Environmental issues in Pakistan

Environmental issues in Pakistan include deforestation, air pollution, water pollution, noise pollution, climate change, pesticide misuse, soil erosion, natural disasters and desertification.^[1] These are serious environmental problems that Pakistan is facing, and they are getting worse as the country's economy expands and the population grows. Little is being done to tackle these issues, because the goals of economic growth and tackling terrorism within the country supersede the goals of environmental preservation. Although NGOs and government departments have taken initiatives to stop environmental degradation, Pakistan's environmental issues still remain.

Pollution:-

The World Bank report in 2013 stated that Pakistan's top environmental issues include air pollution, inadequate supply of uncontaminated drinking water, noise pollution and the health deterioration of urban and rural populations due to pollution. These environmental concerns not only harm Pakistani citizens but also pose a serious threat to the country's economy

Water pollution:-

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Pakistan is classified as a water stressed nation by the World Bank. There are seven main rivers that enter Pakistan from upper riparian states, including the Kabul River that enters from Afghanistan, and the Indus River, Jhelum River, Chenab River, Ravi River, and Sutlej River that enter from India. Among these the Ravi and Sutlej are diverted in upstream India, for which consumptive use was awarded to India under the Indus Waters Treaty signed in 1960 by India and Pakistan. Canal networks from the Indus (main stem), Jhelum River, and Chenab River supply water throughout the agricultural plains in Punjab and in Sindh, while the rest of the country has very little access to other fresh water.^[1] Potential scarcity of water not only threatens Pakistan's economy but also poses a serious threat to the lives of millions of Pakistanis.

Noise pollution:-

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The megacities of Pakistan, such as Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad and Rawalpindi, face the issue of noise pollution. The main source of this pollution is the traffic noise caused by buses, cars, trucks, rickshaws and water tankers. A study showed that on one of Karachi's main roads, the average noise level was around 90 dB and was capable of reaching about 110 dB. This is much higher than the ISO's noise level standard of 70 dB, which is not meant to be harmful to the human ear. However, the study also concluded that in Pakistan, "the traffic noise levels limit as laid down by National Environment Quality standards, Environmental Protection Agency

Air pollution:-

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Air pollution is a growing environmental problem in most major cities of Pakistan. According to a World Bank report, "Karachi's urban air pollution is among the most severe in the world and it engenders significant damages to human health and the economy". The inefficient use of energy, an increase in the number of vehicles used daily, an increase in unregulated industrial emissions and the burning of garbage and plastic have contributed the most to air pollution in urban areas. According to a recent study, the Sindh Environment Protection Department claims that the average level of pollution in big cities is approximately four times higher than the World Health Organisation's limits. These emissions have detrimental effects, including "respiratory diseases, reduced visibility, loss of vegetation and an effect on the growth of plants."

One of the greatest contributors to air pollution is industrial activity. The inadequate air emission treatments and lack of regulatory control over industrial activity has contributed to the deterioration of ambient air quality in major cities. In addition, the common practice of burning massive amounts of solid waste, including plastic and rubber, on street corners by the public, releases toxic gases, which are extremely harmful for residents in the area.

Climate change:-

Climate change has affected the people and the environment of Pakistan in different ways. Although Pakistan is a relatively small emitter of greenhouse gas as compared to other countries, the country will, however, be greatly affected by the negative impacts of climate change. According to the Pakistan Economic Survey of 2014-15,^[12] the "increase in frequency and intensity of extreme weather events coupled with erratic monsoon rains causing frequent and intense floods and droughts" are the most prominent problems Pakistan will face due to climate change. The survey concluded that the change in weather patterns has destroyed infrastructures, has taken many lives and has had devastating impacts on the agriculture sector, which has in turn has affected Pakistan's economy.

According to the BBC Climate Asia report,^[13] the majority of the Pakistani people surveyed claimed that climate change has heavily impacted their lives in the form of floods and droughts, and most importantly has affected the availability of resources such as energy and water. 53% of Pakistanis felt that their lives had become worse off than they were five years ago. Although the effects of climate change are evident, the survey found that the majority of the people were unaware of the meaning of climate change, and "ascribed changes in climate and extreme weather events to the will of God.

Natural disasters:-

Due to Pakistan's diverse land and climatic conditions, it is prone to different forms of natural disasters, including earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, droughts, cyclones and hurricanes.^[1] A disaster management report claims that the provinces of Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), Balochistan and AJK are vulnerable seismic regions and hence highly susceptible to earthquakes, while Sindh and Punjab constantly suffer from floods because they are low-lying areas.^[14]

Some of the worst natural disasters that Pakistan has faced include the 1935 Quetta earthquake when around 60,000 people were killed, the 1950 floods when an estimated 2900 people died and 900,000 people were left homeless, the 1974 Hunza earthquake where around 5300 people were killed, the 2005 Kashmir quake that killed at least 73,000 and affected more than 1.5 million people, and the Pakistan floods of 2010 where 20 million people were affected

Clean Green Champion Program:-

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An initiative named Clean Green Pakistan was launched in 2019 by Government of Pakistan. The idea of initiative was to held a competition between cities of Pakistan in Cleanliness and Greenery. A web portal was launched where citizens can get registered and report their activities to earn points. Citizens would also be awarded medals when they reach a certain threshold of points.

Billion Tree Tsunami:-

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The Billion Tree Tsunami was launched in 2014, by the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), Pakistan, as a response to the challenge of global warming. Pakistan's Billion Tree Tsunami restores 350,000 hectares of forests and degraded land to surpass its Bonn Challenge commitment. The project aimed at improving the ecosystems of classified forests, as well as privately owned waste and farm lands, and therefore entails working in close collaboration with concerned communities and stakeholders to ensure their meaningful participation through effectuating project promotion and extension services.^[18] In just a year it has added three-quarters of a billion new trees, as part of a “tree tsunami” aimed at reversing worsening forest losS The projected was completed in August 2017, ahead of schedule.

Land use

• Arable land - 27%
• Permanent crops - 1%
• Permanent pastures - 6%
• Forests and woodland - 5%
• Other - 61% (1993 est.)
• Irrigated land - 171,100 km² (1993 est.)

References:-

1. ^ 
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   ^a b c d "The World Factbook — Central Intelligence Agency". www.cia.gov. Retrieved 2016-11-04.
2. ^ 
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   ^a b "11. Environmental Issues - World Bank" (PDF). worldbank.org. Retrieved 30 October 2016.
3. ^ Sánchez-Triana, Ernesto; Enriquez, Santiago; afzal, Javaid; Nakagawa, Akiko; Shuja Khan, Asif (2014). "Cleaning Pakistan's Air: Policy Options to Address the Cost of Outdoor Air Pollution" (PDF). www.worldbank.org. World Bank.
4. ^ "Brief on Water Pollution" (PDF). environment.gov.pk. Retrieved 30 October 2016.
5. ^ Sabir, Ismat (28 November 2012). "Water is Becoming Scarce". Pakistan Observer.
6. ^ "Satellite Based Monitoring of Groundwater Storage Variations Over Indus Basin"(PDF). www.pcrwr.gov.pk. Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resource, Ministry of Science & Technology.
7. ^ "Traffic Noise Pollution in Karachi, Pakistan" (PDF). Journal of Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences. 09.
8. ^ "Exploring Noise Pollution, Source and its impacts: an anthropological Study of rawalpindi city" (PDF). Pakistan Association of Anthropology. ISSN 1013-5316.