Executive Summary

This report is the culmination of a one-year effort to undertake a Mid-term Review (MTR) of the achievements, impacts and prospects of Pakistan’s National Conservation Strategy (NCS) since the beginning of its implementation in 1992. The report has been prepared by an independent review team, based on materials developed through an intensive process coordinated by a Government of Pakistan appointed MTR Coordinator. This evidence comprised studies and the results of consultative meetings throughout Pakistan involving government, civil society, the private sector and international donor agencies. These studies are available as separate reports.
 

Irrespective of the considerable methodological challenges attending the task of reviewing such a wide-ranging initiative as the NCS, which has 14 major objectives and some 68 programs, plus related local initiatives including provincial conservation strategies, the authors of this report are confident of the conclusions and recommendations. These results are directed to each of the major sectors participating in the implementation of the NCS—federal, provincial and local governments, civil society organizations including major conservation organizations such as IUCN-Pakistan, and private sector bodies.

The main conclusions can be summarized as follows:

• Achievements under the NCS have been primarily awareness raising and institution building rather than actual improvements to environment and natural resources.

• The NCS is not operating adequately as a national sustainable development strategy.

• The presence of the NCS has strengthened civil society institutions and their influence.

• NCS implementation capacity requires much improvement.

• The catalytic power of the NCS continues but needs reinvigorating and refocusing through development of an NCS-2.

These conclusions lead to six main recommendations briefly described here and considered in more detail in Chapter 7 of the report.
 
RECOMMENDATION 1. Ensure that the NCS is fully owned by government, the key partners and stakeholders, and by building on the concerns and needs of the people of Pakistan.

Revitalize and recommit to the NCS at the highest levels of the federal government with a focused, strategic approach that can lead to demonstrable environmental improvements in the coming year.

Ensure that overall planning for devolution and for NCS district-level initiatives proceed together, with recognition of the need to incorporate a sustainable development approach within local level governance.

Key NCS stakeholders should take stock of what they have individually and collectively accomplished under NCS and engage in a joint process to redefine and strengthen strategies that work.

Revitalize and expand strategies for individual and community-level

awareness-building about NCS objectives.

• Focus much greater attention on incorporating the views and needs of poor people and communities, and on their direct participation in sustainable development goal setting and implementation.

• Establish a multi-stakeholder forum and strengthen partnerships among government, civil society, and the private sector.

• 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 NCS and provincial conservation strategies. This bottom-up approach needs to be complemented by stronger abilities to deal with truly national and international issues.

• Refocus NCS processes towards a demand-driven approach, with appropriate changes in priorities and how they are set, and with acceptance of adaptive management.

• Establish a transition team to design a revised National Conservation Strategy for sustainable development, reporting to the Chief Executive and Cabinet no more than 10 to 12 months after its establishment.

• Gender integration should be given a much more prominent role within all NCS activities, with achievable objectives that can be monitored and reported on. While this is a matter that should be acted upon within activities already underway or planned under the NCS and other strategies, it is vitally important that gender integration be featured within NCS-2.

• Revamp the "macrostructure" for NCS administration and management to improve policy, planning and implementation capacity, to increase effectiveness in working with the provinces and special areas, and to facilitate activities not directly under the control of government.

• Ensure that reforms planned for the civil service are well-instituted within the NCS management system, with particular attention to capacity development.

• An effective framework for monitoring, reporting and evaluation (MRE) of the NCS should be put in place using the results of the MTR as a starting point. It should report to a Cabinet Committee, and be supported by a NCS steering committee in the MELGRD, comprising key stakeholders, with PEPA acting as its Secretariat since the NCS Unit has failed to perform this function.

• Clarify rights, responsibilities, relationships and accountability for results on the part of each agency charged with implementing components of the NCS.

• Expand internal resource mobilization in support of the NCS and provincial conservation strategy initiatives.

• Develop innovative sources for funding and investment in environment and sustainable development. These would have the added benefit of acting as economic incentives for sustainable development by ‘green business’ and by progressive NGO and community organizations.

• The Government of Pakistan should take the lead in establishing a donor coordination forum for the NCS, covering the existing and proposed range of initiatives in environment, natural resource management, and sustainable development, and, as appropriate, linkages of these areas to other key donor themes, especially those for health and social action.

• Donors should seek ways of assisting both government and non-government implementers of the NCS as they develop a demand-driven approach for NCS-2.

