Assignment # 01

Environment planning & Practice

Name MOIZ NAVEED

Roll # Ce 590950
Question # 01
Define the term sustainable development. How can community adopt
approaches to opt for sustainability in their neighborhood?

Sustainable Development:

Sustainable development is defined as an approach to developing or

growing by using resources in a way that allows for them to renew or
continue to exist for others.

An economic development theory that calls for raising living standards

without destroying the earth’s ecosystems or causing environmental
problems such as climate changes, water scarcity, or species extinction.
Some say sustainable development means that the rich will have to
reduce their standard of living in order to share more with poor people;
others argue that is not the case. Using recycled materials or renewable
resources when building is an example of sustainable development.
Building a new community in a previously undeveloped area without
destroying the ecosystem or harming the environment is an example of
sustainable development.

Sustainable development is the idea that human societies must live and
meet their needs without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs. The “official” definition of
sustainable development was developed for the first time in the
Brundtland Report in 1987. Specifically, sustainable development is a
way of organizing society so that it can exist in the long term. This
means taking into account both the imperatives present and those of
the future, such as the preservation of the environment and natural
resources or social and economic equity.

Community can adopt the following approaches to opt for

sustainability in their neighborhood.
1. Economic resources /Economic Pillar
2. Environmental resources/Environmental Pillar
3. Cultural resources/Social Pillar
Economic resources /Economic Pillar:
The economic pillar of sustainability is where most businesses feel they
are on firm ground. To be sustainable, a business must be profitable.
That said, profit cannot trump the other two pillars. In fact, profit at any
cost is not at all what the economic pillar is about. Activities that fit
under the economic pillar include compliance, proper governance and
risk management. While these are already table stakes for most North
American companies, they are not globally.
Sometimes, this pillar is referred to as the governance pillar, referring
to good corporate governance. This means that boards of directors and
management align with shareholders' interests as well as that of the
company's community, value chains, and end-user customers. With
regard to governance, investors may want to know that a company
uses accurate and transparent accounting methods, and that
stockholders are given an opportunity to vote on important issues.
They may also want assurances that companies avoid conflicts of
interest in their choice of board members, don't use political
contributions to obtain unduly favorable treatment and, of course,
don't engage in illegal practices.

It is the inclusion of the economic pillar and profit that makes it

possible for corporations to come on board with sustainability
strategies. The economic pillar provides a counterweight to extreme
measures that corporations are sometimes pushed to adopt, such as
abandoning fossil fuels or chemical fertilizers instantly rather than
phasing in changes.

Environmental resources/Environmental Pillar:

The environmental pillar often gets the most attention. Companies are
focusing on reducing their carbon footprints, packaging waste, water
usage and their overall effect on the environment. Companies have
found that have a beneficial impact on the planet can also have a
positive financial impact. Lessening the amount of material used in
packaging usually reduces the overall spending on those materials, for
example. Wal-Mart keyed in on packaging through their zero-waste
initiative, pushing for less packaging through their supply chain and for
more of that packaging to be sourced from recycled or reused
materials.

Other businesses that have an undeniable and obvious environmental

impact, such as mining or food production, approach the
environmental pillar through benchmarking and reducing. One of the
challenges with the environmental pillar is that a business's impact are
often not fully casted, meaning that there are externalities that aren't
being captured. The all-in costs of wastewater, carbon dioxide, land
reclamation and waste in general are not easy to calculate because
companies are not always the ones on the hook for the waste they
produce. This is where benchmarking comes in to try and quantify
those externalities, so that progress in reducing them can be tracked
and reported in a meaningful way.

Cultural resources/Social Pillar:

The social pillar ties back into another poorly defined concept: social
license. A sustainable business should have the support and approval of
its employees, stakeholders and the community it operates in. The
approaches to securing and maintaining this support are various, but it
comes down to treating employees fairly and being a good neighbor
and community member, both locally and globally.

The Bottom Line

Sustainability encompasses the entire supply chain of a business,
requiring accountability from the primary level, through the suppliers,
all the way to the retailers. If producing something sustainably becomes
a competitive edge for supplying multinational corporations, this could
reconfigure some of the global supply lines that have developed based
solely on low-cost production. Of course, that scenario depends on how
strongly corporations embrace sustainability and whether it is a true
change of direction or just lip service.

Question # 02
Discuss the importance of atmosphere to the survival of human life and
other animals on the planet Earth. Discuss with reference to water
cycle among atmosphere, biosphere and hydrosphere with relevant
diagrams?

The atmosphere is important for many reasons. Before we talk about

why it is important we should define what the atmosphere is. The
atmosphere is the layer of air that surrounds a planet. Earth has an
atmosphere that is just right for humans, animals, and plants to live in.

