BCS – A Cursory Overview

Part II: The Building Blocks of the BCS

Balochistan Conservation Strategy

The Balochistan Conservation Strategy (BCS) was prepared by the Planning and Development Department (P&DD), Government of Balochistan, technically assisted by IUCN-The World Conservation Union and financially supported by the Royal Netherlands Embassy (RNE).

In all, it took three hectic years to deliver the conclusive draft of the strategy involving thorough deliberations with all those having a stake, how low so ever, in the future of the province and extensive research work by the specialists of their specific discipline. The fact, that there is no prompt answer to complexity of the problem in the sectors of water, rapid urbanization and deterioration of rangelands and their natural resources, was duly acknowledged at the very outset and was, thus, established that a long-term strategy would be the only key to success. The BCS determines a period of 10 years for its action programme to be implemented.

The report has three parts. The first (Chapters 1 and 2) provides the rationale, process, and framework for the BCS. It includes a key section on principles, goals, and objectives. The second and more substantial part (Chapters 3-18) contains the ‘building blocks’ of the strategy. The third part (Chapters 19-23) is concerned with how the strategy will be implemented, resources mobilized, and progress assessed.

Part I: Background

Balochistan, rich in history dating back to pre-historic ages, has seen its inhabitants depending on the natural resources through centuries and can rightly be termed as the pioneer of present day agricultural, civic and social patterns delivered to the modern world through an evolutionary process spread over millenniums.

The pace of development, in Balochistan, has been relatively slow and, consequently, the government evidently appears to attempt rectification through participatory initiatives, obviously the most effective tool for sustainable development. The BCS accentuates on sustainable development through conservation of environment and judicious use of available natural resources. Incidentally the BCS comes along-with the Poverty Alleviation Strategy released by the government in 1999. Sectoral development in the field of agriculture, livestock, fisheries and industry is to be attempted through natural resources conservation.

Scarcity and contamination of water and depletion of its underground level, rangelands dilapidation, forest degradation and environmental fragmentation in Balochistan has been a cause of concern for decades. In planned settlements, water supply, low graded or nonexistent solid and liquid waste management, brisk urbanization and higher growth rate of population have all contributed to the mess.

In 1992, the National Conservation Strategy (NCS) was approved. It delivers a 10-year action plan for environmental conservation for Pakistan. Provincial conservation strategies are to be based on the objectives, priorities and recommendations of the NCS. The NCS, of course, is to be tailored in accordance with the specific needs and socio-economic environment of a particular province.

It was in 1996, when the Government of Balochistan decided to develop a conservation strategy.

Process

A high-level Steering Committee chaired by the Additional Chief Secretary (Development), Government of Balochistan propelled the development of BCS of which secretaries of all the relevant government line departments and representatives of the civil society, including private sector were members. Broad-based stakeholders and interest groups association was created and the process moved ahead through a series of consultative sessions at all levels, all in all 4,000 stakeholders represented the people of Balochistan in around 125 meetings, workshops and training events. 15 background papers were developed by the experts and extract of which was to be incorporated in the main document. The strategy was formulated with keeping in consideration its goal "the well-being of the people and ecosystems in Balochistan". The efforts of BCS formulation were acknowledged by the provincial Cabinet which approved the BCS on May 19, 2000.

Part II: The Building Blocks of the BCS