Shamshad Akhtar

Transhumance in Pakistan: a Study of Seasonal Movements of Pastoral Farmers and Irrigation System in the Karakoram-hindu Kush-himalayas Region. Shamshad Akhtar

The Karakoram-Hindu Kush-Himalayas Region of Pakistan is important all over the World not only because of their lofty mountains and glaciers but also because of their people who live with their traditional folk practices. Two of them are transhumance and indigenous community oriented system of irrigation called diversion channels. Transhumance is a seasonal movement of pastoral farmers who go to their pastures along with their animals for a period of three to four months and come back to their villages. In Gilgit-Baltistan the Shyok Valley and Yasin Valley while in Khyberpukhtunkhawa the Gawaldai Valley and Kaghan Valley are main areas where transhumant groups live. Due to modern development and socio-economic changes this old folk practice is diminishing rapidly. Diversion Channel is an indigenous community oriented irrigation system developed by their elders centuries ago to irrigate their land. It is operated and monitered by a community organization and has an excellent system of water sharing.