ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES IN

PAKISTAN

Dr Faheem javaid khan

MBBS, DTCD, MPH
Ex director health Multan division
We should definitely like to see
Pakistan without any environmental
issue but currently there are lots of
challenges. As in fact we are growing
at the rate of more than 8 percent in
GDP and creating lots of economic
opportunities, this is also growing
stress and implications on
environment. The constant growth in
population is another massive
challenge. As we grow economically,
NEED FOR TREE PLANTATIONS
IN URBAN CENTERS


There is no doubt that planting trees help in maintaining good

environment. Trees in urban centres help clean environment
and reduce pollution. Islamabad, for instance, is one of most
protected cities of the world with lot of vegetation and clean
healthy environment. So there is need to plant trees in other
cities like Islamabad.

We do plant lots of trees every year but the problem is the
nurturing of the plants. Trees must be considered as an
essential item of environmental service. Even in our religion,
trees have been given enormous importance.
 CUTTING OF FORESTS


A lot number of forest trees are being cut in northern areas for
timber as well as fuel wood. People must not cut trees and use
wood as fuel. There are various biodiversities, climate change
and other environmental issues which are linked with forestry.

In 1992 Government announced a policy against forest cutting

and the cutting of forest was banned but that policy doesn’t
seem to have been successful. It is suggested that the
government should pass legislation for a sustainable harvesting
of forest so that there’s a controlled management plan through
which forestry can be saved. Local community also has to
understand the value of forests.
We must also develop the strategy for carbon financing
at policy level. It is a very innovative instrument across
the world where you can do is that we provide value to
the trees because trees absorb carbon dioxide from the
air. Through this mechanism the developed countries of
the world are going to provide financial aid in this
regard. The government should announce the strategy
to make sure that investment comes in and trees are
treated as the environmental commodity not just as the
item of fuel.
POLLUTION FROM
FACTORIES
 –We need a cooperative compliance
from the factories. The Federation of
Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and
Industry (FPCCI) should take a lead in
this regard. It is the time to be strict
with the industries that are not
compliant. Now there’s a lot of
pressure on factories from law of the
Environment is going to be a non-
tariff barrier for all our exports and
sooner the industries realize this the
better it would be for them. There is
also pressure from the lenders;
almost all the banks of the world say
that the industries that don’t meet
the environmental criteria will not be
given money. We must try to enforce
the law of land and for that we have
to start a voluntary self-monitoring
GREENHOUSE EFFECT &
PAKISTAN
 The planet has been affected in
current times with the greenhouse
gasses which is detrimental to
maintaining life and sustainable
environment on earth.Pakistan is a
very small contributor in greenhouse
effect; Pakistan contributes only 0.2
% greenhouse gases of the whole
The industries in Pakistan should also
be involved; if one actually invests in
projects and get carbon credit that is
going to be credited on commodity
exchange. It is the first
environmental commodity of the
world and the predictions of the
World Bank are that this market is
going to be somewhere in the range
of 5 to 10 billion dollars a year on
exchange on this carbon emission.
CARBON MONOXIDE
EMISSIONS IN MEGACITIES
Carbon monoxide emission levels in
Karachi and Lahore have
considerably exceeded WHO’s
recommended levels. It however
happens only during crowded hours
not 24 hours a day. We should be
concerned about it and a Clean Air
Program must be initiated to ensure
HIGH POLLUTION IN
KARACHI
One can see so much pollution (noise pollution – air pollution) in the city. The
main difference is of population; Karachi is a very crowded city housing people
from all parts of the country. Besides other dilemmas, we have the problems of
transport and industrial pollution because we are economically growing very
fast and all these issues arise from that. Karachi’s main issue is air and noise
pollution which again is linked with the increase in transport on the roads.
Getting a car has become so easy with the emergence of bank-leasing options.
It is though a good sign as far as growing economy is concerned but on the
other side, due to lack of infrastructure, pollution issue has increased which is
quite alarming. To tackle the situation we need to develop a ‘Clean Air Program’.
Major part of this program should include converting public transport on to CNG
and removing 2 strokes engines like rickshaws & converting them to 4 strokes
enginesetc.
RUNNING OF OLD VEHICLES
ON ROAD
It is also one of the causes of air
pollution as these cars are not
discarded and thus add their share in
increasing the pollution. The “Clean
Air Program” should also include old
vehicle retiring program. In
developed countries the older the car
gets the more tax they have to pay.
EXPLOITING IT TECHNOLOGY FOR
ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION

Government is hardly using IT

technology in this regard. There must
be software programs developed for
registering industrial data on
environment. This program should be
linked to every industry with the
Internet and it may be given access
to a centralized database in
DEMAND FOR
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGERS


There is a lot of demand for environmental managers especially from the

lenders i.e. World Bank and ADB. All these multilateral banks want to lend
to Pakistan as well as want to ensure that the projects are also
environmentally capable but we have very little proper professional
capacity. NGOs have very good work and capacity with regards to
advocacy and raising awareness but they are not qualified researchers as
such. We need to opt for environmental studies in our universities.

Youngsters, both male/female, should do Masters in environmental

studies as this field has a great future in Pakistan. The government is
increasing environment budget and they would need lots of people who
are qualified in environmental studies.
.
It is a new field and is going to grow
without any doubt. As the world is
also growing, it will create so many
environmental challenges and lots of
environmental managers would be in
great demand in coming years.
Universities in Pakistan, i.e. Karachi
University, Punjab University, Quaid-
MESSAGE FOR THE YOUTH
This environmental movement is your
movement and we can fight
environment degradation through a
movement because of the young
people of Pakistan. If we want to
make a better Pakistan for upcoming
generation, youngsters, both
male/female, should take part