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Background
Development VISIONS organized a three-day consultative workshop on Water Policy last year i.e. February 23-25, 2000 in Multan. Participants proposed many follow up activities including the desirability of an advocacy campaign to force the state to adopt a desirable water policy.Development VISIONS took this up in the General Body meeting of the Pakistan Network of Rivers, Dams and People (PNRDP). The network appreciated the need for such a campaign. It, however, could not initiate the process to help launch and coordinate such a campaign because of the way it is organized. PNRDP is a network of solidarity. It supports the activities and campaigns of individual members to support them in their struggles that are mostly local. Hence DV was asked to go ahead and take the initiative.
Development VISIONS launched a campaign to formulate a Pakistan Water Policy Partnership (PWPP). DV issued invitation calls in April 2001 to many civil society organizations to join the PWPP. Organizations working on water issues responded eagerly. Some 14 organizations joined the PWPP by the middle of last May 1999.
The First Meeting of Partners was held on May 16, 2001 at ActionAid-Pakistan offices in Islamabad. The meeting agreed to formalize the PWPP. However, their were considerable differences on objectives and strategy. The meeting, therefore, decided to hold a two-day consultation of partners to formulate consensus objectives and strategy for themselves.
The meeting also decided that DV-Multan should continue to coordinate all activities as interim coordinators of the PWPP. It was also decided that more members should be invited from Sindh and Balochistan to expand the support base. DV was asked to extend invitations to more interested organizations and also to make necessary arrangements for the Consultation which was decided to be held at Dera Ghazi Khan. This decision followed the generous offer by Syed Naeem Bokhari of Noor-Pakistan to host the meeting.
Coordination
To discharge obligations accepted in the May 16th meeting, Development VISIONS prepared and circulated the minutes of the meeting in detail for reference of all partners and prospective supporters. DV also prepared a draft proposal for the DG Khan consultation. A detailed budget was also appended to ensure transparency and due acknowledgement of resource sharing by partners. This was circulated to all partners for comments and response. Letters of invitation were sent to many organizations in Balochistan, Sindh and rest of the country. We received good response and many new partners joined hands. However, not all could attend the DG Khan consultation due to lack of human resources. DV also visited many partners in Lahore and Islamabad. Some were visited more than once for meetings to seek their support for the DG Khan consultation. All arrangements were finalised by DV in a participatory and democratic manner.Resource Sharing
Partners shared generously to raise the needed support for the DG Khan consultation. Many partners contributed in kind. Their contributions were monetized for inclusion in the activity budget. Hence the following contributions were made by seven partners for the purpose:PWPP Resource sharing (Sorted by amounts)
However, it needs to be pointed out that these amounts are aggregates being monetized values of many in kind contributions. The total money portion of this activity raised and spent by DV is Rs. 70,000.00 (rupees seventy thousand only). Also needed to be pointed out is the fact that all contributions in kind to the DG Khan consultation have not been monetized. Contributions were made by members by picking up their own travel, transport and incidental expenses in the course of coming to attend the meeting.
Contributors Amounts Confirmed Noor-Pakistan 155,000.00 155,000.00 DV-Multan 108,038.75 08,038.75 ActionAid 28,000.00 28,000.00 WWF-Pakistan 25,000.00 25,000.00 GBTI 22,500.00 22,500.00 PNRDP 15,000.00 15,000.00 WADA 2,000.00` 2,000.00 Total 355,538.75 355,538.75 OXFAM-Pakistan has also committed to reimburse travel expenses for participants from drought affected areas. This is not reflected in the above table as reimbursement claims are still to be processed and paid. DV shall do so.
Some partners could not contribute despite committing to do so for want of resources.
Programme and Methodology
The workshop programme was spread over two days. It comprised of group work and plenary sessions separately on objectives and strategies. These were followed by a general plenary in which all decisions were taken with consensus. Hectic activity ensued as debates bursted in the groups and articulations were heatedly challenged. Still all difference could not be sorted out in respective group works and many fireworks were left to decorate the three planeries.An important decision reached after a lot of debate and discussion in all the three plenaries and one group work was to rename the PWPP. It was decided to not to call ourselves a partnership but an alliance. Hence the new name for us is Pakistan Water Policy Alliance (PWPA).
