Poonch River Mahaseer National Park
| Poonch River Mahaseer National Park | |
|---|---|
Interactive map of Poonch River Mahaseer National Park | |
| Location | Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan (districts: Kotli, Mirpur, Poonch) |
| Coordinates | 33°33′19″N 73°54′58″E / 33.55528°N 73.91611°E |
| Area | 22.5 km2 (8.7 sq mi) |
| Established | 2010 |
| Governing body | Azad Jammu & Kashmir Department of Wildlife and Fisheries |
Poonch River Mahaseer National Park (PRMNP) is an aquatic national park notified in 2010 along the course of the Poonch River and selected tributaries within Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Pakistan. It is widely cited as Pakistan’s first riverine/aquatic protected area, established primarily for the conservation of the golden mahseer (Tor putitora) and associated freshwater biodiversity.[1]
History and legal status
According to AJK government notifications cited in development-finance documentation, the Poonch River and its tributaries were designated as the River Poonch Mahaseer National Park by the AJK Wildlife & Fisheries Department on 15 December 2010 (Ref. SF/AV 11358-7/2010).[2][3]
Geography
The park follows the Poonch River corridor from reaches near the Line of Control downstream to the Mangla Reservoir, spanning parts of Kotli, Poonch and Mirpur. Tributaries (nullahs) such as Ban, Rangar, Nehl and Hajeera function as breeding and nursery grounds for cyprinids and other native fishes.[4]
Area
Global protected-area databases list PRMNP with a reported area of 22.5 km² (WDPA ID 555784205), recorded as a terrestrial and inland waters protected area in Pakistan.[5] The legal notification covers the river and its beds, so the ecologically managed corridor discussed in assessments is functionally larger than a standard polygon footprint.[6]
Biodiversity
Basin-level assessments report at least 37 fish species in the river, including taxa of conservation or commercial importance. The system is described as a last refuge for Tor putitora in Pakistan, with active breeding in upper and middle reaches.[7] Independent studies on the Poonch have examined water quality and metal profiles in relation to mahseer and other freshwater fauna.[8]
Management and use
The park is administered by the AJK Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Since 2014, the department has required that hydropower schemes in the corridor demonstrate a measurable net gain for park biodiversity; the Gulpur Hydropower Project was required to implement a Biodiversity Action Plan as a precedent within PRMNP.[9] Civil-society partners such as the Himalayan Wildlife Foundation and WWF-Pakistan have supported baseline surveys and public awareness for mahseer conservation in the park corridor.[10]
Significance
PRMNP is frequently cited as Pakistan’s first aquatic protected area and as a model for river-corridor conservation centred on an endangered flagship fish.[11][12]
See also
References
- ^ "AJK's Poonch River is now 'Mahasheer National Park'". Dawn. 17 December 2010. Retrieved 10 October 2025.
- ^ "Cumulative Impact Assessment: Gulpur Hydropower Project – Jhelum–Poonch Basin" (PDF). International Finance Corporation. 1 November 2014. pp. 24, 29, 63–67. Retrieved 10 October 2025.
- ^ "Environmental and Social documents referencing PRMNP" (PDF). World Bank Group. 4 August 2017. p. 97. Retrieved 10 October 2025.
- ^ "Cumulative Impact Assessment: Gulpur Hydropower Project – Jhelum–Poonch Basin" (PDF). International Finance Corporation. 1 November 2014. pp. 23–24. Retrieved 10 October 2025.
- ^ "Poonch River Masheer — Protected Planet profile (WDPA 555784205)". UNEP-WCMC, Protected Planet. 2025. Retrieved 10 October 2025.
- ^ "Cumulative Impact Assessment: Gulpur Hydropower Project – Jhelum–Poonch Basin" (PDF). International Finance Corporation. 1 November 2014. pp. 23–24, 29. Retrieved 10 October 2025.
- ^ "Cumulative Impact Assessment: Gulpur Hydropower Project – Jhelum–Poonch Basin" (PDF). International Finance Corporation. 1 November 2014. pp. 22–24. Retrieved 10 October 2025.
- ^ Aziz, S. (2021). "Profiling of toxic metals from fish (Tor putitora), water and sediments of River Poonch". Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences. 28 (9): 5207–5215. doi:10.1016/j.sjbs.2021.04.034. PMC 8324926. PMID 33911964.
- ^ "Cumulative Impact Assessment: Gulpur Hydropower Project – Jhelum–Poonch Basin" (PDF). International Finance Corporation. 1 November 2014. pp. 63–67. Retrieved 10 October 2025.
- ^ "Poonch River Mahseer National Park". Himalayan Wildlife Foundation. Retrieved 10 October 2025.
- ^ "Earthly Matters: Saving the mighty Mahasheer". Dawn. 16 October 2016. Retrieved 10 October 2025.
- ^ "AJK's Poonch River is now 'Mahasheer National Park'". Dawn. 17 December 2010. Retrieved 10 October 2025.