Ziarat Resources
Ziarat district’s total geographical area is 95,362 hectares out of which 65,976 hectares are classified as "area reported". Different sources gave different figures for the geographical area of Ziarat district (ranging from 953 hectares to 1,902 ha), although the combined total for Ziarat district and Sibi district are the same for these sources. Ziarat used to be a part of Sibi district. In the table below the figures given in the Agriculture Statistics of Balochistan are used. According to the statistics. The figure mentioned in the outline (page iii) 1,489 sq. kms, is the figure of the Board of Revenue. Arable land constitutes 13% of the geographical area and 18% of the "reported area".
Land use 1994-95 |
Area (Ha.) |
% of total district area |
|
| Total Geographical Area | 95,362 |
100.00 |
|
| Area not Reported | 29,386 |
30.82 |
|
| Area Reported | 65,976 |
69.18 |
|
| - Area not available for cultivation | 2,500 |
2.62 |
|
| - Area under forest | 51,335 |
53.83 |
|
| - Area under permanent pasture | -- |
-- |
|
| - Area under water logging and salinity | -- |
-- |
|
| - Cultivable waste | 76 |
0.08 |
|
| - Arable land | 12,065 |
12.65 |
|
| Potential area available for cultivation | 12,141 |
12.73 |
|
| Source: | Agricultural Statistics 1994-95 | ||
The major development issues are to protect forests and to make increasing use of the arable land for production.
The district is blessed with a good land resource base in qualitative and quantitative terms. Some 54 percent of its total geographical area is under forests. The arable land is only 12 percent of the geographical area, and is under increasing population pressure. The land is very fertile and suitable for high value horticultural crops on account of which its value productivity is high. The potentials for expansion in arable land are however almost non-existent. The district's population is on the other hand, increasing continuously. Considerable construction activity is also going on and is expected to accelerate in future. Therefore, the land to man ratio is getting worse with time and the hazards to forests are also increasing fast.