals of both sexes aged 10 years or over in Gilgit Baltistan. Of the 575 survey participants, 306 (53.2%) had experienced signs and symptoms of vitamin D deficiency, i.e. tiredness, fatigue and bone weakness. Approximately 64.8% had some general knowledge of vitamin D and its relation to health. Participants aged 19–25 years had the highest scores on knowledge of vitamin D. Only 22.7% of interviewees had ever taken any supplements and only 25.6% often exposed themselves to sunlight. Females’ mean knowledge score (28.7; SD 7.02) was higher than that of males (24; SD 9.01). A lack of consistency was observed between attitude towards daylight exposure and knowledge of vitamin D. There was a large correlation between knowledge and attitude (p = 0.001), while a non-significant association was demonstrated between knowledge and practices (p = 0.1). Better knowledge, attitude and practices by people living in cities or more-developed regions indicates that education can be an effective way to provide awareness regarding micronutrient deficiencies. More emphasis is needed on enhancing knowledge, awareness and practices associated with vitamin D deficiency in rural areas of Pakistan. It is strongly recommended that an awareness campaign on micronutrients is launched in both rural and urban areas of Pakistan, concentrating on poor socioeconomic settings.