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From Rio to Johannesburg: Pakistan's response to objectives of Agenda-21
We have learned that any plan for sustainable development needs to ensure improving resource efficiency
Shafqat Munir
With only a week in kicking off the world's most important event of the year, which would have direct bearing on the lives of the people and environments across the globe, countries and the UN systems, particularly the UNDP, are preparing to come up with concrete steps and proposals to achieve the desired goal of sustainable human development. Sustainable development, the main concern of the Summit, calls for improving the quality of life for all the world's people without increasing the use of our natural resources beyond the earth's carrying capacity.
The member countries have almost finalised their assessment reports regarding implementation on Agenda 21, which is a comprehensive plan of action to be taken globally, nationally and locally by organisations of the UN system, governments, and major groups in every area in which human impacts on the environment. Agenda 21, the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, and the Statement of principles for the Sustainable Management of Forests were adopted by more than 178 governments at the UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) held in Rio de Janerio, Brazil, during June 3-14 1992.
Water conservation
Water conservation has been the highest priority in the context of resource conservation in Pakistan. It has assumed critical dimensions in the wake of recent periods of prolonged droughts. Pakistan has developed and implemented water management programmes, which focus on efficient use of water and its conservation. These programmes include lining of water channels and canals, water management, construction of check and small water storage dams and use of saline water for agricultural purposes. To address water scarcity, an effective balance must be made between developing new resources and managing competing demands. The storage capacity of our existing reservoirs is reducing annually due to siltation. Furthermore, no additional storage has been constructed in Pakistan since 1976 due to inter-provincial controversies.
Legislation
Pakistan has been giving importance to environment and development issues by providing legal cover to the actions that are taken in this regard. The Pakistan Environmental Protection Act was enacted on 6 December 1997 to protect, conserve, rehabilitate and improve environment. It also aims at prevention and control of pollution, and promotion of sustainable development. The Act particularly focuses on implementation of Council's policies, delegation of powers to government agencies, enforcement of National Environmental Quality Standards, introduction of EIA/IEE review procedures/system, regulatory regime for hazardous substances/wastes, resource generation through establishment of Provincial Sustainable Development Fund and levy of Pollution Charge and providing appellant forum for environmental cases.
The following series of actions have been taken for the legislations process:
Drafting and notifying rules and regulations under section 31 and 33
The following rules and regulations have so far been finalised in consultation with stakeholders:
* National Environmental Quality Standards (Self-monitoring and Reporting by Industries) Rules, 2001
* Environmental Samples Rules, 2001
* Provincial Sustainable Development Fund (Procedure) Rules, 2001
* Provincial Sustainable Development Fund (Utilisation) Rules, 2001
* Pollution Charge for Industry (Calculation and Collection )Rules, 2001
* Composition of Offences and Payment of Administrative Penalty Rules, 2000
* Hazardous Substances Rules, 2000
* National Environmental Quality Standards (Environmental Laboratories Certification) Regulations, 2000
* Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Review of IEE/EIA Regulations, 2000)
UN Framework Convention on Climate Change
Pakistan has been responsive to international efforts to protect environment and improve people's lives. On June 13, 1992, it became one of the first signatories to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and thereafter ratified it on June 1, 1994. Pakistan has identified specific mitigation projects in different sectors of the economy, some of which have subsequently received, or are under consideration for, GEF funding. In 1998, Pakistan also completed a national case study on Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation sponsored by UNEP. Two major projects funded under GEF Operational Programmes on Climate Change are currently being implemented in the country: Fuel Efficiency in Road Transport Sector (PAK92/G31) and Commercialisation of Wind Power Potential in Pakistan (PAK97/G42).
Combating desertification and drought
Pakistan became a signatory to the UNCCD on October 15, 1994 and ratified it on February 24, 1997. At the heart of the Convention was the commitment of affected countries to prepare and implement national action programmes (Articles 9 and 10) and regional and sub-regional action programmes (Article 11). Accordingly, the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC), with the financial and technical assistance of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), developed a draft of its National Action Programme (NAP), which is currently under review.
