subject: Breaking MoE into shreds [print this page] Breaking MoE into shreds Breaking MoE into shreds
The devolution of Ministries as proposed under the 18th amendment of the constitution in Pakistan without any prior in-depth thinking of its possible short and long-term adverse implications is creating an emotional storm among many conscious citizens of the country both in the government and non-government sector. The political environment across the entire landscape is at a precipitating point making it difficult to discern which issue is more serious than the other. The growing acrimony between state and its institutions, weak writ of the government with a brand of coalition partners always on a spree of government in and out breakaway threats - are some of challenges grappling entire landscape of the country. All these factors, in tandem, have overwhelming implications on the physical, green and brown environment of the country. The entire country despite its sound base of fertile and productive lands, rich natural resources and industrious human capital is shrouded in a mystery of uncertainties and confusion. Under this prevailing scenario many pressing national issues having far reaching adverse long-term impacts go into oblivion but are likely to inflict irreparable damage in future.
Pakistan's feudal aristocracy by virtue of their unbridled access to use of public funds and tax payer money have always been successful through many past civilian and dictatorial regimes to reach higher offices in the government and parliament. These special classes of homo-sapiens are known for their intransigent and intolerant attitude that now characterize our national psyche. They always let the crucial national issues continue to dust under the rug until they turn into a disaster level situation for the country and reach the thresholds of unfolding irreversible damages. The suicidal silence and apathy towards the development of precious water resources in Pakistan during all these 63 years are progressing towards a crisis situation which has the potential of turning entire landscape into a desert even without use of any conventional or nuclear war. Yet a similar indifference with grave national consequences taken in a hurry under a constitutional amendment is to devolve the functions of many Ministries to provinces under the garb of promoting provincial autonomy. Some of the apprehensions in the national and international perspective relating to the devolution of Federal Ministries particularly MoE which many conscious citizens, bureaucrats and technocrats foresee as having very serious implications are summarized as under.
In Pakistan's context, the true essence of word environment is not fully comprehended by many politicians and legislators because of the very complex nature of the phenomenon associated with it. The establishment of the Ministry of Environment as a separate Ministry in early 1990s when Pakistan People's Party was in power did not come as an episodic decision just to widen the political base within the corridors of power but as a need-based national and global phenomenon of climate change impacts attributed to enhanced anthropogenic activities, Pakistan being no exception to this as evinced during devastating floods in 2010. During these two decades, Ministry of Environment achieved many milestones such as the world recognition of Pakistan's Natural Conservation Strategy as a masterpiece policy and a strategic document of environment conservation at the famous World Earth Summit at Rio in 1992. The formulation of the Pakistan Environmental Protection Act, 1997 through a consultation process yet added another major flag in laying the foundation of a legal regulatory framework to tackle the growing problem of environmental pollution in Pakistan.
With the establishment of the Ministry the ratification of major environment related Multi-lateral Environment Agreements (MEAs) like UNCCD, UNFCC, CBD, CMS, Ramsar, CMS received a big boost in terms of helping the country to strengthen the capacity of its affiliated national institutions. Since then over the years MoE has emerged as an important state organ to effectively represent the government at many international conventions and meetings. With the devolution of the Ministry to provinces the implementation of important conventions will be in jeopardy because the provinces neither have the capacity nor the will to portray the national perspective of the implementation of these interlinked conventions at world fora. Assigning the role of international conventions to other Ministries, institutions or entities will result in a confusion as it would be difficult to ensure effective coordination with many institutions and stakeholders that are involved in the implementation of the conventions. At present the coordinating role of the Ministry through its institutions that have attained quite professional competence and institutional memory will be lost and the reporting under international agreements will be delayed bringing disrepute to the country. Moreover, provinces do not have the capacity to independently handle the multi-lateral agreements which require inputs from many provincial as well as national institutions.
As a result of devolution, many opportunities for development funding from donors and multi-lateral funding agencies like GEF, UNDP, FAO under innovative financing mechanisms like REDD+ , CDM, Biodiversity Conservation, Sustainable Land Management will be lost & difficult to materialize because they require guarantees at national level in terms of co-financing, sectoral policy and regulatory frameworks, effective performance and impact monitoring. There will be no single agency to pursue implementation of recently formulated environment policy and sectoral policies and strategies related to environment. At present provinces are more oriented to focus on societal agenda and are invariably insensitive to environmental issues and obligations under international agreements. This will lead to chaos and an embarrassment at international level when there is no single lead agency responsible for policy formulation and its implementation.
Many attached departments functioning under the MOE like PFI, ZSD, NCCW, ENERCON, EPA with established institutional structures and diverse professional competencies related to environment policy, planning and programming will fell in disarray as there will be no unified command and coordination authority to control these important organs of the state. Moreover, the awareness promoted by the MoE related to emerging global environmental issues, energy conservation, NRM and climate change will be affected badly. Environmental degradation will further aggravate as work on mitigation and adaptation will slow down. Synergy between conventions, agreements and protocols will be difficult to be maintained as this role may be assigned to disjointed entities. International arbitration and conflicts on sharing of common, trans-boundary and other environmental resources will be jeopardized as there will be no central follow-up and coordination body. Violation of international legally binding instruments may be difficult to control. The role of MOE as job provider for environment related jobs will also be lost.
Environmental conservation and energy related funds like ECF, MACF, FPA established under donor-GOP funds will be difficult to operate and coordinate. There is likelihood that these Funds with the well established institutional mechanisms embedded in the hierarchy of the existing Ministry of Environment will also fell in disarray and open a Pandora box regarding their operation and management. Yet another grave concern and damage to the country will be the loss of institution memory which the MoE had attained since its creation in terms of environment policies, strategies, frameworks and standards. The role of MoE as a coordination body for National Assembly, Senate and higher courts on many emerging environment and pollution issues will be difficult to be relegated to provinces or other entities. Also country level representation in COP, CRIC and other technical forums established under International environmental agreements will be difficult to maintain at the existing level and will badly affect the negotiation process at world forums bringing bad name to the country. Role of MoE as a bridge between Civil Society Organizations and the international bodies will be damaged irreparably. In the national interest, it is time to strengthen our institutions instead of breaking them into shreds, difficult to ensemble once broken.