The gases in the atmosphere act like a blanket keeping our planet warm
plus the atmosphere contains oxygen something we (humans and
animals) all need to breathe.

Many planets in our solar system have a atmosphere. Venus for

example has such a thick atmosphere most of the sun's energy gets
trapped making the surface of Venus 864 degrees Fahrenheit! That is
hotter than an oven! Mars also has an atmosphere but it is too thin
making the surface of Mars -80 degrees Fahrenheit! Plus the
atmospheres of Venus and Mars do not contain the oxygen we all need
to breathe.

Our atmosphere allows just enough of the sun's energy back into space
so that we do not get to hot like Venus or too cold like Mars. If Earth
had no atmosphere, apart from having no air to breathe, the surface of
the Earth would be 0 degrees Fahrenheit.
The atmosphere is important for many reasons! One reason is that the
earth's atmosphere acts as an insulating layer that protects the earth's
surface from the intense light and heat of the sun. The atmosphere
protects us from UV and other short wavelength light that would
otherwise do a lot of damage to the DNA of living organisms. Without
the atmosphere, it would get really hot in the day time, and extremely
cold at night.

The atmosphere is also important because it contains oxygen, which we

and other living organisms breathe. It also acts as a medium of
transport for various chemicals, including, but not limited to, water (in
the form of rain, snow, steam, etc), carbon dioxide and oxygen (for
cycling of these chemicals between plants and animals), and nitrogen
(which helps plants grow). There are also other biogeochemical cycles

(cycling of different chemicals) between the land masses, the oceans,

and the atmosphere that are important for the various kinds of
ecosystems around the world.

The atmosphere is a combination of gases that surround the Earth. It is

composed of approximately 78 percent nitrogen, 21 percent oxygen
and one percent other gases (water vapor and carbon dioxide). The
earth’s atmosphere is essential to the protection and survival of the
planet and its living organisms.

Radiation Absorption and Reflection

Ultraviolet radiation (UV radiation) is energy created by the sun. UV

radiation is harmful in large amounts and can cause sunburn, skin
cancer and eye problems. The ozone layer is a section of the Earth’s
atmosphere that acts as a barrier between the Earth and UV radiation.
The ozone layer protects the Earth from too much radiation by both
absorbing and reflecting harmful UV rays.

Meteorite Protection

A meteoroid is a small rock or object drifting in space. A meteoroid is

called a meteor (also called a falling or shooting star) when it
penetrates the Earth’s atmosphere. When a meteor hits the Earth, it is
called a meteorite. Meteorites can be dangerous depending on their
size and the location of impact with the Earth. However, harm caused
by meteorites is extremely rare. The atmosphere provides protection
against meteorites. Most meteors are small and will burn up when they
pass through the Earth’s atmosphere.

Vacuum of Space

The vacuum of space is a region where there is very little pressure and
air. It is a space of emptiness that contains little to no matter (has mass
and can be a solid, liquid or gas). The atmosphere protects the Earth
from the vacuum. The gasses and pressure of the atmosphere allow
living organisms to breathe. The atmosphere also prevents water from
vaporizing into space. Without the atmosphere, there would be no life
on the Earth.

Atmospheric Protection

While the magnetosphere blocks charged particles, the ionosphere, a

high-level layer of Earth's atmosphere, stops the radiation from solar
flares. Every day, charged gas particles within the 153-mile-deep
ionosphere absorb radiation and prevent it from reaching Earth's
surface. Although intense, with this protection the energy of a solar
flare cannot irradiate our planet and potentially damage Earth's plants
and animals.

HYDROSPHERE WATER CYCLE

The present-day water cycle at Earth’s surface is made up of several
parts. Some 496,000 cubic km (about 119,000 cubic miles) of water
evaporates from the land and ocean surface annually, remaining for
about 10 days in the atmosphere before falling as rain or snow. The
amount of solar radiation necessary to evaporate this water is half of
the total solar radiation received at Earth’s surface. About one-third of
the precipitation falling on land runs off to the oceans primarily in
rivers, while direct groundwater discharge to the oceans accounts for
only about 0.6 percent of the total discharge. A small amount of
precipitation is temporarily stored in the waters of rivers and lakes. The
remaining precipitation over land, 73,000 cubic km (17,500 cubic miles)

per year, returns to the atmosphere by evaporation. Over the oceans,

evaporation exceeds precipitation, and the net difference represents
transport of water vapors over land, where it precipitates as rain or
snow and returns to the oceans as river runoff and direct groundwater
discharge.

The various reservoirs in the water cycle have different water residence
times. Residence time is defined as the amount of water in a reservoir
divided by either the rate of addition of water to the reservoir or the
rate of loss from it. The oceans have a water residence time of 3,000 to
3,230 years; this long residence time reflects the large amount of water
in the oceans. In the atmosphere the residence time of water vapor
relative to total evaporation is only about 10 days. Lakes, rivers, ice,
and groundwaters have residence times lying between these two
extremes and are highly variable.

