Following the adoption of the Balochistan Climate Change Policy 2024 on July 8, 2024, Transparency International (TI) Pakistan’s recommendations have been integrated into the policy. The provincial cabinet of Balochistan endorsed the Balochistan Climate Change Policy (BCCP) 2024 on July 8, 2024, to address the province’s climate change challenges. The policy has been officially notified by the provincial government for implementation.
The policy envisages establishing the Balochistan Climate Change Fund (BCCF), which will support climate resilience and mitigation efforts in the region through funds allocated by the provincial and federal governments, international partners, and revenue generated from carbon credits, voluntary market mechanisms, taxes, fines, and other sources. These funds will be utilized for priority actions to address climate change in Balochistan.
As per press released issued by TI Pakistan, since December 2023, it has been advocating for transparent and inclusive climate governance with the provincial Government of Balochistan, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), and Dev-Consult. TI Pakistan’s recommendations were developed as a result of the provincial Civil Society Consultation on Transparent and Inclusive Climate Governance in Balochistan, held in November 2023.
TI Pakistan appreciates the provincial government of Balochistan for ensuring that transparency and accountability remain central to climate action in the province by incorporating transparency, effectiveness, and integrity measures into the Balochistan Climate Change Policy 2024.
Guiding Principle: Transparency and Accountability
The Balochistan Climate Change Policy 2024 includes measures to ensure transparency in decision-making, policy implementation, and resource allocation, establishing clear accountability mechanisms to track progress, report on results, and address any shortcomings. The Balochistan Public Procurement Rules, 2014, will be strictly adhered to in emergency response and climate-related projects, and information about all climate and disaster response actions will be disclosed through a web-based dashboard and the Government of Balochistan’s websites.
In response, TI Pakistan recommends that the Policy emphasize strict compliance with Public Procurement Rules in emergency response and climate-related projects and stress disclosure of information on the provincial PDMA and EPA’s website.
Public Disclosure
The Balochistan Climate Change Policy 2024 mentions establishing a Climate Change Dashboard to provide access to information regarding BCCP targets and progress, climate finance, revenue and expenditures, aid flows, budget allocations, procurement, and distribution processes to ensure transparency in BCCP implementation. Both the BCCP Cell and the Climate Finance Unit should provide the necessary information and data for populating the dashboard. The Climate Change and Environment Department will also designate a Public Information Officer under the B-RTI Act, 2021.
In response, TI Pakistan recommends including a mechanism to set up an online Dashboard on the website of the Provincial Climate Change and Environment Departments, P&D, or Finance department for climate-related information, including funding, grants, expenditure, aid flows, allocation, procurement, and distribution processes. TI also recommends appointing a Public Information Officer for environment and climate-related departments, as per Section 6 of The Balochistan Right to Information Act, 2021, to ensure proactive disclosure of all climate-related projects’ information and agreements on the department’s websites.
Grievance Redressal Mechanism
The Balochistan Climate Change Policy 2024 mentions establishing a complaint hotline at the CM’s Secretariat where complaints can be made through telephone, email, websites, or in writing to prevent corruption and make climate action more effective and transparent, increasing citizens’ trust. This will also help reduce the possibility of conflict-of-interest situations.
In response, TI Pakistan recommends that the framework emphasize establishing Complaint Hotlines at Chief Minister Secretariats where complaints can be reported to a toll-free telephone number, web, email, and fax or by mail, and handled effectively to enhance efforts to prevent corruption and make climate action more effective. The framework must include a mechanism for preventing conflict of interest to ensure integrity for climate finance and projects.
Performance Indicators
The Balochistan Climate Change Policy 2024 states that performance will be measured through the level of local community engagement in climate and environmental initiatives, including the participation of women and vulnerable communities in climate adaptation and mitigation projects.
In response, TI Pakistan recommends establishing a Community-Based Monitoring and Evaluation (CBM&E) mechanism to engage communities in the monitoring and evaluation of projects, ensuring that outcomes align with their expectations and needs.