Pakistan has witnessed a growth in its GDP level along with a decline in the poverty rate.

However, the well being of the nation is highly dependant on the availability of natural resources. The natural resources of Pakistan remain under great environmental stress which makes it difficult for the country to manage its scarce natural resources. Most importantly, the population of Pakistan is increasing at an alarming rate. This increase puts the natural resources under great stress. This can be assessed from the availability of fresh water resources in the country. The availability of water is already scare due to a decline in the level of rainfalls and due to diversions for agricultural purposes. In addition to the above, the decline in the area covered by forests has severe negative implications for indispensable ecological services as well as irrigation and biodiversity. Livestock grazing has also registered an increase due to which arid and semi arid rangelands are suffering at an extensive rate. Furthermore, the level of energy consumption has greatly increased in Pakistan. The country is not technologically efficient to fulfill its personal needs and needs to import fossil fuels to fulfill its energy requirements. Industrial waste is also damaging the fertile soils of the country. Solid waste is dumped in low lying lands. Untreated sewerage is also contaminating water sources and acting as a major health hazard for people. The Asian Development Bank, the Government of Pakistan as well as international organizations (e.g. World Bank) have documented the following as the environmental issues in Pakistan.

Key Environmental Issues in Pakistan

Government of Pakistan Environmental Issue (2005) Water Declining per capita X availability Pollution of water bodies X Groundwater depletion Inadequate service delivery Energy Inefficient use of High transmission losses Air pollution (caused by X vehicles and industries) Health Impact of air pollution Impact of water pollution Lead exposure Irrigated agriculture Soil erosion Water-logging, salinity, and X sodicity Rangeland degradation and desertification Intrusion of saline water into freshwater Biodiversity Low forest cover Deforestation X Loss of habitats and species extinction Government of Pakistan (2006) X X X X X X X X X X

World Bank (2006) X X

X X X X X X X X X X

X X

X X

Sources: (i) Government of Pakistan. 2005. State of Environment Report (Draft). Islamabad: Ministry of Environment. (ii) Government of Pakistan. 2006. Pakistan Millennium Development Goals Report 2006. Islamabad: Planning Commission. (iii) World Bank. 2006. Pakistan, Strategic Country Environmental Assessment. Washington, DC: World Bank.

3.2 Energy
In recent years, Pakistan has registered a rise in the consumption of oil (approximately 65,000 bbl/day). The countrys refining capacity is limited due to which it is heavily dependent on the import of petroleum products. On the other hand, natural gas currently accounts for the countrys greatest share of energy use. Pakistan consumes all the natural gas that it produces. Over the past six

years period, natural gas consumption in the country has risen by an average annual rate of 10.4%, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) by 17.6%, and coal by 22.8%. Despite a slight increase in and with increased use of compressed natural gas (CNG) in vehicles, oil consumption to an extent has leveled off temporarily. 1 Due to the growth in the consumption of natural gas in Pakistan, it is expected that the country would need to rely on the import of the resource to fulfill its requirements. Therefore, Pakistan is presently exploring pipeline options (Iran-Pakistan-India, Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India). It is also considering the import of liquefied natural gas from Qatar in order to meet the expected growth in demand. On the other hand, little progress has been made by the country in the conservation and efficient usage of energy even though Pakistan has one of the largest coal reserves that are estimated at 185 billion tons in Thar in Southern Pakistan coal plays a small part in countrys energy mix,

3.3 Health
According to results obtained from new research studies pollution caused by hazardous gas emissions and solid waste acts as an important environmental issue that is being faced by Pakistan. Pollution is also a source of health implications in Pakistan. 3.3.1 Air Pollution One of the key sources of air pollution in Pakistan is the rapid growth of industry and transport business. The quality of air in Pakistan has deteriorated at a significant pace due to these businesses. According to studies conducted in 2001, concentrations of suspended particulate matter in Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Islamabad were four to seven times higher than those suggested by the World Health Organization (WHO). Furthermore, higher levels of fine particulate matter were also calculated in Gujranwala and Faisalabad in 2003 and in Quetta in 20062. In addition to the above, some frequently emitted gases by vehicles consist of carbon monoxide, nitrous oxides and ozone. These gases can prove to be dangerous to human health if the level of concentration rises above concentration level of 10. 3.3.2 Water Pollution Groundwater is also adversely impacted as it gets polluted by raw sewerage and industrial waste products. There is no proper sewerage disposal system and less than half
1 2

