Planning Process in Bangladesh and Challenges of Implementation

1. Planning Process in Bangladesh and Challenges of Implementation Dr MahfuzulHaque

2. Points for Discussion • Planning process in Bangladesh • Bottom-up versus Top-down • Multi-stakeholder Integrated Sustainability Planning (MISP) • Major Environmental Plans: NEMAP; SEMP; NEMAP-CHT (draft); NAPA; BCCSAP • Ownership of the Plan • Challenges of Implementation

3. Planning Process • Top-Down Approach: Technocrats, experts government officials through inter-Ministerial consultations/workshops finalize the plan. “Planning for the people” • Bottom-up Approach: Participatory planning. Stakeholders are involved in the planning process through workshops/ Focus Group Discussions (FGDs). “Planning with the people” • Ownership: Government’s ownership of the Plan, irrespective of party affiliation is necessary

4. Planning Process • Top-down or centralized planning couldn’t achieve the desired level of development • Through Bottom-up planning process, people at the grassroots are involved and they have a greater control over their own lives • One is development for the community and the other is development through a community decision-making process

5. MISP • Multi-stakeholder Integrated Sustainability Planning (MISP) is an integrated approach of planning in pursuit of sustainable development, involving cross-sectoral people • MISP is multi-stakeholder. It plans for the people, by the people through greatest participation and widest consultation • MISP is multidisciplinary. It integrates economic, social, ecological, political, cultural and spiritual concerns towards a holistic and sustainable development

6. MISP • MISP works at multilevel. It integrates global, regional, national and local priorities and concerns into a coherent Plan • MISP coordinates all stakeholders in the six disciplines (economic, social, ecological, political, cultural and spiritual) and at different level • MISP is dynamic. It is responsive to new ideas, inputs, data and developments, which are in consistent with the people’s vision and objectives • MISP is participatory.

7. MISP • MISP promotes horizontal and vertical empowerment • Horizontal empowerment ensures interaction among various sectors of society and economy instead of past compartmentalized planning • Vertical empowerment means enhancement of communication, coordination among various levels (micro and macro; bottom and top)of society and the government. Guidelines formed at national level take into account global and regional perspectives

8. Major Environmental Plans • National Environment Management Action Plan (NEMAP) 1995 • Sustainable Environment Management Programme (SEMP) 1999 • National Environment Management Action Plan-Chittagong Hill Tracts (NEMAP-CHT) draft • NAPA; BCCSAP

9. NEMAPNational Environment Management Action Plan 1995 • NEMAP identified key environmental issues, measures to reduce environmental degradation in order to promote sustainable development and to raise quality of human life through poverty alleviation

10. NEMAP • NEMAP 1995 followed a “participatory planning process”. 26 grass-roots workshops, 6 regional workshops and a number of professional workshops were held in soliciting peoples’ opinions • NGOs including ADAB and civil society bodies were involved • Ownership of the government remained irrespective of the changes of regimes • UNDP was a prime mover • NEMAP didn’t gather dust. It was implemented through SEMP

11. NEMAP • During day-long workshops, participants were asked the identify 10 top environmental issues of the locality • They suggested the probable solutions • They also identified the institutions responsible for implementation of these solutions • Through newspaper ad, questionnaires were circulated soliciting peoples’ opinion • Consultants collated these views and concerns

12. NEMAP NEMAP identified and prioritized the following environmental issues: • Lack of sanitation and clean drinking water • Poverty, illiteracy, unemployment and lack of awareness • Deforestation, fuel crisis • Pollution (air, water, industrial) • Natural Hazards (floods, cyclones, drought) • Scarcity of surface and ground water • Use of agro-chemicals • Others (soil erosion, biodiversity depletion, decrease in fisheries, energy crisis)

13. SEMP 1999Sustainable Environment Management Programme • Sustainable Environment Management Programme (SEMP) is the follow-up of NEMAP. The program was implemented by 21 Agencies (Government, NGOs and professional bodies) during 1999-2005 period at a cost $26 million. • SEMP looked at policy institutions; participatory eco-system management; community based environmental sanitation; advocacy and awareness; and training and education. • SEMP intended to benefit grassroots population, particularly women in eco-specific intervention areas.

14. SEMP 1999 SEMP focused on • Strengthening legislative and policy development capacity at all levels • Promoting effective planning and managing of ecosystem by the community • Enhanced environmental sanitation and waste management • Raising environmental awareness and advocacy • Integrating environmental education at all levels

15. NAPA 2005 • National Adaptation Programme of Action 2005 (updated in August 2009) • Related to adaptation measures to climate change • Country-wide consultation was held

16. BCCSAP 2009 • Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan 2009 • A pro-poor climate change management strategy, which prioritizes adaptation and disaster risk reduction, low carbon development, mitigation and technology transfer

17. Ownership of the Plan Government’s ownership of the Plan, irrespective of party affiliation is necessary

18. Wetland Policy (Draft) • IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature)-an international NGO, sponsored policy drafting on the “conservation of the wetlands of Bangladesh” • Around 12 Agencies are involved in the conservation of wetlands: Land, Fisheries, Agriculture, Water Resources, Environment, Local Government, District Administration etc.. • IUCN moved from door to door of these government agencies for an “ownership” of the Policy.No body took the ownership and the policy remained as a draft one and gathering dust

19. Challenges of Implementation • Who owns the Plan? • Who implements, monitors and updates the Plan? • Funding mechanism for implementation • Commitment of the Government • Commitment of the development partners • Continuity of the Plans

20. Challenges of Implementation • Priority of the government • Political Commitment • Consensus in the Parliament • Role of the development partners • Role of the Bureaucracy • Role of the NGOs and Civil Society • Role of the Media

21. Probable Questions • Describe the planning process in Bangladesh. How a Plan could be made more participatory? Discuss with an example. • What are the challenges of implementation of a Plan? Discuss. • Describe the planning process in Bangladesh? What do you mean by participatory planning? Discuss with an example.

22. Further Reading • Kingsbury, Damien ed., Key Issues in Development, 2004 (pages: 221-226) • Kothari, Uma. Development Theory and Practices: Critical Perspective. New York: Palgrave, 2002 (pages: 92-113) • IUCN, National Forum on Multi-stakeholder Sustainability Planning in Bangladesh, 1999. • Government of Bangladesh, Ministry of Environment and Forests, National Environment Management Action Plan (NEMAP), 1995. • --------, National Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA), 2009. • --------, Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan (BCCSAP), 2009.

23. THANKS