Role of Civil Society in Mobilisation Action on Environmental Issues in Peshawar

Abstract

The civil society of Pakistan has been identified as a crucial player in the country’s social, economic and political arena. Given the multitude of challenges Pakistan faces, civil society’s role is significant in raising awareness, advocating for change, building capacity, influencing policy, conducting research and addressing environmental challenges. This study is conducted to examine the role of civil society in mobilising the public on environmental issues in District Peshawar. The research study is based on a qualitative research design. Structured & semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect data. Themes were identified from the interview transcripts and analysed to find patterns across the data set. The District Peshawar is experiencing numerous environmental issues specifically air & water pollution, waste management, heat waves, depleting capacity of surface and groundwater resources and loss of urban vegetation. The study notes that civil society can play a crucial role in addressing environmental issues through public mobilisation. The key challenges in this context include socio-economic constraints, a lack of public awareness regarding the pressing issue, insufficient capacity-building efforts for civil society, inadequate resources and gaps in policy formulation and implementation among others. The study concludes that public awareness, adequate resources, effective policy implementation and continued collaboration between civil society and policymakers are essential for sustained progress in environmental conservation efforts.