Sudhnoti, (TW News) — The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in collaboration with Department of Forests, Wildlife and Fisheries, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, convened a stakeholder consultation today under the project “Sustainable Management of Natural Resources in Mountain Areas”. The event brought together government officials, technical experts, and community representatives to discuss environmental hazards, vulnerabilities, and sustainable solutions for mountain ecosystems.

The consultation aimed to strengthen understanding of climate and landrelated risks facing mountain communities and to support evidencebased planning for sustainable natural resource management. The project is implemented under FAO’s Mountain Partnership Secretariat with financial support from the Government of Italy.

The programme commenced with a welcome note by Ihsan Ul Haq, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Sudhnoti. While outlining the objectives of the project, he emphasized that, as communities dependent on natural resources, it is our collective responsibility to ensure their sustainable conservation and management.

Opening remarks were delivered by Sardar Umar Farooq, Deputy Commissioner, Sudhnoti, who highlighted that although Sudhnoti has one of the largest forestcovered areas in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, it remains highly vulnerable to climate change. He noted that development projects, population growth, reliance on forests for fuel and timber, lack of alternative energy sources, and landslides pose serious environmental challenges. Emphasizing the need for extensive plantation and forest conservation, he appreciated the Forest Department’s reforestation efforts, termed the workshop timely, and assured his full support for sustainable environmental initiatives.

Wakas Awan from FAO Pakistan introduced the project, highlighting its focus on strengthening institutional and technical capacities to assess environmental and socioeconomic vulnerabilities, particularly those driven by climate change and land degradation. A detailed technical presentation on environmental hazards was delivered by Awais Javed, Divisional Forest Officer, Muzaffarabad, outlining key risks and local mitigation measures.

An interactive open discussion and Q&A session enabled participants to share local perspectives on environmental challenges and practical solutions. This was followed by questionnairebased data collection to support subnational risk assessments.

The consultation concluded with closing remarks and a vote of thanks by district administration and Department of Forests, Wildlife and Fisheries, reaffirming commitment to sustainable land use, ecosystem protection, and resilient rural livelihoods.