There is considerable variation in evaporation and precipitation over

the globe. In order for precipitation to occur, there must be sufficient
atmospheric water vapor and enough rising air to carry the vapor to an
altitude where it can condense and precipitate. Precipitation and
evaporation vary with latitude and their relation to the global wind
belts. The trade winds, for example, are initially cool, but they warm up
as they blow toward the Equator. These winds pick up moisture from
the ocean, increasing ocean surface salinity and causing seawater at the
surface to sink. When the trade winds reach the Equator, they rise, and
the water vapors in them condenses and forms clouds. Net
precipitation is high near the Equator and also in the belts of the
prevailing westerlies, where there is frequent storm activity.
Evaporation exceeds precipitation in the subtropics, where the air is
stable, and near the poles, where the air is both stable and has a low

water vapour content because of the cold. The Greenland Ice Sheet and
the Antarctic Ice Sheet formed because the very low evaporation rates
at the poles resulted in precipitation exceeding evaporation in these
local regions.
The present-day surface hydrologic cycle, in which water is transferred
from the oceans through the atmosphere to the continents and back to
the oceans over and beneath the land surface. The values in
parentheses following the various forms of water (e.g., ice) refer to
volumes in millions of cubic kilometres; those following the processes
(e.g., precipitation) refer to their fluxes in millions of cubic kilometres of
water per year.
Latitudinal variation in precipitation and evaporation and its
relationship to major wind belts and oceanic salinity.

ATMOSPHERIC WATER CYCLE

Water vapour plays a key role in the Earth's energy balance. Almost
50% of the absorbed solar radiation at the surface is used to cool the
surface, through evaporation, and warm the atmosphere, through
release of latent heat. Latent heat is the single largest factor in warming
the atmosphere and in transporting heat from low to high latitudes.
Water vapour is also the dominant greenhouse gas and contributes to a
warming of the climate system by some 24°C (Kondratev 1972).
However, water vapour is a passive component in the troposphere as it
is uniquely determined by temperature and should therefore be seen
as a part of the climate feedback system

The water on planet Earth and the role of the hydrological cycle:

The way water vapour is transported between oceans and continents

and the return of water via rivers to the oceans. Generally water
vapour is well observed and analysed; however, there are considerable
obstacles to observing precipitation, in particular over the oceans. The
response of the hydrological cycle to global warming is far reaching.
Because different physical processes control the change in water
vapour and evaporation/precipitation, this leads to a more extreme
distribution of precipitation making, in general, wet areas wetter and
dry areas dryer. Another consequence is a transition towards more
intense precipitation. It is to be expected that the changes in the
hydrological cycle as a consequence of climate warming may be more
severe that the temperature changes.

Water on planet Earth

The total amount of available water on the Earth amounts to some 1.5
x 109 km3. The dominant part of this, 1.4 x 109 km3, resides in the
oceans. About 29 x 106 km3 are locked up in land ice and glaciers and
some 15 x 106 km3 are estimated to exist as groundwater. If all land ice
and glaciers were to melt the sea level would rise some 80 m
(Baumgartner and Reichel 1975).

13 x 103 km3 of water vapour are found in the atmosphere

corresponding to a global average of 26 kg m-2 or 26 mm m-2 of water
for each column of air on the surface of the Earth. There are large
geographical differences such as between low and high latitudes. Figure
1 shows an estimate of the global water exchange between ocean and
land, an annual average in units of 103 km3 (Baumgartner and Reichel
1975). An updated version can be found in Trenberth et al 2007 (their
figure 1) showing broadly similar results.

There is a net transport of some 38 units from ocean to land with about
the same amount returning by the rivers to the ocean. However the
amount of precipitation over the continents is almost three times as
high, indicating a considerable recirculation of water over land. As
shown by Trenberth et al (2007) the recirculation has a marked annual
cycle as well as having large variations between continents. The
recirculation is larger during the summer and for tropical land areas.

The hydrological cycle of the world's oceans interacts differently with

that of the continents. Most of the water from the Pacific Ocean
recirculates between different parts of the Pacific itself, as and there is
little net transport towards land. The pattern of water exchange
between ocean and land is different in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans.
Two thirds of the total net transport of water towards the continents
comes from the Atlantic Ocean, with the rest essentially from the
Indian Ocean. Most of the continental water for North and South
America, Europe and Africa emanates from the Atlantic and is also
returned to the Atlantic by the rivers.
BIOSPHER WATER CYCLE

Whereas energy flows through an ecosystem, water and elements like

carbon and nitrogen are recycled. Water and nutrients are constantly
being recycled through the environment. This process through which
water or a chemical element is continuously recycled in an ecosystem is
called a biogeochemical cycle. This recycling process involves both the
living organisms (biotic components) and nonliving things (abiotic
factors) in the ecosystem. Through biogeochemical cycles, water and
other chemical elements are constantly being passed through living
organisms to non-living matter and back again, over and over. Three
important biogeochemical cycles are the water cycle, carbon cycle, and
nitrogen cycle.

