Unveiling the Effectiveness of Traditional Ecological Knowledge: An Insight from Community Forest Management in Kurram Valley, Pakistan

Forests are vital resources providing various benefits to both the environment and humanity. However, their continuous loss in many parts of the developing world highlights the urgent need for a sustainable and context-specific management model. Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK)-based successful forest management models have been reported in many regions of the world. Most of these practices are de facto and have been exercised for generations without any formal documentation. Their effectiveness needs to be documented to conserve this precious heritage and to highlight significance. This study is an attempt to investigate the effectiveness of TEK in communal forest management and conservation systems in Kurram Valley, Pakistan. A qualitative research design was adopted, combining field observations, semi-structured interviews with community key stakeholders, focus group discussions (FGDs), and the analysis of official and revenue records. The study results reveal the active role of TEK-based forest governance in maintaining balance between utilization and forest conservation. Communal ownership plays a vital role in empowering the community to make more independent decisions. The active indigenous institutions govern forest management and conservation practices with high efficacy. The prevailing conservation and utilization mechanisms have been constructively designed to maintain regrowth and prevent unsustainable exploitation. However, weakening of traditional institutions over time in certain localities has led to deterioration in forest sustainability, which reflects broader challenges in community-based conservation systems. Overall, TEK-based forest management plays a positive role in local forest conservation practices, and may provide useful insights for improving forest policies.