This is a story about how development assistance can conserve biodiversity and improve the lives of rural people. It documents changes in the awareness and capacity of the people of the rugged mountain terrain of Northern Pakistan, and how their enhanced livelihood security has contributed to conservation of biodiversity of the region. Two successive projects, designed with the assistance of the author, provide a basis for documenting these changes over 14 years. Both projects were funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) through the United Nations Development Programme, and implemented by the Pakistan office of The World Conservation Union (IUCN) - in partnership with government and local non-government organisations. While the changes that have taken place are not exclusively the result of these investments, it is clear that people have changed their views about their environment and the importance natural resources play in their development.
