Communication for Public Consultation

摘要

In 1997, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resourcesrn(MOPNR) of Pakistan awarded the exploration license forrnDumbar concession to Premier Exploration Pakistan Limited.rnWhat makes this concession of particular interest is that thernblock encompasses the area of the Kirthar National Parkrn(KNP), the Mahal Kohistan Wildlife Sanctuary and the Eri-rnSumbak Game Reserves – areas that are protected because ofrnthe biodiversity value they house.rnAs a result of this, the Kirthar National Park became thernsubject of some controversy between national andrninternational non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and thernExploration Company attempting to gain access to the Park tornbegin exploration. Despite commitments from the company tornuse industry best practises and advanced technologies for thernprotection of the environment and the species within it, NGOsrnremained adamant that the company’s exploration licensernshould be revoked and the opportunity to tap potentially largerngas reserves rescinded.rnRather than ignore the protests of the NGOs, the companyrndecided to engage with these very organisations in order torndemonstrate to them that the company could manage itsrnoperations in an environmentally sensitive manner, and would in fact, contribute to the net betterment of the very area thernNGOs were seeking to protect.rnAs part of the environmental impact assessment (EIA)rnprocess; the company developed a public consultation andrndisclosure plan based on the assesment of key stakeholdersrnand their influence on the project. Communication tools andrnother inter-active options were used to convey details of therncompany’s activities and its approach to environmentalrnmanagement and community welfare. Devising arncommunications strategy is perhaps a novel approach for thernoil and gas sector to take, but it’s one that contributed to therncompany’s subsequent approval for seismic operations in thernKNP. One that came after four years of sustained effortrnduring which it became evident that opinion of some of thernstakeholders changed significantly as a result of the strategy.