When debate continued unabated on the TORs the house nominated a five-member committee to carry out the necessary work detailing the future terms of reference fo the alliance and to identify a specific set of activities in the light of recommendations of the DG Khan consultation. Khalid Hussain of Development VISIONS was asked to continue as interim coordinator for the next six months i.e. end of this year. The committee members include Mr. Tanveer Arif of SCOPE Karachi, Dr. Ahsan Wagha of DAMAAN, Sadia Iqbal of ActionAid, Syed Naeem Bokhari of Noor-Pakistan, Mr. Mohammad Tehseen (Mr. Mazhar Lighari as substitute) of SAP-Pk and Mr. Krishan Sharma of DDAT, Mithi (Tharparker).
Decisions
The consultation succeeded in realizing all the objectives of meeting in DG Khan. Consensus was achieved on the Mission, Objectives and Strategy of the Pakistan Water Policy Alliance (PWPA). The consensus articulation is reproduced below:Mission
To realize an integrated water policy for Pakistan that safeguards the rights of all stakeholders through an inclusive process.Objectives:
1. To generate debate on water policy issues;
2. To articulate civil society perspective and position on water policy issues;
3. To Strengthen/empower disadvantaged/marginalized water users.
4. To address regional conflicts on water sharing in such a way as to facilitate movement towards a negotiated political settlement of the problem.Strategy
1. Research issues and disseminate information
2. Engage with government, donors and lenders;
3. Involve political parties, experts, media and digital media
4. Networking
5. Expansion of membership
6. Alternate Water Policy documentList of Participants
The meeting was very well attended by partnersh. Some could not attend for want of human resources. They agreed in principle with the objectives set out originally but could not send a representative to attend the consultation. These included:1. Shirkat Gah, Lahore and Karachi.
2. Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum, Karachi
3. Sustainable Development Policy Institute, Islamabad.
4. PIDS, Quetta
5. WWF-Pakistan, Lahore.
6. Thardeep, Tharparker, Sindh
7. WADA, Islamabad and KarachiStill most of the partners made it to DG Khan. These were:
NAME ORGANIZATION CITY
Mr. Tanvir Arif SCOPE Karachi
Mr. Faiz Rasool Khan Lakhozai Women’s Voice Organization, Dera Ghazi Khan.
Mr. Ghulam Farid Zahid Rohe (Pakistan) D. G. Khan
Mr. Naeem Iqbal PNRDP Sungi, Islamabad
Mr. Khadim Hussain ActionAid-Pakistan Islamabad
Mr. Ahsan Khan Ghazi-Barotha Taraqiati Idara Hattian, district Attock
Mr. Irfan Hote ActionAid-Pakistan Dera Ismail Khan
Dr. Nasim Akhtar Indus D.G.Khan
Miss Sadia Iqbal ActionAid-Pakistan Islamabad
Mr. Aftab Alam ActionAid-Pakistan Islamabad
Mr. Niaz Sial SAFWCO Shahdadpur, Sindh
Mr. Khalid Hussain Development VISIONS Multan
Mr. Syed Naeed Bokhari Noor-Pakistan Fazilpur, D.G. Khan
Mr. Mohammad Tahseen South-Asia Partnership-Pakistan Lahore
Mr. Zafar Lund Hirak Shadan Lund, D.G.Khan
Mr. Krishan Sharma DDAT Tharparker, Sindh
Mr. Mazhar Lighari SAP-Pk Lahore
Mr. Naveed Khayal Indus Resouce Centre Khairpur, Sindh
Mr. Dr. Ahsan Wagha DAMAAN Taunsa, D.G. Khan
Mr. Zubaida Hussain DV Multan
Mr. Saif Mastoi AWS Rajanpur
Malik Irfan CWC D.G. Khan
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