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Right to Information
Environmental documentation and local people's access to it
Shaila Shahid
The inextricable link between environmental information and access to it and human development has led to the evolution of environmental rights combining with it elements of human rights and right to information (RTI). The relationship between a healthy environment, including ecosystems and human survival, and development has become a very concerning issue, particularly in the context of Bangladesh. Because the country has witnessed the devastating cyclone Sidr when it had already gone through a tough time after the terrible floods last year. The aftermath of the cyclone appears even more challenging vis-à-vis making up of the losses. And here comes the question whether we do have a culture of open access and dissemination regime in the struggle for survival and better livelihood.
Available data from different sources
Each individual who is the victim of the historically worst cyclone Sidr does have a unique story of ineffable struggle of the moments and post Sidr survival. Their survival strategy might be classified into three stages: pre-Sidr, real time and post Sidr. It is worth mentioning that, cultivation is the main driving force for livelihood of the people living in the cyclone prone zones and the farming community is the most vulnerable and loser socially and economically. The standing crops in 24 districts spread across 22.30 lakh hectars. Sidr affected 38 percent of these crops, 3.52 lakh livestock were killed, 16.84 lakh trees were uprooted or broken, 315 km embankment was damaged, 538 km road was heavily damaged, shrimp of 250 crore taka was washed away. (Source: Different newspapers and updated damage assessment of the Disaster Management Control Room on 21-11-2007)
Approximately 4.7 million people were affected and a further 2.6 million, most of them the poorest of the poor, were in need of immediate life and livelihoods saving relief assistance. While visiting Sharonkhola, Rampal and different villages in greater Bagerhat district including Amtali of Patuakhali it has been observed that damage to livelihoods is large, in particular the fisheries and agricultural sectors need strong support. The main crop damaged is rice, which was under cultivation during the Aman season. Unlike many other regions in Bangladesh, the area affected has a single harvest during the months of November thru January. Thus the timing of the cyclone was particularly harmful, in that much of the crops were nearly ready for harvest. A quarter of ready-to-harvest crops were also destroyed. Many households lost their food stocks as a result of severe damage to housing. (Cyclone Sidr, United Nations Rapid Initial Assessment Report)
The cyclone has battered Bangladeshi coastal areas but, do we really have accurate data on it? Although we have scattered data on how much environmental and agricultural loss occurred in the country but reliable data and accurate timely information is very much acute to reach the local people. Mr. CS Karim, the agriculture adviser told a roundtable discussion recently organised by Prothom Alo, (published on 17-02-2008, in The Daily Star) that “We have even problem in statistics. There is no uniformity in the agricultural data supplied by different agencies. But we need the data that are reliable for future planning and strategies”.
Voices of the local people
Although the Government of Bangladesh, the international donor community and national actors already have taken lots of initiative and huge money already been funded to recover the losses and livelihoods but most of the villagers and farmers from different affected areas informed that they have very little idea about what kinds of initiatives have already taken by the government to recover the losses in the long run. Sajahan, a freedom fighter who lives near godown ghat in Amtali, Patuakhali informed that his house had nothing but only the earthen base. A few farmers and day labourers gathered in the tea stall of Shajahan, their discussion varied from Sidr time and survival experience, life and livelihood, rebuilding and rehabilitation, scientific analysis of the cyclone, huge unconditional support from nation and abroad, national and international policy of tackling the disaster. A farmer named Abdul Khaleque from Rampal, Bagerhat district informed that their life and livelihood remain the same as only the elite Mahajan or rich people in the village can afford the information and facilities that are available from the Union Parishad but a poor farmer like him cannot ask for anything from the powerful people.
Unfortunately in our country the poor citizens cannot go up to the lowest government functionary and ask how much and for what purpose money is being spent in their village. They have no right to ask for detailed information on expenditure and that is where corruption begins. There are evidences that non-informed farmers have to suffer from unproductivity of rice or other vegetables due to the lack of information regarding various diseases or non-storable characteristics in case of high yielding variety of hybrid seeds. The farmers expressed that although local people have the capability to proactively respond to their needs but the existing culture of secrecy left very little space for them to effectively take part in the governance structure and have accurate or timely information. They also opined that early recovery, longer term recovery, and rehabilitation should incorporate a strong element of sound planning with an emphasis on reducing the risks of future disasters by incorporating the opinion of local people.
Existing knowledge gap
However, the major obstacle to becoming knowledge intensive is the knowledge gap that exists. Such gap results because the existing system fails to provide the right kind of information at the right time in the right way. The government, in an effort to efficiently distribute agriculture resources such as fertilizers and pesticides, often staggers the process based on the requirements of various crops. However, from the farmers' perspective, they, in most cases, reside in the dark regarding the amount of fertilizer allocated, the time frame of distribution for a particular crop and the amount of subsidy to be had. (E-focus, UNDP)
Lack of proper service delivery channels also render farmers unable to benefit from the new varieties or new agricultural technologies which is being developed at both home and abroad. Timely and relevant agricultural technology information also ranks high in the farmers' list of dire needs. Agricultural information needs are always time-bound and seasonal. Failure in timely delivery of particular information on crops, livestock, poultry or fisheries can devastate the farmers.
Lack of information at the same time also creates powerlessness among the rural people, though the powerlessness lies with illiteracy, poverty and remoteness but it has intrinsic relationship with access to information. It also creates information and power gap between the people and the institutions. As a result people suffer from a sense of alienation. They become confused about where to go for the information regarding health, agriculture, education, employment and even for justice. All these evidences reveal that people's non-access to information reduces the quality of life and livelihood. It encompasses documentation of environmental and agricultural information as well and local people's access to it is critical for day to day livelihood and crucial for any future plan or strategies even in the government structure.
Access to information in environmental rights
Since the late 1960s and evolution of the environmental and agricultural revolution, information and information systems have been an integral part of the environmental debate. In the decade that has passed since the Rio conference in 1992 and the establishment of the “sustainable development” principle, there have been legislative and practical moves to open access to environmental information for all stakeholders that are involved in environmental decision making processes. The question also rose whether the current state of actions on environmental information provision, documentation of information and ensuring access to it is offering some directions for possible improvements.
At the same time, basic human rights instruments at the global and regional level also recognize the right to seek, receive and impart information. The right to timely information in the environmental context is crucial because of the potential irreversibility of environmental degradation. In this context, the role of local government is very important. In order to resolve the lack of environmental awareness, information accessibility, analysis and usage there is a need for cross-sectoral services with effective local governance. The objectives of creating an environment for access to information include improving accountability of the government and increasing transparency and public participation in national and local decision-making process.
In Bangladesh, the major drawbacks undermining attempts to redress environmental problems is poor quality access to and analysis of appropriate information. Information accessibility, analysis and dissemination are identified as a major stumbling block in the implementation of almost all environment-related initiatives. Community knowledge and awareness of appropriate environmental management is crucial for the success of national policies for sustainable development. Hence, we should learn from the struggle of Sidr aftermath and take appropriate measures to provide environmental information in appropriate forms and languages to all sectors of the community towards an open information access and equal benefit sharing regime.
The writer is a media and development practitioner.