The biogeochemical cycle that recycles water is the water cycle. The
water cycle involves a series of interconnected pathways involving both
the biotic and abiotic components of the biosphere. Water is obviously
an extremely important aspect of every ecosystem. Life cannot exist
without water. Many organisms contain a large amount of water in
their bodies, and many live in water, so the water cycle is essential to
life on Earth. Water continuously moves between living organisms, such
as plants, and non-living things, such as clouds, rivers, and oceans .

The water cycle does not have a real starting or ending point. It is an
endless recycling process that involves the oceans, lakes and other
bodies of water, as well as the land surfaces and the atmosphere. The
steps in the water cycle are as follows, starting with the water in the
oceans.

Water evaporates from the surface of the oceans, leaving behind salts.
As the water vapor rises, it collects and is stored in clouds.
As water cools in the clouds, condensation occurs. Condensation is
when gases turn back into liquids.

Condensation creates precipitation. Precipitation includes rain, snow,

hail, and sleet. The precipitation allows the water to return again to the
Earth’s surface.

When precipitation lands on land, the water can sink into the ground to
become part of our underground water reserves, also known as
groundwater. Much of this underground water is stored in aquifers,
which are porous layers of rock that can hold water.

Run-off

Most precipitation that occurs over land, however, is not absorbed by

the soil and is called runoff. This runoff collects in streams and rivers
and eventually flows back into the ocean.

Transpiration

Water also moves through the living organisms in an ecosystem. Plants

soak up large amounts of water through their roots. The water then
moves up the plant and evaporates from the leaves in a process called
transpiration. The process of transpiration, like evaporation, returns
water back into the atmosphere.
Question # 03
Write notes on the following:

a) Natural disasters and types.

b) Man made disasters and types.

c) Effects of disasters on the built environment and dwellers.

Answer
Natural disasters and types.
The term “DISASTER” owes its origin to French word “Disastre”, a
combination of two words “Des” meaning “Bad” and “Aster” meaning
“Star” thus the term.Disaster refers to “Bad or Evil Star”.The term can
be used for personal tragedies also, as they may cause emotional
andfinancial sufferings. Disasters, however, are the catastrophic events
resulting in heavy losses in terms of human, animal and plant lives,
injuries and disabilities and damage to property and environment.

In contemporary academia, disasters are seen as the consequence of

inappropriately managed risk. These risks are the product of hazards
and vulnerability. Hazards that strike in areas with low vulnerability are
not considered a disaster, as is the case in uninhabited regions.

Disaster occurs when a hazard impacts on or strikes a vulnerable

community with low capacity resulting in damages, loss and serious
disruption of community functioning. The widespread human, material
and environmental losses exceed the community's ability to cope using
its own resources.

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines a disaster as “a sudden

ecological phenomenon of sufficient magnitude to require external
assistance”.

It is also defined as any event, typically occurring suddenly, that causes

damage, ecological disruption, loss of human life, deterioration of
health and health services, and which exceeds the capacity of the
affected community on a scale sufficient to require outside assistance
(Landsman, 2001).

Disasters are events that occur when significant numbers of people are
exposed to extreme events to which they are vulnerable, with resulting
injury and loss of life, often combined with damage to property and
livelihoods.

Disasters, commonly leading to emergency situations, occur in diverse

situations in all parts of the world, in both sparsely populated rural and
densely populated urban regions, as well as in situations involving
natural and man-made hazards. Disasters are often classified according
to their speed of onset (sudden or slow), their cause (natural or man-
made), or their scale (major or minor).

Types of disaster.
Natural Hazards

Natural hazard and the resulting disasters are the result of naturally
occurring processes that have operated throughout Earth's history.
Natural disasters are beyond human control. Natural disasters are often
termed an “Act of God”. If the natural process that poses the hazard
occurs and destroys human life or property, then a natural disaster has
occurred. Among the natural hazards and possible disasters to be
considered are:

Geophysical

result from phenomena beneath the Earth’s surface; earthquakes,

landslides, tsunamis and volcanic activity

Hydrological

avalanches and floods

Meteorological

cyclones and storms/wave surges

Biological

disease, epidemics and insect/animal plagues.

Climatological

extreme temperatures, drought and wildfires.

