SDNP Pakistan: Examples of the Internet / SDNP influencing policy making
1- THE TOXIC DUMP EPISODE AND EMAIL
2- INTERNET HELPS IN PUBLIC INTEREST LITIGATION CASE
There have been many instances where we have used the Internet to provide
timely critical information and expert advice on a number of issues. The
latest was an SOS (on behalf of IUCN, Pakistan) that we sent out in the
wake of an oil spill that occurred off the Pasni coast (near Karachi)
about 20 days ago. This was posted on about 20 mailing lists and
conferences and we got some very useful feedback from a number of experts
around the world.Here I am quoting two such examples -- am posting this on the list as well
for it might be interesting to my other colleagues. The first one is a
case of electronic networking for disaster management while the other
recounts the use of Internet in a public litigation case.
1- THE TOXIC DUMP EPISODE AND EMAIL
In the month of May 1993, an unscrupulous operator had dumped about 2.5
tons of a highly toxic chemical substance, meta-dinitrobenzene near a
railway station in Karachi. It was picked up by an unsuspecting godown
owner as probably something useful. This person and his driver died as a
result of inhaling the toxic fumes from the chemical. The local police
impounded the material, and not knowing what it was -- they were lead into
believing that it was potassium or sodium cyanide from the toxic effects
that it had caused -- dumped it into the Lyari river, which has
increasingly been turned into more of a sewage channel than a river. But
by then the story had been reported in a national newspaper causing great
concern among the environmentally conscious public. The IUCN Pakistan
played a key role from then on in highlighting the potential hazards and
the need for the safe disposal, or at least the detoxification of the
material. It was taken out from the river and a sample of it tested under
the IUCN's auspices in a well known research institute of chemistry. It
was identified as meta- dinitrobenzene, a highly toxic and potentially
explosive chemical. The various government and non-government agencies
that were involved in this operation had little idea about the safe
handling and disposal of the substance.We now come to a part of the story which is both heart warming and an
indicator of what can be achieved through the medium of electronic mail
(e-mail). The SDN Pakistan, on receiving this information from the IUCN
sent an SOS via e-mail. This appeal for information and expert advice was
put in some of the conferences, like en.toxics on PeaceNet and en.alerts
on EcoNet of the Association of Progressive Communications (APC). The
response was nothing short of overwhelming -- both through fax and e-mail.
Though it was a rather technical question needing very specialized
knowledge, more than 50 individuals and organizations responded with
concrete suggestions and offers of help. There were responses from places
as diverse as Brazil and Finland, Newzealand and Switzerland apart from
more "expected" places like US, UK, Germany etc.. The respondents not only
included US organizations like Environmental Protection Agency, American
Lung Association, National Institute of Environmental Health and Sciences
and experts in related fields, but also a number of students and concerned
individuals, including Pakistani expatriates. Some of these concerned
individuals went to the extent of searching commercial databases to
retrieve useful information, while others sent comprehensive fact sheets
(more than 20 pages in one instance) covering topics like the properties
of the substance, how to handle it, known effects on human beings and
possible ways of detoxification and disposal. This information which
kept trickling in, was enough to compile a small book on the subject.The story had a happy ending when the toxic material was safely
incinerated under expert supervision.This incident which took place almost immediately after the inception of
SDNP, Pakistan brought into sharp relief the role for which the
national SDNPs had been created under Agenda 21. Timely information for
disaster management is an important component of sustainable development,
and the global dimension in this episode -- the fact that this information
came from diverse sources from different parts of the world -- makes it a
far potent real life example of the necessity and effectiveness of SDNPs
than many hypothetical ones cited in the promotion literature.
Ours is a network devoted to providing access and dissemination of
information on sustainable development. Though such information is
regularly distributed through a number of discussion lists and offline
conferences, there are times when specific information is critically
needed. The following 'story' is about one such instance -- one of the
first ever public interest litigation cases in Pakistan. It is narrated by
Mr. Mohammad Yasin of SDPI (Sustainable Development Policy Institute),
Islamabad.
2- INTERNET HELPS IN PUBLIC INTEREST LITIGATION CASE
Residents of a densely populated sector of Islamabad (Pakistan),
one day saw massive cutting of trees. This was being done by the
relevant government agencies to construct an electric grid station
within 40 feet of the houses. Threatened by the adverse effects of
the electromagnetic fields on human health, particularly for
children and pregnant women, the residents filed a writ petition
for violation of human rights in the Supreme Court (SC). The Sustainable
Development Policy Institute (SDPI) was made a party to the case.The SDPI sent out an appeal on the Internet through SDNP for latest
research evidence and for legal advice. Within 24 hours, evidence
and legal advice started coming in. This was in the shape of laws
on the 'right of way' of grid stations, transmission lines and
research papers. Equipped with convincing evidence SDPI and
petitioners' counsel argued in the SC.The case goes on. However, the SC has constituted a Technical Committee,
has directed the relevant government agencies and the committee to invite
public debate and public hearings. The agency has been directed that while
planning future grid stations, these will be publicized and public
hearings will be held. The government has been directed to constitute a
commission for the purpose and relevant agency will commence research on
the subject.The SC Order was made use of in a similar case in Indonesia.
This was made possible thanks to email, SDNP and the Internet.Author: Mohammad Yasin
Sustainable Development Policy Institute,
Islamabad, Pakistan
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------Apart from these examples, SDNP Pakistan, during its initial phase (93-94)
worked in close concert with the Information and Communications Cell of
the Prime Minister's Committee for Research and Analysis (CRA) to prepare
a policy paper that strongly recommended opening data network operations
to the private sector. This was accepted and implemented by the Government
of Pakistan (GOP), which over a period of 2-3 years, dramatically changed
the networking scene in the country.
-Hasan Rizvi
Wed, 24 Jun 1998
Sustainable Development Networking Programme, Phone: 051-270684,270691
PO Box 3099, House 12, Street 85, G-6/4, Fax: 051-270688
Islamabad 44000, Pakistan. email: rizvi@sdnpk.undp.org
| Project Summary Status | Africa | Arab States | Asia | Europe/CIS | LA/Caribbean |