A task force for creating the National Desertification Fund (NDF) has also been constituted. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has expressed willingness to provide funding for this facility. Pakistan submitted a National Report on the implementation of the UNCCD in April 2000, as required by the Convention.
Following technologies were developed and used successfully to combat desertification:
* Promoting efficiency in the use and distribution of water has been achieved to some extent through the On-Farm Water Management (OFWM) Programme, which has been operating in Pakistan since 1976. So far, 21,000 watercourses have been brought under OFWM; another 86,000 remain to be attended to. A major achievement of the OFWM Programme is that it has worked through Water Users' Associations (WUAs) in an attempt to fully involve the farming community in the construction, renovation, and post-improvement maintenance of watercourses. Other water management initiatives have included the construction of water storage tanks in mountainous regions, hydra ram water lifting devices, and sprinkler irrigation.
* The Mangla Watershed Management Project by the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) built 2,500 silt traps and 350,000 masonry check dams, and planted 5% of the watershed with grasses and long-rooted trees, resulting in the reduction of siltation from 30 to 7 tons per acre foot of run-off in the Kanshi basin. The project prolonged the life of the Mangla dam to 70 years.
* Developed by PARC in collaboration with the International Center for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), the Sloping Agricultural Land Technology (SALT) for the Himalayan foothills of Pakistan was developed. This technology was aimed at preserving the soil and its fertility.
Conservation of biological diversity (CBD)
Pakistan became a signatory to the CBD in 1992. Following the Convention's ratification by its national cabinet in 1994, it automatically assumed the globally shared responsibility of employing constructive measures towards the protection and preservation of habitats, species, and genes. Since then, Pakistan's commitment to the cause of protecting the diversity of its natural environment has been reflected in the amplified importance that it has allocated to both environmental and wildlife preservation issues.
In order to renew governmental commitment to the cause, and thereby address the more specific problems affecting bio-diversity in Pakistan, the Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP, 1999) was approved by the Pakistan Environmental Protection Council (PEPC) to "promote the conservation and sustainable use of Pakistan's bio-diversity, and the equitable sharing of benefits arising there from, for the well-being and security of the nation." Under funding received from the UNDP and the Global Environmental Facility (GEF), the BAP was Pakistan's first attempt to meet the planning requirements of the Convention.
National Environment Action Plan
The Advisory Group to the Ministry of Environment and Local Government proposed this action plan. It focuses on identification of pressing environmental issues and immediate remedial actions to ameliorate those issues. The action plan also aims to identify institutional mechanisms for such remedial actions. The core areas that have been identified are:
* Clean air programme
* Clean water programme
* Programme for disposal of solid wastes.
* Ecosystem management programme
The Action Plan has been approved by the Pakistan Environment Protection Council and is currently under implementation phase through NEAP Support Programme (NEAP-SP) funded by UNDP. Towards this aim, NEAP-SP proposes a wide range of technical, institutional, regulatory, social and economic interventions in terms of different projects grouped under the following six major sub-programmes:
* Policy consideration and environmental governance
* Pollution control
* Ecosystems management and natural resource conservation
* Energy conservation and renewables
* Dryland management and water conservation
* Grassroots initiatives
These sub-programmes, in addition to pursuing their technical objects, will strengthen the institutional and technical capacities of relevant government institutions for participating in the international conventions/forums and contribute to the implementation of the conventions/treaties on natural resources protection and environmental management. Moreover, the proposed Programme will promote equal participation of women in project level activities.
Interim Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper
The GoP has developed a draft poverty reduction strategy, which is based on three key elements:
* Macro-economic policies that promote growth, especially in labour-intensive activities.
* Increase and restructuring of public expenditure.
* Poverty reduction through micro-credit and skills improvement, in conjunction with grass roots organisations such as local councils, NGOs, CBOs and village organisations.
Some civil society groups have raised voice on the IPRSP. Detailed activities in the IPRSP have been outlined in the following areas: rural poverty alleviation and environmental rehabilitation, urban environmental management, improvement of social indicators, sustainable growth and environment, gender integration, structural adjustments, process and progress monitoring, mechanisms and governance and institutional strengthening.