 Disaster Definition Disaster Main Type
Subgroup

Geophysical Events originating from solid earth Earthquake, Volcano, tsunami,

landslides. Mass
Movement(dry)
Meteorological Events caused by short‐lived/small to miso Cyclones, Storm
scale atmospheric processes (in the spectrum
from minutes to days)

Hydrological Events caused by deviations in the normal water Flood,

cycle and/or overflow of bodies of water caused
by wind set‐up Mass Movement (wet)

Climatological Events caused by long‐lived/miso to macro scale Extreme Temperature, Drought,

processes (in the spectrum from intra‐ seasonal to Wildfire
multi‐decadal climate variability)

Biological Disaster caused by the exposure of living Epidemic, Insect Infestation, Animal
organisms to germs and toxic substances Stampede

Man-made/ Anthropogenic :

Technological the failure or breakdown of systems, equipment and

engineering standards that harms people and the
environment;structural collapses, such as bridges, mines and buildings.

Industrial

Disasters caused by industrial companies, either by accident,

negligence or incompetence; Chemical and nuclear explosion, Warfare

disasters caused by sociopolitical conflicts that escalate into violence;
war, intra society conflicts.

Socio-natural Disaster:
This term is used for the circumstances where human activity is
increasing the occurrence of certain hazards beyond their natural
probabilities.

The phenomenon of increased occurrence of certain natural events,

such as landslides, flooding, land subsidence and drought, that arise
from the interaction of natural hazards with overexploited or degraded
land and environmental resources.

It is the phenomenon of increased occurrence of certain geophysical

and hydro meteorological hazard events, such as landslides, flooding,
land subsidence and drought that arise from the interaction of natural
hazards with overexploited or degraded land and environmental
resources. This term is used for the circumstances where human
activity is increasing the occurrence of certain hazards beyond their
natural probabilities. Evidence points to a growing disaster burden from
such hazards.
Some manmade disaster Images
Impacts of Disasters on Environment

Disasters are not random and do not occur by accident. They are the
convergence of hazards and vulnerable conditions. Disasters not only
reveal underlying social, economic, political and environmental
problems, but unfortunately contribute to worsening them. Such
events pose serious challenges to development, as they erode hard-
earned gains in terms of political, social and educational progress, as
well as infrastructure and technological development. The impacts of
disasters on environment and development are manifold. Disasters
create substantial environmental degradation and ecological
imbalance, hinder socioeconomic development and retard the process
of improving the quality of life of the people. The interaction of
disasters and environment has both short-term and long-term effects.
These interaction and interdependencies work in a complicated way,
affecting people, ecosystem and bio-diversity.

Question # 04
Discuss the following with reference to the context of your city / region
in Pakistan:

a) Air pollution.

b) Noise pollution.

c) Water pollution.

d) Pollution impacts on the wellbeing of the city inhabitants.

Answer

AIR POLLUTION

Air pollution is a mixture of solid particles and gases in the air. Car
emissions, chemicals from factories, dust, pollen and mold spores may
be suspended as particles. Ozone, a gas, is a major part of air pollution
in cities. When ozone forms air pollution, it's also called smog.

Some air pollutants are poisonous. Inhaling them can increase the
chance you'll have health problems. People with heart or lung disease,
older adults and children are at greater risk from air pollution. Air
pollution isn't just outside - the air inside buildings can also be polluted
and affect your health.

As some part of Haripur area is Industrial. Which helps the air quality to
be more worsen. Haripur is vegetative area with lot of green fields and
trees and grasses so pollen level is bit high. Air quality for now a days is
little harsh and could be unhealthy for sensitive groups.

Indoor cooking and other manufacturing activity at home level also

create air pollution. The garbage which is not disposed off from weeks
and also the open air burning of garbage waste is also common reason
of air pollution in Haripur region.

Transportation is also the main big issue for air pollution in Haripur. The
old vehicle and diesel exhaust cars are also the main reason for the air
pollution here.

Construction and demolition is at peak in every corner of this country

so this is also another cause for air pollution.

Agricultural activities have had a serious impact on the decreasing air

quality. To begin with pesticides and fertilizers are the main source to
contaminate the surrounding air. Nowadays, pesticides and fertilizers
are mixed with new invasive species which are not found in nature, for
quick growth of the crops and vegetation. Once they are sprayed over,
the smell and the effect of the pesticides are left in the air. Some mix
with water and some seeps into the ground which not only destroys the
crops but also causes numerous health-related issues.

Noise pollution

Noise pollution, also known as environmental noise or sound pollution,

is the propagation of noise with ranging impacts on the activity of
human or animal life, most of them harmful to a degree. The source of
outdoor noise worldwide is mainly caused by machines, transport, and
propagation systems.
Not all sound is considered noise pollution. The World Health
Organization (WHO) defines noise above 65 decibels (dB) as noise
pollution. To be precise, noise becomes harmful when it exceeds 75
decibels (dB) and is painful above 120 dB. As a consequence, it is
recommended noise levels be kept below 65 dB during the day and
indicates that restful sleep is impossible with nighttime ambient noise
levels in excess of 30 dB.

