Draft Environmental Profile of The Islamic Republic of Pakistan Item Type text; Book; Report Authors Varady, Robert G.; University of Arizona. Arid Lands Information Center. Publisher U.S. Man and the Biosphere Secretariat, Department of State (Washington, D.C.) Download date 26/09/2021 08:07:51 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/228154 Environrnenta Profile of PAKISTAN by Us, Man ilLiiiosPhere S a.rtiyvent of State DC. 1::1zorlia (.::;oritract --0- DRAFT Environmental Profile of The Islamic Republic of PAKISTAN prepared by the Arid Lands Information Center Office of Arid Lands Studies University of Arizona Tucson, Arizona 85721 AID RSSA SA /TOA 77 -1 National Park Service Contract No. CX- 0001 -0 -0003 with U.S. Man and the Biosphere Secretariat Department of State Washington, D.C. May 1981 - Robert G. Varady,Compiler - THE UNITED STATES NATION .L C& IT`EE FOR MAN AND THE BIOSPHERE Department of State, IO /UCS WASHINGTON. D. C. 2052C An Introductory Note on Draft Environmental Profiles: The attached draft environmental report has been prepared under a contract between the U.S. Agency for International Development (A.I.D.), Office of Science and Technology (DS /ST) and the U.S. Man and the Bio- sphere (NAB) Program. It is a preliminary review of information avail- able in the United States on the status of the environment and the natural resources of the identified country and is one of a series of similar studies now underway on countries which receive U.S. bilateral assistance. This report is the first step in a process to develop better in- formation for the A.I.D. Mission, for host country officials, and others on the environmental situation in specific countries and begins to identify the most critical areas of concern. A more comprehensive study may be undertaken in each country by Regional Bureaus and /or A.I.D. Missions. These would involve local scientists in a more detailed examination of the actual situations as well as a better definition of issues, problems and priorities. Such "Phase II" studies would pro- vide substance for the Agency's Country Development Strategy Statements as well as,justifications for program initiatives in the areas of en- vironment and natural resources. Comments on the attached draft report would be welcomed by USMAB and DS /ST and should be addressed to either: James Corson Molly Kux MAB Project Coordinator Office of Forestry, Environment & IO /UCS OR Natural Resources. " Department of State T.S. AID SA -5 Rm 410 Washington, D.C. 20523 Washington, D.C. 20520 A COMMITTEE OF THE UNITED STATES NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR UNESCC Commission Established by Act of Congress July30, 1946 Aáwalpindi Islámèbàd j% CapitalTer. f % Sargodh.: yera lama Khan -- International boundary Province boundary 0* National capital O Province capital Railroad Road - - -- Track or trail tpo 200 Kilometers Nan ea. and boundary sedreeeroavan are ^ct necesSar, a °ta+, iv SUMMARY Situated in a generally arid and semi -arid region, Pakistan is a developing nation faced with many difficulties in improving the standard of living of its rapidly growing population. A majority of Pakistanis are subject to problems common to developing societies -- undernourishment, infectious disease, inadequate housing, improper sanitation and water supply, and low literacy. Since colonial times, governmental efforts to raise the average standard of living have focused on such large -scale agricultural and industrial development projects as irrigation works, railways, roads, factories and power plants. However, these attempts at modernization have generally increased water, soil, and air pollution, or accelerated erosion. The saturation of the Indus basin with a network of canals has caused Pakistan's most serious and widespread environmental problems -- waterlogging, salinity, and sedimentation. The pressures of an increasing population, rapidly approaching 100 million, have further deteriorated the environment and depleted natural resources. Demands for cropland, fuel, and timber have caused widespread deforestation, leading to desertification, erosion, and flooding. Inappropriate farming practices aggravate natural and man- caused problems. Finally, livestock populations have grown to unmanageable proportions, causing the ievegetation of already overused rangelands and accelerating desertification. Pakistan's principal environmental problems are: Waterlogging, salinity, and sedimentation. Observers agree upon the urgency of these irrigation- induced problems. In the Punjab area of the Indus basin, the water table is steadily rising, sometimes reaching the surface. The proliferation of canals, dams, and barrages has fostered the transport of large quantities of destructive mineral salts.These substances percolate from unlined