Community Dialogue in Flood-Affected District: Raising Awareness Against Corruption and Improving Climate Governance Accountability through Community Participation in Climate Planning and Decision Making
Community Dialogue in Flood-Affected District: Raising Awareness Against Corruption and Improving Climate Governance Accountability through Community Participation in Climate Planning and Decision Making
Date: July 24, 2024, Wednesday
Venue: District Mardan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Transparency International Pakistan in collaboration with Saiban Welfare Organization organized a Community Dialogue in the flood-affected district Mardan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The primary objective of the climate dialogue was to raise awareness at the grass-root level among the people who are disproportionately affected by climate change about the impacts of climate change, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Climate Change Policy 2022 to address these impacts, and enhancing their skills particularly on social accountability tools. By doing so, the dialogue aimed to empower these communities to actively engage in climate planning and decision-making processes.
Around 55 people, including 23 women representing communities from the district’ flood prone areas, youth and civil society, as well as the local administration represented by the District Disaster Management Authority and Additional Deputy Commissioner.
The event commenced with the recitation of the Holy Quran, followed by the welcoming remarks by Mr. Muhammad Arif, CEO, Saiban Development Organization.
Next, Ms. Nasreen Memon, Project Coordinator, TI Pakistan, provided an overview of climate change and its far-reaching consequences on District Mardan. She discussed the vulnerability of Mardan, a district highly prone to flooding, as outlined in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Climate Change Policy 2022. Ms. Memon also highlighted that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was one of the provinces hardest hit by the 2022 floods, with Mardan experiencing 18 deaths and 432 houses being damaged. She highlighted that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Climate Change Policy 2022 has safeguarded community participation by mandating inclusive decision-making processes and ensuring that affected communities have a voice in climate planning.
Participants were then invited for experience-sharing discussion about the 2022 flood situation. One of the participants, Ms. Fatima Khatoon, highlighted that during the 2022 floods, when people in Mardan were evacuated and resettled in flood relief camps, one of the biggest challenges faced by women was the lack of proper sanitation facilities.
She emphasized that relief efforts should address the specific needs of women in disaster management plans by ensuring separate relief camps, providing proper medical care, especially for pregnant women, and maintaining adequate sanitation facilities. This can only be achieved by including women in the decision-making process.
Moving on, Mr. Farhan Zaid, Focal Person, District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) briefed the participants on the relief efforts undertaken by the local and provincial government post 2022 floods. He highlighted that the district government’s immediate priority was to ensure an adequate supply of food and other essential necessities to the flood-affected communities and DDMA ensured the timely distribution of these resources. He also highlighted that the authority has a disaster risk reduction and management plan in place, and efforts are underway to make it more comprehensive. In this regard, he has taken note of community feedback and ensured to incorporate their suggestions into the plan.
The next session was on social accountability tools for citizen participation in climate decision making and planning. In this regard, Mr. Saayad Saadat Jehan, Deputy Director, KP Information Commission, gave a detailed presentation on The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Right to Information Act, 2013. He enhanced the capacity of community-level participants who were not fully aware of their legal rights. He covered key topics including the definitions of applicants and public bodies, the role of the Information Commission, and the types of information that can be accessed or exempted under the Act.
He informed the participants that, under Clause 5 of the KP RTI Act, climate departments are required to proactively disclose information to ensure that it is readily available, and if not, RTI application works as a social accountability tool to ensure transparency in governance. He discussed that by using this law, people can raise their concerns, access necessary information, and identify any irregularities within the public bodies.
Moving forward, the community dialogue also included the participation of district government of Mardan, which was represented by Additional Deputy Commissioner Relief, Mardan, Mr. Iqbal Hussain. He said that addressing the challenges of climate change is a priority for the provincial government. The government is formulating strategies to help communities adapt to climate change and is developing projects to mitigate its effects. He also highlighted that the provincial government is ensuring community participation in project planning, implementation, and decision-making.
Towards the end, Ms. Nasreen Memon, Project Coordinator, TI Pakistan informed the participants about TI Pakistan’s Advocacy and Legal Advice Center (ALAC), which serves as a dedicated resource for victims and witnesses of corruption, providing essential guidance and support. She emphasized TI Pakistan’s commitment to aiding the victims of environmental corruption through ALAC.
Participants expressed their gratitude to TI Pakistan for organizing the community dialogue and highlighted the importance of such initiatives in raising awareness and fostering community participation. They expressed hope for more such events in the future to maintain momentum and ensure continuous engagement and education.