Traffic noise

Traffic noise accounts for most polluting noise in cities. For example, a
car horn produces 90 dB and a bus produces 100 dB.

Air traffic noise

There are fewer aircraft flying over cities than there are cars on the
roads, but the impact is greater: a single aircraft produces 130 dB.

Construction sites

Building and car park construction and road and pavement resurfacing
works are very noisy. For example, a pneumatic drill produces 110 dB.

Animals

Noise made by animals can go unnoticed, but a howling or barking dog,

for example, can produce around 60-80 dB.

Water pollution

Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies like lakes, rivers,

oceans, aquifers and groundwater. Water pollution occurs when
pollutants are discharged directly or indirectly into water bodies
without adequate treatment to remove harmful compounds.
Water pollution happens when toxic substances enter water bodies
such as lakes, rivers, oceans and so on, getting dissolved in them, lying
suspended in the water or depositing on the bed. This degrades the
quality of water.

Not only does this spell disaster for aquatic ecosystems, the pollutants
also seep through and reach the groundwater, which might end up in
our households as contaminated water we use in our daily activities,
including drinking.

Disposal of untreated municipal liquid waste is the main cause of water

pollution in Pakistan. The liquid waste is mostly not treated and
disposed off on time .

Leaking of sewage lines where this sewage system prevails. The

deterioration and breakage of pipe line is also cause of water pollution.

Industrial waste water is also the main cause of water pollution in

Haripur area cause its industrial area and many industries without any
concern leave this untreated water in open fields.

Pollution impacts on the wellbeing of the city inhabitants.

• Drinking water contamination

• Pollution of water bodies e.g. rivers, canals, drains
• Sub-soil water pollution
• Loss of aquatic life
• Crop damages
• Heavy metals in food chain
• Increased rate of waterborne diseases

Physical
Respiratory agitation, racing pulse, high blood pressure, headaches and,
in case of extremely loud, constant noise, gastritis, colitis and even
heart attacks.

Psychological

Noise can cause attacks of stress, fatigue, depression, anxiety and

hysteria in both humans and animals.

Sleep and behavioural disorders

Noise above 45 dB stops you from falling asleep or sleeping properly.

Remember that according to the World Health Organization it should
be no more than 30 dB. Loud noise can have latent effects on our
behaviour, causing aggressive behaviour and irritability.

Memory and concentration

Noise may affect people's ability to focus, which can lead to low
performance over time. It is also bad for the memory, making it hard to
study. Interestingly, our ears need more than 16 hours' rest to make up
for two hours of exposure to 100 dB.

Question#5: Relate the terms ‘biodiversity’ and ‘ soil and land

degradation’ and give examples in context of Pakistan.

Answer: Soil and land degradation is defined as ‘A change in the soil

and land health status resulting in a diminished capacity of the
ecosystem to provide goods and services for its beneficiaries.’
Degraded soils have a health status such, that they do not provide the
normal goods and services of the particular soil in its ecosystem.
Whereas, the variety of plant and animal life in the world or in a
particular habitat, a high level of which is usually considered to be
important and desirable is known as biodiversity.

➢ Three-quarters of the land-based environment

has been significantly altered by human
actions. The average abundance of native
species in most major land-based habitats has
fallen by at least 20 per cent, mostly since 1900.
Land degradation has reduced the productivity
of 23 per cent of the global land surface.

➢ Rapid expansion and unsustainable management

of croplands and grazing lands is the most
extensive global direct driver of land
degradation, causing significant loss of
biodiversity and ecosystem services – food
security, water purification, the provision of
energy and other contributions of nature
essential to people.

➢ Land degradation and biodiversity loss are

strongly related and are both the causes and
consequences of a single environmental crisis
affecting all life on land. Addressing both
challenges demands common approaches and
solutions, involving integrated policymaking and
action at both global and national levels.
➢ The strong overlap between the main drivers of
land degradation and biodiversity loss shows the
potential for Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN)
to address these drivers, through concerted
actions to protect ecosystems, manage land
sustainably and deploy nature-based solutions to
address climate change. Land degradation and
biodiversity loss are among the most pressing
environmental challenges facing humanity. Land
degradation has reduced the productivity of
nearly one-quarter of the global land surface

➢ Land degradation processes are driving

unprecedented losses in the biodiversity that
underpins many of the benefits derived from
nature.

