Center for Global & Strategic Studies Islamabad Pakistan's Efforts to Deal
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Center for Global & Strategic Studies Islamabad Pakistan’s Efforts to deal with Environmental Issues By Lieutenant Colonel Khalid Taimur Akram (Retd), Executive Director, Center for Global & Strategic Studies (CGSS), Islamabad Published on 21st September 2020 Pakistan is among the countries which are highly vulnerable to the catastrophic impacts of environmental degradation and climate changes. Unfortunately, our security insight is limited to the traditional security threats only and the dangers lurking in the shape of non -traditional security challenges like climate change are causing irrevocable environmental challenges for Pakistan. The challenges caused by the climate change are posing serious threats to the health, agriculture, and overall 1 www.cgss.com.pk [email protected] economy of the country. Pakistan has been declared among the top ten countries most affected by climate change. Environmental Challenges to Pakistan Pakistan is among the countries who are worst affected by the climate change and unfortunately, due to lack of resources to mitigate these issues the country is exposed to bear the brunt of natural calamities and many environmental challenges and vulnerabilities. Some major factors to cause these environmental 2 www.cgss.com.pk [email protected] catastrophes are carbon emission, deforestation, population explosion, encroachments, floods, earthquakes, droughts, and cyclones, etc. • Natural Resource Degradation Pakistan’s population is rapidly increasing resulting in the depletion of natural resources. The industrial sector in Pakistan which provides more than one-fourth of the country’s economic output and two-fifth of its job opportunities is highly dependent on the natural resources of the country. Therefore, to achieve sustainable economic growth, there is a high demand for already scarce natural resources. According to the World Bank, 70% of Pakistan's population lives in rural areas and are already stricken by high poverty levels. These people depend on natural resources to provide income and tend to overuse these resources. This leads to further degradation of the environment. • Depletion and Pollution of Renewable Fresh Water Resources The growing population of Pakistan together with the scarce renewable freshwater resources practices has put immense pressure on the national water reservoirs, thus leading Pakistan into the category of water-scarce countries. The availability of water for a single person in Pakistan has drastically decreased and is projected to level out at an annual water supply of 1000-1500 cubic meters per person by the year 2025. Many factors involved which hinder the accessibility of freshwater including unstable environment, ineffective policies to manage/ maintain water reservoirs, 3 www.cgss.com.pk [email protected] contamination of water, climate change, and deforestation etc. Water terrorism by India is also an important factor causing water scarcity in Pakistan. India is violating the Indus Water Treaty by developing several dams and reservoirs to enhance its capabilities and water potential. A sudden release of an excessive amount of water with no prior warning causes floods in Pakistan. • Pollution Pollution is one of the major environmental concerns for Pakistan and the lack of management has caused the problem to elevate further. It includes water, air, and soil pollution. The contamination of water (both surface and groundwater) and soil due to deposition of the industrial wastes into water reservoirs and on the agrarian soil together with an improper sewerage system in many areas of the country are some important aspects which are putting pressure on natural resource management in Pakistan. Dumping of solid waste on low-lying land and burning of the plastic waste and garbage in open-air results in carbon emission that generates dust and carcinogenic pollutants having adverse health implications. The release of toxic gases from factories, brick kilns, and carbon emission from transport vehicles are the main reasons for mounting air pollution. Another reason for air pollution is increasing deforestation in the country. The inadequate air emission treatments and lack of regulatory control over industrial activity have contributed to the deterioration of ambient air quality in major cities. Besides, the common practice of burning massive amounts of solid waste, including plastic and rubber, on street corners by the public, 4 www.cgss.com.pk [email protected] releases toxic gases, which are extremely harmful to residents in the area. Smog is another form of intense air pollution which is a combination of smoke and fog. it is mainly caused by smoke emitting from industries, vehicles, and brick kilns and is a mixture of smoke and sulfur dioxide. When inhaled, smog irritates our airways, increasing our risk of serious heart and lung diseases. • Improper Discharge of Industrial Waste Improper discharge of industrial waste is one of the major causal factors behind the contamination of air, water, and land. Many industries in Pakistan do not follow the proper way to dispose of their industrial waste and instead dump them in to clean and fresh drinkable water or agrarian lands. These industrial wastes contain a huge amount of toxicants that are extremely harmful to human health and the ecological system. • Deforestation Pakistan faces immense problems of deforestation. at the time of its inception, Pakistan had approximately 33% of its land covered in forests which have now shriveled to less than five percent. The rate of annual 5 www.cgss.com.pk [email protected] deforestation in Pakistan is 1.5% which is alarming for the ecosystem of the country. Along with other forests, riverine forests of Pakistan have also been chopped down at an approximate rate of 5683 acres of forest per year. forests stabilize river banks, prevent soil erosion, and break the flow of floodwater. Deforestation caused by locals and timber mafia has exposed important wildlife species to serious protection and has increased the existential threats to these species. It has augmented the rage of floodwaters in Pakistan and elevated the ecological degradation in Pakistan. Pakistan could not achieve the UN’s set target of 25percentof forest cover on its total area, besides two plantations drives annually. The reason behind deforestation is energy crises, commercial benefits, and domestic use. Though certain plans have been launched to increase forest cover, which includes Green Pakistan Program, Billion Tree Tsunami, and REDD Plus, it will take some years for these plants to grow and replace already cut big trees. • Floods Pakistan is subject to periodic flooding of rivers. Glacier-melting, monsoon rains, deforestation in the watershed, and siltation are among the principal divers of riverine floods in Pakistan. In the last few decades, climate change has emerged as an important driving force behind floods in Pakistan, primarily by affecting glacier- melting, and by interfering in summer monsoon patterns. Floods cause significant damage to the crops and agricultural fields which impact the economic growth of the country. According to the World Resources Institute, Pakistan is among the top 15 6 www.cgss.com.pk [email protected] countries exposed to the risk of river floods; climate change is expected to further expand flood-prone areas. Around 715,000 people are affected by floods in Pakistan every year and the number is expected to rise to 2.7 million people by 2030. The realization of the challenge is the first step towards mitigation. It should be accepted that flooding is a regular feature of Pakistan’s hydrology and it holds important ecological and socio-economic roles. However, it is becoming more intense due to natural and man-made factors. Therefore, we should learn to adapt ourselves to the changing dynamics of riverine flooding. According to the World Resources Institute, on average, inland floods cost an estimated loss of 1% of total GDP per year in Pakistan. Disaster management and rescue operations that are carried out, pose an additional economic burden on the government. Pakistan’s Efforts The government has expressed concern about environmental threats to economic growth and social development and since the early 1990s has addressed environmental concerns with new legislation and institutions such as the Pakistan Environment Protection Council. Government of Pakistan has started new initiative like Clean and Green Pakistan to deal with environmental issues. • National Conservation Strategy To deal with its environmental challenges, Pakistan has adopted a National Conservation Strategy. The main objective of this strategy is to preserve natural 7 www.cgss.com.pk [email protected] resources, promote sustainable development and improve the efficiency of resource usage and management in the areas like; soil management in cropland, irrigation, forestry, and plantation, protecting water bodies and sustaining fisheries, conserving biodiversity, developing and deploying renewable resources, preventing or decreasing pollution, etc. • Construction of Dams Dams serve an important purpose to save and store water and supply this water for irrigation and agricultural activities. According to experts, a dam is like a keystone in the development as well as the management of water storage. However, for developing countries like Pakistan, the existence of multipurpose dams is extremely crucial since they lead to added economic benefits and the welfare of citizens. Currently, Pakistan has 150 dams and reservoirs.