Sarhad Provincial Conservation Strategy - IUCN

4
4.5
THE PUBLIC CONSULTATION
PROCESS OF THE SPCS
4.5.1
Significance & Importance
of Public Consultations
Achieving sustainable use of our resources depends on
people's understanding, acceptance, and support of
conservation principles and policies. Greater public
involvement in resource issues also helps planners formulate
policies for better management and protection
of resources.
Conservation plans and policies can be best understood,
accepted, and supported by the general public
if people have been involved in the development of
these policies from the initiation through to the final
stages. The SPCS fully acknowledged the significance
of a public involvement process and followed it from
the conceptual stage. The pre-SPCS workshop idea in
January 1992 was the beginning followed by public
consultations at the district, village and sectoral levels.
The locations of public consultation are indicated on
the map in Figure 4.2. The specific objectives of the
public consultation are given in Box 4.3.
4 . 5 . 2
T O W A R D S T H E S A R H A D P R O V I N C I A L C O N S E R V A T I O N S T R A T E G Y
District-level Public Consultations
Holding public consultation in each of the 21 districts
of the province required additional support; an IUCN
OBJECTIVES OF THE PUBLIC BOX
CONSULTATION PROCESS
32 SARHAD PROVINCIAL CONSERVATION STRATEGY
4.3
■ To create general awareness among partners, interested
parties and the general public about the environment
and resource conservation issues.
■ To cultivate ownership of the SPCS among the stakeh
o l d e r s .
■ To demonstrate the government’s resolve to open policy
making to wider public debate.
■ To seek and harness public input in the SPCS development
process so that it truly reflects peoples’ needs
and aspirations with regard to the environment.
NGO member (Sungi) and a private consultancy firm
(IDEAS) were contracted for the purpose.
The Government of NWFP, through the district
administration, extended their full support for
organizing these consultations. Most meetings were
convened by the Deputy Commissioners and were
attended by them or their representatives, lending
greater credibility to the process in terms of
Government support. The meetings were mostly
arranged at local council halls, for the convenience of
the general public. Invitations were sent to each potential
participant, including local heads of Government
agencies, local councils, active local NGOs, pressure
groups, donor-assisted projects, local chambers of
trade and industries, transport and labour unions, various
local associations, and other concerned and interested
groups and individuals.
The process of consultation started with a briefing
in the local language with the help of slides by the
SPCS team, followed by an open expression session
by the participants. Initially, the proceedings of the
consultations were prepared on the basis of issues
raised. Later, it was decided to record the proceedings
verbatim in order to retain the true flavour of the
d e b a t e .
A number of issues were raised by participants. In
many cases, people showed great knowledge of local
environmental problems. Environmental awareness,
introducing environment in the formal education system,
the need for a participatory approach to development,
conservation, reforestation, provision of basic
facilities like sewerage, solid waste collection and disposal,
clean drinking water, open spaces, and measures
to generate employment were among the principal
issues frequently raised in the meetings. A list of the
issues raised in the consultations is given in Box 4.4.
4 . 5 . 3
Village-level Public Consultations
Village-level public consultation was not a part of the
original plan. The need for it emerged during the district
consultation, where it was argued that people
from the villages were rarely able to participate due to
lack of communication and the cost involved to travel
to district headquarters. Those few who did partici-