ABSTRACT
The geographical borders of Pakistan, from its northern frontiers soaring to average heights ranging between 7,000 m to over 20,000 m in the Karakorum and Hindu Kush mountain ranges to its southern coastal belt washed by the Arabian Sea, hold within its domain a fascinating variety of landscapes. These landscapes gave birth to cultures, lifestyles and livelihoods nurtured by natural resources and moulded through geographic features providing basis for human sustenance. These geophysical and natural resources have been a lifeline for centuries of human existence based on an understanding and respect for nature’s bounties and their balanced exploitation. In addition to being a base for different forms of evolved human habitation, some areas within the country also provide unique natural habitat for a number of endangered species on the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). This variety of landscapes and their associated cultures are often place specifi c – a consequential outcome of the interaction between people and nature. These bear witness to a two-way relationship of survival through sensibly balanced utilization of natural resources for livelihoods as well as human habitat. Economy, revenue sources, built environment, lifestyle and socio-cultural patterns originate in response to what natural settings offer for sustenance. The rituals of indigenous lifestyles that evolved over centuries employ the wisdom of generations, handed down as a legacy from forefathers to future generations.
