Vegetation

Grass and fodder plants are fairly numerous in the district. The most important of these are the barshonk, sorag, drug, and kandar. The landscape, specially along the coarse of Dasht river, is featured with kahur (prosopis spicigera) and gazz (tamarix galica) or tamarisk trees. Some plants of pharmaceutical importance including aishak, lantoo, danichk (Ispaghol), and shrish are also found in the district. Some other wild plants are chigird, kabarr, babbur, kharak, chish, kahsh, gwanick, and gunsh. Frequently found plant is pish (nannorhops ritchieana), or dwarf palm, which is used for construction of huts in some areas of the district.

Forestry

Introduction

There has always been a controversy regarding existence of forests in Kech district. The Agricultural Statistics of Balochistan 1994-95 claim that there is no forest in the district while the Development Statistics of Balochistan 1989-90 mentioned an area of 1,036 hectares as forest in Kech district. The Divisional Forestry Office is unable to confirm the information.

Forestry

There is no state forest in the district.. According to the District Forestry Officer (DFO), Makran, about 93 hectares of tree plantation has been done by the Forestry Department. The department had plans for tree plantation in various areas of the district, but these could not be implemented due to budget constraints.

Major Vegetation

Grass and fodder plants are fairly numerous in the district. The most important of these are the barshonk, sorag, drug, and kandar. The landscape, specially along the coarse of Dasht river, is featured with kahur (prosopis spicigera) and gazz (tamarix galica) or tamarisk trees. Some plants of pharmaceutical importance including aishak, lantoo, danichk (Ispaghol), and shrish are also found in the district. Some other wild plants are chigird, kabarr, babbur, kharak, chish, kahsh, gwanick, and gunsh. Frequently found plant is pish (nannorhops ritchieana), or dwarf palm, which is used for construction of huts in some areas of the district.

Cutting/Marketing/Processing

According to an estimate about 2 metric tonnes of timber wood is harvested from local wood lands for furniture. However major quantity of timber comes from Karachi. People do cut fuel wood and poles from wood lands for construction of houses.

Department of Forestry Development

The department comprises 32 personnel. At the district level the District Forestry Officer is head of the department. The department has developed a nursery from where seedlings are provided to the general public as well as to government departments. On 1st October 1996, the total number of seedlings available at the nursery was 41,853, which if planted, is equivalent to about 25 hectares only. The department also has developed a national park on 5,665 hectare area while one game sanctuary is also under the department’s control.

Wildlife

Once the district’s mountainous area contained plenty of Sind ibex (Capra lircus) and ravine deer (Gazella gazella bennetti) but now they are rarely found. Hares and wild ducks are hunted in the district. Occasionally, wolves (Canis lupus pallipes), and Urial (Ovis orientalis) are found but these species are endangered. Most common animal found in Kech is the jackal (Canis aureus). Among birds the grey partridge, black partridge and see partridge are common, while sand grouses has been declared endangered in Kech.

Bee-keeping

Bee-keeping is an alien idea in the district as people are acquainted with wild honey only.

GO/NGO/Private Enterprise, etc. involvement in Forestry Development

Conclusion and major Development Issues

There is contradiction in reports about forest in Kech. However, wild plants , grasses, and trees are found of which some are of pharmaceutical use. Game birds are also found in the area. Afforestation is needed for the area, specifically in order to stop wind erosion. Especially women are involved in the collection of fire/fuel wood and the use of plants.