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Source:
Banuri and Khan 2000
Evolving
National Political Context and Devolution
5.6
Pakistan is in the process of undergoing important political changes.
However, current environmental institutions and policies are still reflective
of past trends of strengthening the role of the central government, and
the future NCS will have to adapt to the new political realities arising
from the government strategy for devolution. This strategy is based on
the following overarching principles (details in Annex 9):
- The devolution
of power for the genuine empowerment of citizens.
- The decentralization
of administrative authority.
- The deconcentration
of professional functions.
- The diffusion of
power for checks and balances to preclude autocracy.
- The distribution
of resources to the provincial and local level.
5.7
The following key characteristics of where the process was as of mid-April
2000 are particularly relevant for the NCS-MTR:
-
The devolution
plan implies a very significant change in Pakistan’s administrative
structure and in the powers, roles and responsibilities of local governments,
and thus their needs for capacity development. The plan would reverse
the process of centralization that has been occurring in Pakistan
over the past several decades.
-
In most areas
other than the political structure, the plan is still a general outline
at the time of this writing. Details were yet to be worked out, and
in particular the implications of devolution for the provincial governments
(e.g. administrative structure, roles, staffing, etc.) were not specified,
which provides an opportunity for NCS stakeholders to influence the
final design and reinforce mainstreaming environmental concerns into
local plans.
-
Although a set
of functional responsibilities is suggested by the list of departments
in District governments, the actual sharing or responsibilities with
provincial governments was yet to be specified.
-
Public debate
on the plan has been called providing an opportunity for incorporating
NCS learning—and the NCS’s renewed vision—into the final devolution
plan.
Localization
Meeting Globalisation—Finding the Balance
5.8
The world is being shaped by the far-reaching consequences of globalisation,
philosophies of privatisation and of localization, the end of the Cold
War, and by the new universe of knowledge economies dominated by the Internet
and perhaps soon by biotechnology. It also is being influenced by the
continuing, unacceptable levels of poverty, regional conflicts, global
environmental change and degradation, demands for better governance and
adherence to international standards—whether for human rights, investment
or sustainably produced goods. There are few firm guideposts beyond recognition
that failure to cope with the many elements of global change makes a country,
communities and individuals vulnerable to new forms of poverty and isolation.
These factors pose new challenges and opportunities for environmental
stewardship and, more broadly, for strategies of sustainable development.
Indeed, sustainable development itself has become one of the emerging
worldwide trends.
5.9
Governments and the public sector are changing from owners and managers
of economic and infrastructure operations to enablers and regulators.
Their role in environmental management and the production and use of public
goods (such as clean air and water) and creating markets where they do
not exist (for example, ecological services related to biodiversity, watershed
protection and carbon sequestration) will be increasingly emphasized at
both national and local levels. Along with this change is coming decentralization
of political and economic decision making to sub-national levels. Decentralization
opens opportunities for broader institutional change, increased democratisation,
participation and greater voice of civil society in decision making—and
getting sustainable development attuned to exact local needs. Its desired
effects may be constrained by the lack of capacity to cope with an increasing
set of responsibilities and the existence of unequal power structures
at local levels.
5.10
The private sector has become a decisive factor in many spheres, influencing
environmental performance and long-term environmental sustainability.
International private resource flows to developing countries have contributed
to this process as these flows became more than five times greater than
ODA during the 1990s. Within the private sector (especially multinationals),
there is a strategic shift from the traditional reactive approach to environmental
protection (“do no harm”) toward the concept of sustainable
development and corporate citizenship (“do most good”). Likewise,
progressive investment bodies have moved from screening out bad practice,
to seeking companies with positive roles to play in environmental conservation
and social development. Environmental and social development issues are
an integral part of this new approach. Pakistan needs to take account
of this shift and benefit from it. Public-private sector
partnerships, particularly for large infrastructure projects, are
likely to increase in many countries, given the availability of private
capital and governments' need to reduce public expenditure.
5.11
Reflected in greater democratisation, the increasing role of civil
society, demand for transparency and access to information are growing
trends in the developing world, which means that environmental issues
find easier channels and mechanisms to reach decision makers and influence
economic and sectoral policies. The ease of information transfer globally
also means that a country or sector will be subject to much more rapid
and intense scrutiny about particular practices or problems. The demand
for international frameworks to help shape global public policy has increased
significantly. There are major consequences for national action on laws
and policy.
5.12
The globalisation of the world economies through trade, financial
markets and information flows, is complemented by negotiations on global
and regional environmental issues. These negotiations are leading to dramatic
re-valuation of key resources such as water and forests, and shifts in
the criteria for developing both renewable and non-renewable energy sources.
In the future trade, investment and international environmental policies
are likely to be come much more interlocked through a variety of voluntary
actions (mainly private sector) and binding agreements (public and private
sector).
5.13
Continued rapid urbanization is becoming a major driver of environmental
action. Urban population, which more than tripled throughout the world
in the past 50 years, is projected to double in the next 25 years, with
more than 90 percent of the growth occurring in developing countries.
In 1990, most people lived in rural areas, by 2030 the opposite will be
true. Parallel with the demographic change, the share of poor people who
live in urban areas is expected to rise. Environmental services, institutions,
and policies have been failing to keep pace with this rapid urbanization,
and today, 30 to 60 percent of the city dwellers in low-income countries
lack adequate sanitation and safe drinking water, and growing air pollution
causes severe health damage and economic hardship. These global figures
are certainly reflected in the development patterns of Pakistan.
5.14
Rapid progress in science and technology has created
opportunities for more efficient and cleaner production, safer and healthier
products and processes, the exploration of new resources, and easier access
to information and knowledge. This is an area where Pakistan is lagging
behind, especially in the advanced stages of creating sustainable technologies.
Conclusion
5.15
The twin pressures of addressing devolution needs and national economic
crisis, while responding to sustainable development approaches in the
context of very mixed international signals needs to be factored into
the NCS approach of the future. Certainly there are more tools available
to do so now, compared to a decade ago. This is especially true for the
private sector where there are opportunities to introduce cleaner technologies
as well as take advantage of growing green markets internationally, and
meeting basic water and sanitation needs domestically. But, of course,
opportunity can best be realized when there are the right enabling conditions
in place, and where awareness and capacity are being put in place. Throughout
this report we have noted the potential to build on the groundwork laid
by the NCS. It has been an important vehicle for introducing new trends
and thinking so that Pakistan can be proactive in the face of change and
adversity.
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