IUCN Pakistan

The most notable breakthrough for the conservation movement in Pakistan was the development of the National Conservation Strategy in 1992. Implementing the NCS is the guiding force that provides direction and focus to IUCN’s programme strategies in Pakistan. Capacity building interventions play a pivotal role in developing the knowledge and skills necessary to achieve the NCS objectives. Efforts to build capacity within institutions are spearheaded under the CIDA-funded Pakistan Environment Programme. Initiated in 1994, PEP was the first major IUCNP initiative directly emanating from the NCS and involves the partnership of institutions that carry the mandate to influence environment management policies.

An important dimension of IUCNP’s work in NCS implementation is the formulation of provincial and district conservation strategies. IUCN Pakistan worked with the government of NWFP to develop the Sarhad Provincial Conservation Strategy, approved and adopted in 1996. Supported by SDC, the SPCS was formulated through a broad-based participatory approach and is a policy framework that provides guidelines for both government and civil society’s future development activities in the province. SPCS is currently in its final phase.

The Chitral Conservation Strategy (CCS) is a district-level planning exercise, which takes stock of the resources of Chitral, and aims to maximize their productivity through a decentralized planning process. To ensure the active involvement of stakeholders, the CCS employs participatory mechanisms that promote ownership. The process is guided through a District Conservation Roundtable that provides a forum for coordinating sustainable development activities. During 1999, the CCS sectoral papers and a draft of the main document were finalized, demonstrating significant progress for the strategy. Work started on the Chitral District Conservation Fund and project proposals were prepared in order to initiate implementation alongside strategy formulation.

The Abbotabad Conservation Strategy is also based on participatory planning, and takes an integrative approach to development by forging links between ecological, economic and social issues. The planning process is facilitated by a District Conservation Roundtable as well as by a Steering Committee, which coordinates ACS activities. During 1999 the public consultation process for formulating the ACS ended, an exercise in which all the 57 union councils of Abbotabad District were covered. It led to sustainable development issues being identified and prioritized.

Funded by RNE, the Balochistan Conservation Strategy aims to design a policy framework that ensures the integration of environmental concerns into development planning in the province. BCS builds on the concepts developed through the SPCS to decentralise policy-making, and has introduced consultative innovations that are new to the development process in Balochistan. During 1999, BCS continued to focus on developing the strategy through a consultative process that included the writing and review of 15 background papers and five drafts of the document. In addition, training needs assessment of stakeholders were conducted and customized courses arranged. Other activities during the year included awareness raising for the environment, identification of demonstration projects for implementation and gender sensitisation of staff and partner organizations.

The Northern Areas Conservation Strategy, co-funded by SDC and NORAD, is the third active area of IUCNP’s efforts to devolve policy-making to the provincial level. During 1999, the NACS gained momentum in initiating public consultations for the prioritization of issues in the Northern Areas. The process was discussed with stakeholders, and field-tested in one village in each of the four districts. In addition, the first draft of the Conceptual Framework for the NACS was circulated and four interest groups/roundtables were formed — NGO, Communications, Education and Natural Resources. A joint workshop was held to clarify the concept, roles and responsibilities of these fora.