Swat District, which was absorbed into Pakistan in 1969, mainly comprises the valley of River Swat. From the district capital of Saidu Sharif at 990 m asl, it rises up to 5900 m asl (Mount Falaksair).
It was here where the Group conducted first research projects on forestry and forest use in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Whereas the main valley is more or less devoid of dense forests, forest still exists in the numerous, often hardly accessible side-valleys.
Recent research on Swat includes Sultan-i-Rome's publications on the historical context of forestry in Swat.
Click on the above map to get more information on the other research sites.