Comments and suggestions may be sent to MELGRD (NCS Unit) in the Government of Pakistan, or to the Head of the Islamabad Office of IUCN-Pakistan, which provided logistical support for the ERT

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 

The Pakistan National Conservation Strategy Mid-term Review (NCS-MTR) exercise has been primarily funded by CIDA. Through its PEP funding, CIDAsupported the overall operational costs of the NCS MTR, four studies, and participation of the external review team leader Dr. Arthur J. Hanson, as well as Dr. Ghulam. M. Samdani. The participation of Dr. Stephen Bass at the design stage was supported by the Department for International Development UK (DFID). The World Bank funded the Environmental Strategy Background Report prepared by SDPI. Dr. Aziz Bouzaher from the World Bank, Washington is a member of the external review team. The Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC) has funded the participation of Dr. Stephen Bass in the external review mission. UNDP has supported studies on institutional development and resourcing for NCS implementation. All are thanked for their support and cooperation. CIDA is also thanked for providing useful input of Mr. Bruce Goodman of Cowater Canada and Mr. Ian Smillie PEP Performance Advisor who developed the first draft of a terms of reference for the NCS MTR.

The NCS MTR team is extremely grateful to all the Secretaries, Additional Secretaries and Joint Secretaries, Director Generals at the federal and provincial level and officials in AJK and the Northern Areas who took time out to meet with the MTR team and provided extensive input to the information collection process. The participation of Section Officers, Research Officers, Technical Officers, and Forest Officers during the public consultation workshops provided the impetus for meaningful discussion. Acknowledgements are due to the participants of focus group workshops for NGOs and private sector. The wealth of knowledge they provided was valuable. The non-governmental organizations and the private sector who provided inputs are thanked for their contributions.

Special gratitude is extended to the four PEP partners who guided the MTR exercise through continued participation. The members of the PEP Steering Committee for the NCS MTR provided all out support and technical backstopping that ensured the timely delivery of MTR targets. The NCS Unit took the lead in the MTR , Mr. Aziz Qureshi of the Environment Section of the Planning and Development Division provided technical support in the development of a database for MTR. SDPI prepared a background paper on Environmental Strategy that is recognized as an important building block for NCS MTR. Acknowledgements are due also to the IUCN offices in Gilgit, Quetta, Peshawar, and Karachi for technical input as well as extensive operational and secretarial support. The IUCN Islamabad office is specially acknowledged for making arrangements for travel and logistics of MTR team at every stage. Special thanks are due to the Manager PEP and Head of IUCN Islamabad, Dr. Asif Ali Zaidi for his conceptual input, technical backstopping and management support to the MTR process.

This opportunity is also taken to extend gratitude to Minister Omar Asghar Khan and the officials of MELGRD. The former Secretary of MELG&RD, Mr. Sikandar Hayat Jamali who took personal interest in the MTR process and made himself available for workshop in Quetta. The present Secretary of MELGRD, Mr. Shafqat Ezdi Shah, has been extremely supportive throughout the process. The former Joint Secretary MELG&RD Mr. Hafeez Ur Rehman played the key role in setting the ball rolling for NCS MTR. The present Joint Secretary NCS, Mr. Naseer Ahmed, is also thanked for his continuing support. Director General Pakistan EPA, Mr. Asif Shuja Khan is thanked for his continued guidance. Special thanks are extended to Mr. Asad Sibtain, Deputy Secretary NCS Unit MELGRD for facilitating the whole MTR process.

Acknowledgements are due to Hagler Bailly Pakistan, Arshad Zaman Associates, Mr. Haroon Ayub Khan, an independent consultant, Dr. Aamir Matin and Mr. Aqil Shah of UNDP and Mr. Akhtar A. Hai of Karachi University, Tariq Banuri and Shaheen Rafi Khan, for preparing MTR studies.

Throughout the entire effort the NCS MTR Coordinator Ms. Maheen Zehra has performed a difficult task in a remarkable fashion. She deserves the heartfelt thanks of all involved in this review. The ERT members wish to signal our deep appreciation of her capable, hard work and intellectual contributions.

While the information gathering and much of the analysis has been a very collective effort, the content of the report is the responsibility of the principal authors. 

NOTE – This list is still subject to updating and change

PEPA An Act to Provide for the Protection, Conservation, Rehabilitation, and Improvement of the Environment, for the Prevention and Control of Pollution, and Promotion of Sustainable Development (Act No. XXIV of 1997)