Forest Sector Master Plan
GoP prepared this long-term Plan for the development of forestry sector over a period of 25 years from 1993-2018. The Plan reviewed in detail the state of Pakistan's forestry and suggested a number of approaches, policies, strategies and programmes to meet wood demand, improve environment and promote social and economic well being of rural communities. It also identified the social, economic and physical causes of forest depletion in the country, and proposed five areas of development programmes, namely; Soil Conservation and Watershed Management, Forest Management, Wood Production and Industrial Development, Ecosystem and Biodiversity and Provincial and Federal Institutional Strengthening. The programmes were presented as investment profiles, giving objectives, scope, strategies, costs and benefits.
The FSMP, highlighting the forestry issues at national and provincial levels, stipulates investment of Rs48bn during the next 25 years with resultant increase in forestry resource from the existing 5% to 10%. Based on the recommendations of this plan, World Bank prepared an investment programme of $25m for forestry development in Punjab. Similarly, the ADB prepared an investment programme of $42m for forest sector development in NWFP with $1.5m as federal component for monitoring and updating the FSMP.
Provincial and district conservation strategies
The National Conservation Strategy (NCS) recommended that the detailed debate, planning and implementation of NCS recommendations at provincial levels should be through participatory provincial strategies. However, the hope of having in place a second tier of conservation strategies covering all provinces and areas of Pakistan has not been realised fully to date. The two provinces Sindh and Punjab where the concept has so far failed to catch hold have been the largest in terms of population, cities and administrative complexity.
By far the most advanced model is the SPCS in the NWFP, prepared in 1996 and now well into its implementation. The Balochistan Conservation Strategy is close to the implementation stage. It will face major challenges since it is very ambitious, complex and will operate within a highly traditional setting facing huge development challenges. The proposed conservation strategy for the Northern Areas is at an earlier stage, with extensive consultations on approach still underway. It appears to have considerable cross-sectoral support, although perhaps lacking in high-level bureaucratic interest. Initial dialogue is taking place in AJK.
Concrete 18 outcomes of the above strategies are:
* Tarbela Watershed Management Project
* Rachna Doab Afforestation Project
* Environmental Rehabilitation In NWFP And Punjab Project
* Mountain Area Conservancy Project
* Protected Areas Management Project (Pamp)
* Pakistan Wetlands Project
* Fuel Efficiency In Road Transport Sector Project (Ferts)
* ADB Assisted Rural Access Roads Construction Project
* Japanese Assisted Rural Roads Construction Project (Rrcp)
* Environmental Technology Programme for Industry (ETPI)
* Solid Waste Management and Environment Enhancement Project (SWEEP)
* SDPI: Opening Policy Dialogue Space
* National Environment Quality Standards
* Sindh: Orangi Welfare Project (Trust)
* Conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in Torghar, Killa Saifullah District
* Mountain Areas Conservancy Project
* Kasur tanneries project
* Round Tables and Focal Points
* The Future National Strategy for Sustainable Development (NSSD)
The future National Strategy for Sustainable Development is being formulated to provide for an enabling framework and resource mobilisation for sustainable development. The strategy will emphasis on poverty reduction and economic development in addition to environmental sustainability. It will draw upon the existing NCS and provincial experience with local level planning and projects for application to the Government's devolution plans, and for application in future activities under the NSSD and Provincial strategies. The donor commitment to NSSD is required to be lined up.
Pakistan holds a ten-year perspective plan for sustainable development of the country. However, we have learned that any plan for sustainable development needs to ensure improving resource efficiency in order to promote social and economic development within the carrying capacity of ecosystems, while reducing resource degradation.
Indicators for measuring progress, using environmental impact assessment procedures, would include adoption of policies aimed at promoting sustainable patterns of production and consumption, applying the polluter-pays principle, with due regard to the public interest and international trade and environment obligations. In addition, production policies would be developed with a life-cycle approach to improve the services provided while reducing environmental and health impacts. This would be complimented through comprehensive awareness raising programmes on the importance of sustainable production and consumption patterns, through education, public and consumer information, advertising and other media, taking into account local and national cultural values.
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