canals into the soil and reduce fertility. In addition, silt builds up in rivers and threatens downstream structures and flood plain settlements by dangerously raising water levels in times of flood. The government presently devotes enormous financial resources to land reclamation even while extending irrigation and hydroelectric works. Disease. After a period of apparent control in the late 1960s, malaria has dramatically increased. It now threatens as many as a quarter of the nation's residents and is particularly rampant in Pakistan's crowded urban areas. Insecticide use is widespread, but mosquitoes are becoming more resistent and, their breeding places are increased by irrigation projects. Inadequate drainage, sewage, and freshwater facilities permit v the spread of other infectious organisms. Human health is also endangered by growing industrialization in the major urban centers and the increasing use of agricultural fertilizers and pesticides, which introduce hazardous pollutants into both water and food. Deforestation and desertification. Particularly in the hills enveloping the Indus plains, land is being converted to agri- cultural uses. Trees are cut down and insufficiently replaced by public afforestation programs. This process causes gully erosion, loss of topsoil, increased flooding downstream, destruction of faunal habitats, elimination of natural predators of pests, and eventually leads to the abandonment of land. Overgrazing in the northern mountains and on the Baluchistan plateau is rapidly reducing the potential of Pakistan's vast rangelands. Inadequate administration. Numerous agencies within the govern- ment are charged with protecting the environment, but inter- agency rivalry, inefficiency, trained manpower shortages, communications problems, and public apathy all interfere with effective environmental management. Pakistan, perhaps more than most developing nations, possesses the administrative machinery to control environmental degradation, but these difficulties and the sheer magnitude of some of the problems have made progress slow. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Summary v 1.0 Introduction i 2.0 General Description 2 2.1 Geography and Climate 2 2.1.1 Boundaries and Administrative Divisions 2.1.2 Geographic Features 2.1.3 Rainfall 2.1.4 Temperature, Humidity, Pressure, and Wind 2.2 Population 15 2.2.1 Historical and Cultural Background 2.2.2 Ethnicity and Language 2.2.3 Population Size, Growth, and Distribution 2.2.4 Health and Nutrition 2.3 Land Use 25 2.3.1 Crops 2.3.2 Livestock and Rangeland 3.0 Environmental Resources and Policy 34 3.1 Mineral Resources, Energy, and Soils 34 3.1.1 Geologic. Formations 3.1.2 Mineral Deposits 3.1.3 Energy Reserves 3.1.4 Soils 3.1.5 Administration, Policy, and Planning 3.2 Water Resources 43 3.2.1 Surface Water 3.2.2 Groundwater 3.2.3 Irrigation 3.2.4 Water Quality 3.2.5 Legislation, Policy, and Planning 3.3 Vegetation 59 3.3.1 Natural Forests 3.3.2 Plantations 3.3.3 Rangelands 3.3.4 Administration, Legislation, Policy, and Planning 3.4 Fauna and Conservation Measures 70 3.4.1 Native Terrestrial Fauna and Its Uses 3.4.2 Fisheries 3.4.3 Policy: Reserves and Protected Areas 3.4.4 Administration, Legislation, and Planning vii 4.0 Environmental Problems 85 4.1 Water Related Problems 4.1.1 Waterlogging, Salinity, and Sedimentation 4.1.2Flooding and Drought 4.1.3Pollution and Contamination of Water Supply 4.1.4 Marine Pollution 4.2 Environmental Problems in Rural Areas 90 4.2.1 Natural Disasters 4.2.2Underuse and Misuse of Land 4.2.3 Pesticide Use 4.2.4 Deforestation, Overgrazing, and Desertification 4.3 Environmental Problems in Urban Areas 97 4.3.1 Industrial Pollution 4.3.2Noise Pollution 4.3.3 Malaria Control 4.4 Environmental Management Problems 102 4.4.1 Training Facilities, Administration, and Communication 4.4.2 Legislation, Policy, and Enforcement Literature Cited 106 Appendix I Demographic Characteristics 115 Appendix II Economic Characteristics 122 Appendix III Acronyms used in this Report 132 Appendix IV Environmental Legislation 135 Appendix V Vegetative Community Surveys 141 Appendix VI Wildlife Information 149 Appendix VII MAB Projects in Pakistan 164 Appendix VIIIRecent U.S. AID Programs of Environmental 167 Significance Appendix IX U.S. Department of Agriculture Programs of 185 Environmental Significance Appendix X Selected Bibliography 205 viii 1.0 Introduction This draft environmental profile summarizes information avail- able in the United States on the natural resources and environment of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The report reviews the major environmental problems of Pakistan and the impact of the development process upon resources and the environment. This draft report represents the first step in developing an environmental profile