By : Sumera Rajpoot
QUETTA: The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations organised a five-day training workshop on “Women’s Economic Empowerment through Rangeland Management” in Quetta, aimed at strengthening women’s role in sustainable natural resource management and climate-resilient livelihoods.
The workshop, held from May 11 to 15 at Sardar Bahadur Khan Women University under the EU-funded Revival of Balochistan Water Resources Programme (RBWRP), was organised in connection with the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists 2026 and the International Year of Women Farmers.
It brought together officials from provincial line departments, academia, NGOs, women leaders, environmental stakeholders, and students to discuss sustainable rangeland management, biodiversity conservation, water resource protection and green economy development.
Speaking at the opening session, Secretary Women Development Department Balochistan Saira Atta appreciated FAO’s initiatives for women-centred livelihood programmes and encouraged participants to benefit from government entrepreneurship schemes.
FAO Balochistan Head of Office Waleed Mahdi stressed the need for integrated natural resource management, saying water conservation and efficient use were essential for restoring degraded rangelands and ensuring resilient rural livelihoods.
He said healthy rangelands were directly linked to livestock productivity and food security, adding that women played a central role in natural resource protection and climate resilience in Balochistan.
Forest and Wildlife Department Additional Secretary Munir Ahmad highlighted the importance of women’s participation in biodiversity conservation and noted the economic potential of medicinal plants and indigenous ecological knowledge.
FAO Rangeland Management Specialist Dr Muhammad Essa Jan said rangelands constitute more than 90 per cent of Balochistan’s land area and provide over 80pc of livestock forage requirements in the province.
He stressed that sustainable rangeland management requires women’s participation, integration of indigenous knowledge, and adoption of scientific practices such as reseeding, rotational grazing and landscape restoration.
The workshop included indoor technical sessions as well as field visits to the Institute for Development Studies and Practices (IDSP), grazing lands, Karkhasa State Forest and a medicinal plant garden, where participants were briefed on water conservation, biodiversity protection and eco-tourism potential.
Participants also engaged in sessions on nursery development, medicinal plant value chains, women-led cooperatives, leadership skills and climate-smart livelihood approaches, along with FAO e-learning orientation.
At the closing ceremony, speakers including FAO officials and academic representatives reaffirmed the importance of women’s empowerment in environmental sustainability and rangeland restoration, and called for wider awareness activities across Balochistan under the global observances.
The workshop concluded with certificate distribution and a commitment by participants to promote sustainable rangeland management and women-led green economic initiatives in their communities.