Asian Development Bank. 2008. Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Country Environment Analysis. Asian Development Bank. 2008. Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Country Environment Analysis

of urban sewerage is drained through sewers and covered drains. Due to improper sewerage system Pakistan suffers from limited access to potable water. Poor sanitation facilities promote degraded hygiene in Pakistan. According to studies, over half of human waste produced in Pakistan is dumped in open drains or is mixed with solid waste. Moreover, the water that is supplied to the public is contaminated. Approximately 40% of urban households are not connected to tap water supply and rely on groundwater supply. The groundwater that is consumed by these households is heavily contaminated thus acting as a source of health hazards. On the other hand, around 10% of rural households depend on open dug wells to supply water. This source of water is highly contaminated and acts as a source of diseases like diarrhea.

Environmental issues and challenges effect on growth

Until about 2007 Pakistan had a booming economy. Economic reforms implemented earlier had resulted in good growth rates, with good levels of investment and sustainable fiscal balances. Long term growth rates were also reasonable, averaging 2.6 percent since 1960 that were more than other countries in South Asia. Despite this remarkable record, however, the natural resource base is stressed and the burden of disease remains high, threatening to undermine growth prospects. According to the work done by the World Bank 3, the urgency of addressing Pakistans environmental problems is highlighted by the fact environmental degradation costs the country at least 6 percent of GDP, or about Rs. 365 billion per year, and these issues have a disproportionately high impact on poor people. The most significant causes of environmental damage identified and estimated by the Banks are (i) illness and premature mortality caused by air pollution (indoor and outdoor), (almost 50 percent of the total damage cost); (ii) diarrheal diseases and typhoid due to inadequate water supply, sanitation and hygiene (about 30 percent of the total), and (iii) reduced agricultural productivity due to soil degradation (about 20 percent of the total). The magnitude of these costs indicates that environmental decay has become a serious development concern. Accelerated growth and urbanization present added environmental challenges. These challenges exist in the form of toxic air and water pollution and hazardous solid waste.
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Strategic country environmental assessment: Rising to the challenges, 2006 4

Capturing the development dividend of growth calls for complementary policies that address environmental issues while facilitating development. Pakistan has a commendable record of efforts to promote conservation and longer term sustainability, from the National Conservation Strategy of 1992 through to the adoption of a National Environment Policy (NEP) in 2005. Implementation of these initiatives remains a challenge, however. Whether judged in terms of regional performance or environmental stress factors, there is significant scope to better ensure the sustainability of Pakistans economic growth.

5. The National Environmental Policy of Pakistan.

The National Environment Policy recognizes the goals and objectives of the National conservation strategy, national environment action plan and other existing related policies to federal, provincial and local governments for addressing national issues in ensuring effective management of environmental resources. The National Conservation Strategy of Pakistan was adopted in 1992 after a long and protracted process of consultation with governmental agencies, academia, NGOs, and civil society organizations engaged in the domain of the natural resource conservation, environmental preservation and sustainable development. The National Conservation Strategy of the Government of Pakistan provides a broad framework for addressing environmental concerns in the country. It comprises 14 core areas viz. integrating population and environment programmes, supporting institutions for the common resources, preserving cultural heritage, preventing and abating pollution, conservation of bio-diversity, increasing energy efficiency, restoring range land and improving livestock, maintaining the soil in croplands, increasing irrigation efficiency, protecting watersheds, supporting forestry and plantations and protecting water bodies and sustaining fisheries, developing and deploying renewable, and Managing urban waste. The NCS identifies a need for concrete action in 14 core programmes areas. Under the guidance of the Cabinet Implementation Committee, the NCS Plan of Action/Programme has been divided into four components viz. strengthening of institutions, creation of supportive framework of regulation and economic incentives, broad based communications campaign of mass awareness and the implementation of projects in NCS core areas. The National Conservation Strategy Unit of Ministry of Environment, Local Government and Rural Development serves as the Secretariat for the implementation of the National Conservation Strategy and its Plan of Action. Keeping in view the wider range and scope of the activities in the domain of the NCS implementation it was felt substantive that the Cabinet Committee for Implementation of NCS is reviewed and made active. Hence the Cabinet Committee was reconstituted and notified in April 2000.

