The Federal Flood Commission (FFC) has the mandate to inform the public, as well as national, provincial and local government agencies about floods, their causes, and to develop an understanding of floods, the governmental response and effective action before during and after floods. As outlined in this important section, “The eventual effect of changes in the firm and public sector in Pakistan’s political economy is to improve economic efficiency by bringing the performance of the State and its agents in line with widely accepted standards for responsible public and private conduct. This change is essential for transparency, which is increasingly demanded by civil society, and is essential to attract foreign investment and to improve the business climate.”
As quoted in the article,”Floods hit thousands of homes and killed several people in Upper and Central parts of the country whilst some were forced to evacuate. Meanwhile, the Federal Flood Commission (FFC) asked the provincial governments to remain ready for any untoward situation.”
FFC’s approach helps all concerned to transition from legal responsibility to operational know-how. It is not, the reason for learning the legal responsibility and seeking guidance in international law, but more to have correct, just and enabled entities in terms of advice and consultation on what should be done after an unexpected situation arises. There is seldom time to go through legal and ethical responsibilities.
The Federal Flood Commission (FFC) is a powerful body with the mandate to inform the public, as well as national, provincial and local government agencies about floods, their causes, and to develop an understanding of floods, the governmental response and effective action before during and after floods.
FFC has the mission, “FFC is mandated to exercise leadership in dealing with flood management problems, facilitate and promote an integrated approach to planning, coordinating and engineering flood management programs involving various agencies of the Federal, provincial governments, other stakeholders, including the Private Sector, training and capacity building relevant to flood management and assist and participate in annual reviews of implementation of programs related to flood management.”
Challenging the FFC’s mission with respect to flood management, it will require deeper understanding of political economy, i.e. rules of the game in legal and ethical responsibilities. Deeper understanding is essential to improve economic efficiency by bringing the performance of the State and its agents in line with widely accepted standards for responsible public and private conduct. This change is essential for transparency, which is increasingly demanded by civil society, and is essential to attract foreign investment and to improve the business climate.
FFC is directly involved in implementing structural and non-structural measures for flood mitigation and has also assisted in the development of an integrated water resources management (IWRM) framework for Pakistan.
Flood preparation is another key function of the FFC, which includes preparation for early warning, flood forecasting, and back -up support for disaster management programs. Currently, the FFC is active in implementation of the Flood Plain Management Strategy (FPMS) to reduce and mitigate flood hazards.
Informing and educating the public on the causes and effects of flooding, the current state of the flood management system, and what to do in the event of an emergency evacuation, is part of the role and responsibility of the FFC and is important.
FFC works under the supervision and guidance of the Ministry of Water and Power, but does it conforms and align with legal responsibilities and ethical principles? Evaluating and assessing flood preparedness, response and recovery, can be complemented by understanding how water management laws function, and what they mean for the public and the private businesses and industries.
How is it important for FFC to understand and align with legal and ethical responsibilities? Accountability, regulatory compliance, and risk management; it is critical to ensure that individuals and organizations are held responsible for their actions and that there are mechanisms in place to address wrongful actions. Understanding legal responsibilities and ethical principles are important to ensure that flood response and recovery strategies are effective in protecting people and property.
Flood response and recovery can be accompanied by risks of significant legal consequences for a number of matters, hence FFC must align with legal responsibilities and ethical principles.
Legal and ethical responsibilities can assist in making decisions in the best interests of the community and society – for example, when allocating resources to minimize the impact of floods on the community or providing meaningful opportunities for community input, FFC must be sensitive to community knowledge and insight, and balance the different perspectives.
Environmental implications must also be considered, such as, effects on the quality of water in rivers and streams that impact on habitats, species and the aquatic environment. Human health should be a priority.
The role of the public at large and workers along with the operational departments in “Funds Management” is essential for sound financial management, consistent with legal and ethical responsibilities. Also, if decisions are made based on an incomplete or irrational analysis of relevant facts or purely subjective judgment, then there is a significant risk that the decision may be discriminatory, arbitrary, violative of human dignity and of fundamental rights.
FFC’s role is essential in developing a well-educated and well-informed public. FFC’s mission is also about integrating flood management within the national development priorities, and integrate flood management into other sectors and processes, balancing short-term flood control and protection, with long-term sustainable development.
Flood preparedness, response and recovery in accordance with legal and ethical responsibilities will also help to ensure the integrity and performance of the flood management program at FFC.
One common element is often evident when legal responsibilities and ethical principles are aligned, that is, reducing the incidence of homogenous thinking, in evaluating the response plans and recovery plans.