➢ Like many other developing countries dry lands

in Pakistan are severely affected by land
degradation and desertification due to
unsustainable land management practices and
increasing natural resources demands causing
severe environmental problems, including
degradation of dry land ecosystems.
Desertification and degradation affect about 68
million hectares of fragile lands across the
 country. The problem is exacerbated by the fact
that Pakistan has a highly complex and
diversified agro-ecological and socio-economic
structure that makes it difficult to control the
different types of land degradation. Such
damage is mainly due to water erosion, wind
erosion, depletion of soil fertility, deforestation,
unsustainable livestock grazing and water
logging practices (little recharge and
overexploitation). These problems of land
degradation in Pakistan are aggravated by water
scarcity, frequent droughts and mismanagement
of land resources that contribute to reduced
productivity and increased rural poverty.

➢ There will be neither sustainable development,

environmental protection, nor improvement in
the climate for future generation, or
preservation of the bio-diversity if we do not
protect the earth from land degradation and its
political, economic and social consequences. In
this undertaking government, NGOs, business
community and private citizens of the respective
regions will have to be partners if they are to
combat desertification and drought.

Examples:
 • Sedimentation of canal irrigation system decreases water and
land use efficiency. Some 40 million tons of soils are brought into
the Indus basin each year, which shortens the life span of major
reservoirs and reduces their efficiency.
• Principal processes of land degradation include erosion by water
and wind, chemical degradation (comprising acidification,
salinization, leaching etc.)
• Factors like deforestation, overgrazing, soil erosion , salinity and
water logging are posing major threats to the remaining
biodiversity of the country. The continuing loss of forest habitat,
with its associated fauna and flora, will have serious implications
for the nation's other natural and agricultural ecosystems.

Question#6: What are the major legislations \ standards related with

environmental protection and upgradation. Mention their roles and
significance towards environmental improvement in Pakistan.

Answer : Key Environmental Issues : High Population

Growth; Water Pollution, Air Pollution, Solid Waste Disposal,
Hazardous Waste, Biodiversity Loss; Land Degradation; Soil
Degradation; Forest Depletion; Natural Disasters; Coastal
Pollution; Environment Education, Environment Capacity Building

Environmental Policies : National Conservation Strategy,

1993, Provincial Conservation Strategy, 1996.

Legislation Related to the Environment : Environment

Protection Ordinance 1983, revised in 1997, Punjab Wildlife
 (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management)
Ordinance (No. XXI), 1972, 1973 , The Pakistan Agricultural
Pesticides Act, 1972, The Greater Lahore Water Supply Sewerage
and Drainage Ordinance 1967, The West Pakistan Land and Water
Development Board (Authority for payment from Board Fund)
Rules, 1966, Pakistan Regulation and Control of Loudspeakers
and Sound Amplifiers Ordinance (11), 1965 , Wildlife
Conservation of Fisheries Rules (No. 4(107) SO (F and C), 1964 ,
Wildlife Conservation and Wildlife Protection Rules, 1960 , West
Pakistan Wildlife Protection Ordinance, 1959; Wildlife Protection
Ordinance (No. LVI) 1959; The West Pakistan Water and Power
Development Act, 1958; The West Pakistan Water and Power
Development Act, 1958 amended in 1958, 1964, 1967; The
Punjab Wild Birds and Wild Animals Protection Act (No. XIII),
1955; the Water Supply and Drainage Forest Act, No. XVI), 1927;
Wildbirds and Animals Protection Act, 1912; The Sind Ligation Act,
1879 amended in 1961, 1969; The Canal and Drainage Act (No.
VIII) 1873 amended in 1952, 1965, 1968, and 1970.

Environmental institutions :
Ministry of Environment; Pakistan Environmental Protection Council
(PEPC), Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency, Provincial EPAs,
Environmental Tribunals, Pakistan Wildlife Management Boards,
Ministry of Food and Agriculture; Forest Department, Water and
Power Development Authority ,Ministry of Health and Social Welfare;
Ministry of Planning and Development; Ministry of Defense; Ministry of
Petroleum and Natural Resources; Ministry of Production; Ministry of
Science and Technology; Ministry of Water and Power; Pakistan Atomic
Energy Commission; Pakistan Mineral Development corporation;
Ministry of Food and Agriculture; National Council for Conservation of
Wildlife

International Conventions/Treaties/Protocols
(ICTPs) in the Field of Environment to which Pakistan
is a Party
• Convention on Biological Diversity CBD
• Framework Convention on Climate Change FCCC

• Vienna Convention for the Protection of Ozone Layer

• Convention on International Trade In Endangered Species

of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)

• Ramsar Convention: Convention on Wetlands of

International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitats

1982
• United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea

• International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution

from ships
• Convention of Protection of Marine Life

• Basel Convention on the Transboundary Movements of

Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal

• Convention on Desertification

• Treaty Banning Nuclear Weapons Test in the Atmosphere

in Outer Space and Under Water.