Pakistan is an energy importer and is required to pay heavily in order to import different sources of energy. Also technologies that aid in the transition of becoming an efficient energy based country exist and it should be Pakistans main priority to change its power sector. Also to protect the environment a number of preventive measures are available. For instance the use of cleaner fuel in the form of (CNG) compressed natural gas, diesel with low sulfur content help in reducing the use of lead based gasoline. Most importantly, the addition of lead from all gasoline brands has been phased out since 2005 in Pakistan. This action would help in lowering the level of ethyl. Furthermore, the conversion of petrol based vehicles to CNG needs to be further encouraged in Pakistan. Pakistan has the third largest fleet of vehicles run on CNG in the world after Argentina and Brazil. In addition to the above, in order to improve agricultural conditions in Pakistan, the country should establish wide ranging consultations and learning to national agricultural policy. A research plan also needs to be put in place to develop studies to stress on the need to develop crops that are heat resilient to be able to bear the harsh climate of Pakistan in summers. Industrial effluent treatment is essential in order to promote proper waste management and to protect the water bodies of the country. Industries need to practice newer modes of discharging waste material and disposing it in order to ensure that it doesnt have a negative impact on the environment. To reduce the level of air pollution, the level of vehicular emissions needs to be checked. This can be achieved with the aid of national and city specific policies. It is essential to implement a better traffic management system and regulate as well as monitor the level of emissions through vehicles. Domestic hygiene level also needs to be improved across the country. Good hygiene practices at the domestic level can greatly impact the health of individuals. The importance of washing ones hands with soap before cooking, eating and doing household work needs to be highly stressed. The proper cleaning of hands reduces the chances of diarrhea amongst the young. Therefore there is a great need for launching a campaign on an international level that would encourage the practice of hygienic habits. The involvement of the society is of great importance in order to improve the countrys environmental conditions. Active involvement of the citizens can help government and private organizations in speeding up the process of improving the environment. Investment policies to protect the environment also need to be established in order to protect the environment.

Additionally the following is a list of crucial actions that need to be taken to improve the current environmental situation of Pakistan. The following actions would help in catalyzing the process of environment improvement. Establishment of standards for the environmental quality specifically in the form of air quality, water quality standards and drinking water standards. Development of a mode of protocols to effectively collect information on urban and industrial national resource management. Setting up of guidelines for the clearance of the functions of EIA

Environmental outcomes are influenced by the following (i) the level of environmentally damaging activities (pressures), and (ii) environmental policies, regulations and institutions, which are critical mediation factors. Institutional performance is one of the critical factors that determine environmental outcomes. Institutions are responsible for enforcing government policies, and consequently institutional design affects environmental outcomes. To discharge their mandates effectively, institutions require adequate human, physical and financial resources, backed by legislative authority. Finally, incentives establish how effectively institutions utilize their available resources and fulfill their mandates. Public pressure and accountability is vital in providing feedback on performance and avoiding the perils of interest group capture. The relationship between environmental pressures, mediating factors and environmental outcomes may be seen as an environmental production function.

Source: Strategic country environmental assessment: Rising to the challenges, 2006