Broghil Valley National Park


Broghil Valley National Park is located in the extreme northern reaches of the Upper Chitral District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, close to the Afghan-Pakistan border. It lies around the Mountains of Central Asia biodiversity hotspot.

Geography

Broghil Valley National Park abbreviated as BVNP, lies from the main city of Chitral and is the northernmost valley within the Upper Chitral district. Broghil Valley borders the Gilgit Baltistan on the Afghan Wakhan corridor, which stretches between Tajikistan and Pakistan.
The area is mostly mountainous. The elevation of the national park ranges from to above the sea level. The terrain is undulating with mountains, grassy plains, and valleys. It includes almost 3,400 ha of peatlands and lakes. The valley features around 30 freshwater lakes and is surrounded by glaciers and mountains.

Tourism

The remote location of the Broghil Valley makes it a hard-to-reach the tourist destination. Many communities in Broghil lack access to basic facilities and services. The annual Broghil Festival attracts visitors, however it lacks basic road and hospitality infrastructure. Attendees enjoy attractions and activities such as yak polo and exhibitions of woolen handicrafts, accompanied by traditional food and music. However, a recently constructed road by Aga Khan Rural Support Programme, connects Kishmanja village of the park to other villages such as Pechus and Vedin Khot and other areas.

Demographics

People inhabiting the regions of the valley belong to Wakhi, Kyrgyz and Sarikoli ethnicities.

Flora and Fauna

Spread across the grassy plains are scrubs and common plants include Webb's rose, Artemisia brevifolia, and Artemisia maritima. The forests are mainly dominated by Juniperus species and Betula. 23 mammals, 120 birds, 3 reptiles, and 1 amphibian species have been confirmed.

Mammals

  • Siberian ibex, C.s.sakeen
  • Bharal, P.n.nayaur
  • Marco Polo sheep, O.a.polii
  • Himalayan musk deer, M.leucogaster
  • Persian leopard, P.p.saxicolor
  • Snow leopard, P.uncia
  • Turkestan lynx, L.l.isabellinus
  • Leopard cat, P.b.bengalensis
  • Himalayan wolf, C.l.chanco
  • Golden jackal, C.a.indica
  • Red fox, V.v.montana
  • Himalayan brown bear, U.t.isabellinus
  • Long-tailed marmot, M.c.aurea
  • Pale gray shrew, ''C.pergisea''

    Himalayan birds

  • Chukar partridge, Alectoris chukar
  • Snow partridge, Lerwalerwa
  • Himalayan snowcock, Tetrogallus himalayanus
  • Golden eagle, Aquila chrysaetos daphanea
  • Bearded vulture, Gypaetus barbatus
  • Snow pigeon, ''Columba leuconota''

    Herpeto-fauna

  • Chitral gecko, Cyrtodactylus walli
  • Plump banded gecko, Cyrtodactylus dattanensis
  • Caucasian agama, Paralaudakia caucasia
  • Baltistan toad, ''Bufo latastii''