Sarhad Provincial Conservation Strategy - IUCN

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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 ISSUES BOX 4.4
Principal Issues
■ Environmental awareness & education
■ Reforestation & afforestation
■ Environmental education
■ Physical improvement of the area
■ Agricultural/mineral/economic development
■ Coordinated/integrated approach
■ Community/women’s involvement
■ Alternate fuel sources
■ NGO/CBO involvement
■ Wildlife conservation
■ Population planning & control
Other Issues
■ Formation/amendment/enforcement of law
■ Soil conservation/irrigation
■ Conservation and preservation of cultural heritage
■ Urban building codes & byelaws
■ Clean drinking water
■ Fertilizer/pesticide use
■ Development resources & decentralization
■ Impact of Afghan refugees on resources
■ Training of NGOs/CBOs
■ Range land management
■ Energy conservation
■ SPCS pilot project
pate from the villages urged the SPCS Unit to hold
similar consultations in villages if a true perspective on
rural environmental problems was to be obtained.
Arranging village-level public consultations in all
villages of the province was beyond the capacity of
the SPCS Unit. It was decided that one village from
each tehsil (administrative unit) in a district would
be selected to give fair geographic coverage to all
parts of the province. These consultations were
arranged with the support of the community development
projects and the networks of village organizations
in some parts of the province. In others,
such as Hazara and southern districts of Bannu,
Lakki, D.I. Khan and Tank, the services of two
NGOs (Sungi in Hazara and the Human Resource
Management and Development Centre, HRMDC, in
southern districts) were used. These consultations
were organized in an informal atmosphere in
34 SARHAD PROVINCIAL CONSERVATION STRATEGY
places most convenient for the village people, so
that they could freely express their views. The invited
participants included members of village organizations,
village elders, village activists, communitybased
organizations (CBOs), and interested individuals
from the village. The meetings were attended
by men because of the local culture. In the southern
districts, however, with the support of HRMDC, led
by a women, five separate women consultations
were also arranged. This was possible because the
HRMDC team included a few women as well.
The consultations would begin with a briefing to
the participants about the SPCS, followed by invitations
for suggestions, views, and comments. The proceedings
of each consultation were prepared verbatim.
The principal issues raised in most cases were
poverty alleviation, provision of clean drinking water,
drainage, sanitation, solid waste collection and disposal,
recreational facilities, better means of communication,
matters related to agricultural development,
forest conservation, employment generation, skill
training at local level, enhancing educational facilities,
and frustrations with the inability of public services
to deliver. A summary of the major issues raised
in village meetings is given in Box 4.5.
4 . 5 . 4
S e c t o r-specific Consultations
Besides public consultations at district and village level,
sector-specific meetings were also held. Key government
departments, academia, trade and labour unions,
media, and the Sarhad Chambers of Commerce and
Industries, and Agriculture were involved. Sector-specific
meetings are listed in Annexure 3.
4 . 5 . 5
The Response to Public Consultations
More than 3,000 people participated in the districtand
village-level consultations, and the response of the
public, partner organizations, Government departments,
NGOs, CBOs, and the private sector was very
encouraging. They not only participated but also
assisted in organizing the meetings. Most participants
read the material supplied to them before the consulta-