National Environmental Quality Standards

(selfmonitoring and reporting by industries) Rules,
2001: These are the most important rules under the
Pakistan Environmental Protection Act, 1997 as they
prescribe pollution limits for the industry. It puts obligations
upon all the industries to submit correct and timely
Environmental Monitoring Reports to the Federal
Environmental Protection Agency.
Pakistan Sustainable Development Fund (Utilization)
Rules, 2001: These rules provide the procedure for the
sanction and utilization of financial assistance provided by
the board. The board observed that the project should
protect the environment and prevent the pollution.

Pollution charge for Industry (calculation and

collection) Rules, 2001: According to these rules, the
industrial unit is to ensure the correct calculation, reporting
and payment of the pollution charge. Inspection team shall
determine the pollution level of industrial unit at least once
a year. The pollution charge is calculated by multiplying the
pollution level with actual production during the charge
payable period and with the applicable rate per pollution
unit for the year.

Environmental Tribunal Procedures and

Qualification Rules, 2000 : These rules have been
promulgated to resolve the disputes relating to the
environmental issues. The functions of the Tribunal may be
performed by a bench.
Environmental Sample Rules, 2001: Generally, these
rules regulate the procedure for obtaining sample from the
industrial units, their tests and analysis by the
environmental laboratories and trial procedure for the
contravention of the provisions of these rules.

Hazardous Substances Rules, 2000: According to these

rules every generating unit of hazardous waste shall be
responsible for the proper management of the waste
generated by it till its final disposal in accordance with the
rules and regulations.

National Environmental Quality Standard

(Certification of Environmental Laboratories)
Regulation, 2000: These rules are very important because
they prescribe pollution limits for the industry and certify
them according to the rules and regulations. Failure to
maintain the limits is punishable with certain amount of fine
or imprisonment .But the environment has been
continuously deteriorating in our country because the
procedure to implement them is weak.

Question# 7: How can cultural environment influence the

built environment towards improvement in natural
surroundings ?
Answer: Natural environment means the physical
surroundings of man. Human(cultural) environment means
the surroundings made by man. It includes only human
made things and objects. Indeed, cultural factors shape
beliefs about how nature works and how individuals interact
with nature, and consequently can affect the extent to
which individuals perceive and act to solve environmental
problems.

Cultures are rooted in a time and place. They define how

people relate to nature and their physical environment, to
the earth and to the cosmos, and they express our attitudes
to and beliefs in other forms of life, both animal and plant.

As a set of practices, cultures shape biodiversity through the

selection of plants and animals and the reworking of whole
landscapes. Such landscapes have been described as
anthropogenic Nature, as their composition is a reflection of
local culture and a product of human history.

Humans impact the physical environment in many

ways: overpopulation, pollution, burning fossil fuels, and
deforestation. Changes like these have triggered climate
change, soil erosion, poor air quality, and undrinkable water.

The intersection between environment and culture is

undeniable, from agriculture to art to the industries and
professions that dominate different societies. Religion has
also had a large influence on the way societies and cultures
view and interact with their environment.

Culture is a powerful driver for development, with

community-wide social, economic and
environmental impacts. Peoples' lifestyles, individual
behaviour, consumption patterns, values related to
environmental stewardship and our interaction with
the natural environment are mostly influenced by
their cultures.

NATURE AND CULTURE converge in many ways that span

values, beliefs and norms to practices, livelihoods,
knowledge and languages. As a result, there exists a mutual
feedback between cultural systems and the environment,
with a shift in one often leading to a change in the other. For
example, knowledges evolve with the ecosystems upon
which they are based, and languages contain words
describing ecosystem components. If plants or animals are
lost, then the words used to describe them are often lost
shortly afterwards, and this changes the way the natural
environment is shaped by the practices of those human
communities. Nature provides the setting in which cultural
processes, activities and belief systems develop, all of which
feed back to shape biodiversity. There are four key bridges
linking Nature with culture: beliefs and worldviews;
livelihoods and practices; knowledge bases; and norms and
institutions.
 To conserve global diversity effectively, policy efforts need to be
internationally driven, geographically targeted, multi-level and
inclusive. Policies emphasising political empowerment, self-governance
and territorial control at grassroots levels have the potential to provide
a solid platform from which communities can play a central role in
biodiversity conservation whilst retaining their own cultural
distinctiveness and connectedness to the land.
The degree to which the diversity of the world’s ecosystems, upon
which we as humans depend, is linked to the diversity of its cultures is
only beginning to be understood. Ironically, it is precisely as we come to
understand this linkage that many cultures are receding towards
extinction

Culture should be regarded as “a set of distinctive spiritual, material,

intellectual and emotional features of society or a social group and that
it encompasses in addition to art and literature, lifestyles, ways of living
together, value systems, tradition and beliefs”

“Cultural systems of meaning shape the way that people interpret

climate change, and provide an historical and sociocultural context
within which impacts are experienced and responses are generated”