Sarhad Provincial Conservation Strategy - IUCN

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A S S E S S I N G P R O G R E S S T O W A R D S S U S T A I N A B I L I T Y
such a matrix is found in Table 18.2. In this example,
a chapter of Agenda 21 was scanned to determine
the indicators that are relevant to the issue of ecosystem
naturalness/conversion.
Aspects of the sample Agenda 21 chapter listed
in Table 18.2 may not have a useful indicator, or the
indicator may be applicable to a different indicative
issue. In any event, the task—once the eight matrices
are constructed and the data are collected—is to
combine the information first into an index for each
of the eight issues and then into a single qualitative
assessment of ecosystem and human condition. Then
the Barometer of Sustainability can be used.
It is this system that the NWFP will test. Further, it
will test the approach at the village or city level, in a
district conservation strategy (for example, Chitral),
and for the entire province. A more detailed description
of the model is available from IUCN.
It will be difficult to apply such a structured
approach at the village level, so a more flexible
approach is needed.
234 SARHAD PROVINCIAL CONSERVATION STRATEGY
People need to be involved in the assessment of
sustainability. This has already been partially
achieved through the first two rounds of public and
sectoral consultations. At these meetings there were
many suggestions about ‘indicators’—about how to
assess ecosystem and human well-being. Hence the
people will decide what to measure. This will happen
for the overall strategy, but it will be tested even more
completely in the district-level strategies, where people
are even more well versed in the quality of the
environment and their quality of life.
Concurrent critique or assessment is also one of
the most useful tools to use in programmes such as
these. The Participatory Rural Appraisal used during
the Kabul River Study provided ‘ground truthing’ for
the scientific objectives of the study. In this work, specialists
asked, “How has your life along the river
changed over the last 20 years?” rather than “How
bad is the water?” The technique is to ask for the
story first, then the list of problems will emerge from
the discussion. Participatory Rural Appraisal is emerg-
SAMPLE INDICATORS MATRIX TABLE
INDICATIVE ISSUE: ECOSYSTEM NATURALNESS/CONVERSION
AGENDA 21 INDICATORS
DRIVING FORCE STATE RESPONSE
Social
Chapter 7: Human Rate of growth & % of population
settlements (including urban population (%) in urban areas
traffic & transport)
Number of megacities Area & population
(10 million or more) of settlements
(sq km/no)
Environmental
Chapter 10: Planning & Land use
management of land resources
Chapter 14: Promoting sustainable Arable land (ha)
agriculture & rural development per capita
Chapter 11: Combating deforestation Deforestation rate Forest area (sq km) Reforestation
(sq km/annum) rate (sq km/annum)
Protected forest
area as % of total
land area
1 8 . 2