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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. These are serious environmental problems that Pakistan is facing and it is getting worse as the country’s economy expands and the population grows. Unfortunately, not much is being done to tackle these issues, because the goals of economic growth and the goals of 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, however, still remain the silent elephant in the room. 

Economic Consequences of Environmental Degradation

Majority of Pakistan’s industrial sectors, for example fishing and agriculture, which count for more than one forth of the output and two-fifth of employment in Pakistan, are highly dependent on the country’s natural resources. Hence in order to sustain economic growth there is a high demand on already scare natural resources.However it is ironic that what the country depends on for its growth is also what threatens the future welfare and success of the country. According to the World bank 70% of Pakistan’s population lives in rural areas and are already stricken of high poverty levels. These people depend on natural resources to provide income and tend to over use these resources. This leads to further degradation of the environment and subsequently increases poverty. Hence this has led to what the World Bank refers to as a “vicious downward spiral of impoverishment and environmental degradation.”   

Pollution

The World Bank report in 2014 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. The report also states that the increase in industrialization, urbanization and motorization are inevitably going to worse this problem.

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  Trash thrown in an empty plot in Karachi, Pakistan

Water pollution

Pakistan faces a major scarcity when it comes to water resources, especially finding clean water supplies. There is only one major river, the Indus River that supplies water through out the agricultural plains in Punjab and in Sindh, while the rest of the country has very little access to other fresh water supplies. The scarcity of water not only threatens Pakistan’s economy but also poses a serious threat to the lives of millions of Pakistanis. The issue of water pollution further worsens this problem for Pakistan. The sources for water pollution include, the over use of chemical fertilizers, the dumping of industrial wastes into lakes and rivers, untreated sewage being dumped into the ocean and contaminated pipelines being used to transport water. The contamination of fresh drinking water makes it harder for people to find clean water supplies and increases the prevalence of waterborne diseases. Consequently, most of the reported health problems in Pakistan are either a direct or indirect result of polluted water. According to a report, 45% of infant deaths are due to diarrhea and 60% to overall water borne diseases. Many claim Pakistan’s inability to solve this water crisis is due to the lack of accountability, unclear laws and strategies amongst the government departments and the lack of public participation and awareness.

Noise pollution

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 busses, cars, trucks, rickshaws and water tankers. A study showed that on one of Karachi’s the main road the average noise level was around 90 dB and is capable of reaching about 110 dB. This is much higher than 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 is 85 dB". This high level of noise pollution has auditory and non-auditory health issues. Auditory issues include the loss of auditory sensory cells and non-auditory health issues include “sleep disturbance, noise and cardiovascular disease, endocrine response to noise and psychiatric disorder.” Unfortunately there are very few, vague laws and policies in regards to noise levels. There is no accountability, and while the Federal and Provincial environmental protection agencies receive dozens of complaints on noise pollution from the puble, these agencies are unable to take action due to legal constraints and the absence of national noise level standards.

Air pollution

Air pollution is a growing environmental problem in Pakistan, especially in the large metropolises. According to a World Bank report, “Pakistan’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 vehicle 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, Pakistan's Environment Protection Department claims that the average level of pollution in big cities is approximately four times higher than the World Health Organisation limits. These emissions have detrimental effects, ranging from “respiratory diseases, reduced visibility, loss of vegetation and an effect on the growth of plants.”  However one of the greatest contributor 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.

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  Young boys run across the main open sewage drain that is covered by a thick layer of household waste strong enough to withstand the weight of their parents in Karachi's Machar Colony, Pakistan on November 3, 2009. Photographed by Balazs Gardi

Climate change

Climate change has affected the people and the environment of Pakistan in different ways. Although Pakistan is a relatively small emitter of Green House Gas as compared to other countries, the country will however be greatly effected by the negative impacts of climate change. According to the Pakistan Economic Survey of 2014-15, 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 concerns Pakistan is and will face due to climate change. The survey also concluded that the changes 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, majority of the Pakistani people surveyed in this report claimed that climate change has heavily impacted their lives in the form of floods; droughts and most importantly affected the availability of resources such as energy and water. 53% of the Pakistani’s felt that their lives have become worse off than they were five years ago. Although the effects of climate change are evident, the survey found that majority of the people where unaware of the meaning of climate change, and “ascribed changes in climate and extreme weather events to the will of God.”

Natural Disasters

The natural disasters Pakistan has experienced in the past include earthquakes, floods, tsunami, and drought and cyclones/ hurricanes. Due to Pakistan’s diverse land and climatic conditions, it is prone to different forms of disasters. 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.

Some of the worst natural disasters that Pakistan has faced include the 1935 Quetta earthquake when around 60000 people were killed, the 1950 floods when estimates of 2900 people died and 900000 people were left homeless, the 1974 Hunza earthquake where around 5300 people were killed, the 2005 Kashmir Quake that killed at least 73000 and affect more than 1.5 million people, and the Pakistan Floods 2010 where 20 million people were affected.