RECOMMENDATIONS TO SAARC TO
ADDRESS URBAN ENVIRONMENTAL
CHALLENGES AND POVERTY
ALLEVIATION IN THE REGION
Bangladesh
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NGOs play a key role in development within South Asia, SAARC should create a
department within itself that deals solely with the management of NGOs,
expediting and streamlining the availability of resources for them. This department
would take the role as middle man between the state and the organization,
allowing for more communication between the two.
As climate change is having a huge impact on the lives of residents throughout South
Asia, SAARC should come up with joint climate change mitigation measures and
form a committee to work in close coordination with NGOs in each individual
SAARC state. The committee will dedicate an increased amount of time, effort, and
resources to increase the impacts and effectiveness of efforts by the current
Intergovernmental expert group on climate change.
River water pollution is a serious problem throughout South Asia. The polluted river
water from Nepal and India is causing environmental hazard in Bangladesh. SAARC
summit should come up with a policy to address this problem. We suggest funding
an awareness campaign that should be organized throughout South Asia to make
the river water clean. SAARC should facilitate for formulation of the necessary
policy to save the rivers in its each member state.
India
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Establish a charter within SAARC with a goal of pollution limits and
land usage regulations for 2040. After this charter is established, a
governing board will be implemented to monitor the progress of
these goals and offer suggestions for meeting the goals by the year
2040.
Training facilities for environmental health professionals specifically
for the slums and informal sector. These training facilities will focus
on environmentally induced health conditions that can be managed
by more education and a focus directly on the health of urban poor.
Vocational schools for the informal recycling and trash management
sector to be trained in other alternative recycling methods to trash
disposal, and sewage management. Goal is to provide formal
employment for informal sector, and manage issues of lacking
infrastructure for trash and sewage.
Nepal
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Agricultural Education: We propose that SAARC, in cooperation with the governments of
individual member nations, create programs that inform famers of the dangers of
their current methods and teach them sustainable alternatives.
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Pollution Regulation: There needs to be designated landfills and dumping sites,
preferably outside city limits, with infrastructure so that the amount of spill over is
minimized and that any spillover that does occur will not affect city residents,
especially already vulnerable populations. Hopes are to reduce or eliminate illegal
dumping and designate when, where, and how much residents and firms could
pollute. Specifically, the pollution that does occur needs to be kept away from
densely populated, poor communities.
Rural Migration: A rural movement plan should be arranged to assist with these
countries’ transitions to more modern and urban populations. A report packet will
be created to inform SAARC members of pertainate information will be a
collaborative effort with each country assigning delegates (scientists, department
heads, experts, etc.) that will collaborate and examine effective strategies
implemented by other governments, issues that other countries faced when
transitioning, and other relevant information.
Pakistan
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We suggest a horizontal as well as vertical integration of environmental governing
bodies into the governments of SAARC countries. Environmental Divisions would be
established in each of the departments of development in accordance with the
reestablishment of all centralized national Ministries of Environment, which all of the
Divisions report to. The Ministry would approve, monitor, and enforce Division level
environmental bylaws as well as communicate with other national level Ministries
regarding the environment’s status.
Under the funds for expanding education in the region, a standard curriculum
should be established for the teaching of environmental issues at the primary and
secondary schooling levels as well as providing environmental studies graduate
options for higher education students.
Implement a third-party NGO that polices the poverty alleviation and
environmental protection government sectors to curtail corruption. Administrators
have the right to report their findings to higher power governmental bodies and
release their results to the general public as well. In doing so no new programs or
spending has to be allocated to poverty/environment relief efforts, but rather an
optimization of existing ones.
Sri Lanka
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SAARC-Led Seminars Providing Information on Global
Environmental Issues across South Asia to disseminate accurate
information about future weather patterns and climate issues.
SAARC Established Advisory Groups that Assist in Cross-Regional
Urban Environmental Planning and Advising. SAARC should
manage an annual meeting of all SAARC member nation's
Ministry of Urban Development, in which urban planning and solid
waste management are give priority.
Set-Up a SAARC Development Bank (perhaps with the Asian
Development Bank) which focuses on providing Poverty Alleviation
Funds to SAARC members.