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Planning Process in Bangladesh and Challenges of

Implementation

Dr Mahfuzul Haque

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Points for DiscussionPlanning process in BangladeshBottom-up versus Top-down Multi-stakeholder Integrated

Sustainability Planning (MISP)Major Environmental Plans: NEMAP;

SEMP; NEMAP-CHT (draft); NAPA; BCCSAP

Ownership of the PlanChallenges of Implementation

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Planning ProcessTop-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

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Planning ProcessTop-down or centralized planning couldn’t

achieve the desired level of developmentThrough 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

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MISPMulti-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

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MISPMISP 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.

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MISPMISP promotes horizontal and vertical

empowermentHorizontal 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

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Major Environmental PlansNational Environment Management Action

Plan (NEMAP) 1995Sustainable Environment Management

Programme (SEMP) 1999National Environment Management Action

Plan-Chittagong Hill Tracts (NEMAP-CHT) draft

NAPA; BCCSAP

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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

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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

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NEMAPDuring day-long workshops, participants

were asked the identify 10 top environmental issues of the locality

They suggested the probable solutionsThey 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

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NEMAP

NEMAP identified and prioritized the following environmental issues:

1. Lack of sanitation and clean drinking water 2. Poverty, illiteracy, unemployment and lack of

awareness3. Deforestation, fuel crisis4. Pollution (air, water, industrial)5. Natural Hazards (floods, cyclones, drought)6. Scarcity of surface and ground water7. Use of agro-chemicals8. Others (soil erosion, biodiversity depletion,

decrease in fisheries, energy crisis)

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SEMP 1999 Sustainable 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.

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SEMP 1999SEMP focused on a) Strengthening legislative and policy

development capacity at all levels b) Promoting effective planning and

managing of ecosystem by the community

c) Enhanced environmental sanitation and waste management

d) Raising environmental awareness and advocacy

e) Integrating environmental education at all levels

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NAPA 2005National Adaptation

Programme of Action 2005 (updated in August 2009)

Related to adaptation measures to climate change

Country-wide consultation was held

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BCCSAP 2009Bangladesh 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

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Ownership of the Plan

Government’s ownership of the Plan, irrespective of party

affiliation is necessary

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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

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Challenges of ImplementationWho owns the Plan?Who implements, monitors and updates

the Plan?Funding mechanism for implementationCommitment of the GovernmentCommitment of the development

partnersContinuity of the Plans

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Challenges of ImplementationPriority of the governmentPolitical CommitmentConsensus in the ParliamentRole of the development partnersRole of the Bureaucracy Role of the NGOs and Civil SocietyRole of the Media

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Probable Questions1. Describe the planning process in

Bangladesh. How a Plan could be made more participatory? Discuss with an example.

2. What are the challenges of implementation of a Plan? Discuss.

3. Describe the planning process in Bangladesh? What do you mean by participatory planning? Discuss with an example.

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Further ReadingKingsbury, 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.

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THANKS