The GOAL to which the project will contribute in the long term is:

To safeguard the biodiversity of the Palas Valley by enabling local communities to tackle the linked causes of poverty and incipient natural resource degradation.

1) To catalyse and facilitate the establishment and/or strengthening of viable community organisations that sustain participation in conservation and development.

2) To safeguard biodiversity and optimise the flow of local, national and global benefits from the management and sustainable use of natural resources, involving:

a) planning and implementation of biodiversity conservation and environmental awareness programmes, and their extension to other areas of Kohistan through support to a Kohistan Wildlife Unit;

b) participatory forest management, including setting aside from commercial timber harvesting those forests of highest biodiversity value (`core zones'); sustainable use of remaining forests (`sustainable use zones'); conservation of biodiversity and sustainable use of non-timber forest products in all forests;

c) sustainable agricultural development for improved nutrition and income generation;

d) improved animal husbandry and rangeland management.

3) To foster the local economy and facilitate natural resource management through the rehabilitation and development of basic infrastructure.

4) To develop and sustain improvements in health, nutrition and sanitation, particularly among women and children.

NB: Flexibility is vital in order that the Project can: incorporate the developmental priorities to be evolved through participatory planning; have room for mediation and negotiation; maintain a sensitivity of response to changing local circumstances; and operate through a cumulative learning process. Thus, while this PC-1 defines clear objectives and clarifies the strategic approach and operational arrangements, details of activities, outputs, inputs, phasing and budgets must all be considered indicative. Provision for annual workplans, prepared by the Management Team and approved by the Project Steering Committee (see below), will allow details to be clarified and rigorous schedules set. Thus, necessary adjustments to project activities, inputs, outputs, and phasing, and the re-allocation of funds between budget-lines, will be admitted within the framework of the project objectives and the budgetary ceiling.

* Communities and independent monitors in agreement that natural resource degradation is halted, and that sustainable NRM will be fully operational within a reasonable time-frame; * Participatory planning, monitoring and evaluation of natural resources ongoing throughout Palas, with locally defined indicators of success and sustainability; * Local cash and subsistence incomes enhanced from community forest management, marketing of NTFPs, sustainable agriculture, improved livestock and rangeland management; * Package of incentives, instruments and mechanisms linking conservation and development in place; * The value of a single multi-disciplinary agency treating a watershed as an integral unit for NRM demonstrated * Kohistan Wildlife Unit established and extending participatory NRM to other areas of highest importance for biodiversity in District Kohistan; * Capacity of WWF-Pakistan and/or other environmental NGOs enhanced as support agencies for participatory NRM * Legal, policy and institutional framework for participatory NRM strengthened.

* Forests of highest importance for biodiversity (`core zones') set aside from commercial timber harvesting, remaining areas of forest (`sustainable use zones') managed for sustainable use, possibly including cologically and sylviculturally sustainable commercial timber harvesting, and zonation secured (with possible legal protected area designation); * Locally accountable organisations of forest owners in Palas strengthened and playing an effective role in forest planning and management, with conflicts between customary and statutory forest management resolved; * Flexible forest management plan prepared through participatory planning processes, within the framework of a broader NRM plan for Palas; plan approved by GoNWFP; * Introduction of community (or joint) forest management in progress, local owners being trained as forest workers/`petty contractors'; * Introduction of improved harvesting technologies (eg. valley-bottom roads and sky-line cranes) in progress where appropriate, timber wastage reduced, and local value-added processing options developed, NTFPs being used sustainably, with improved marketing; * Sale of royalties (timber felling rights) stopped, sold royalties `bought back'; * Benefits of harvesting equitably distributed among owners and rights of forest users (non-owners) secured.

* 12 suspension footbridges; * 100 km of bridle-ways and footpaths; * Numerous irrigation channels and other small infrastruture completed; * 15 km of valley-bottom road; * PCDP/CBO headquarters built in Palas; * Construction costs shared by community and systems for joint maintenance in place.

* Female Health Workers trained and Child Care Centres established; * Nutrition improved and dietary deficiencies reduced; * Incidence of disease and pest infestations reduced; * Provision of clean water supply in progress; * Hygiene improved, smoke-free chollahs introduced and home and hujra ventilation and sanitation improved; * Quarterly mobile clinics conducted and immunization increased; * Gender-disaggregated base-line data on health, nutrition and sanitation available.