Pro-growth strategy, development agenda foresee major investments: ADB releases Country Environment Analysis

Pakistans overall record of dealing with the environmental issues, underlines several institutional and management gaps marred by capacity constraints in the public sector, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) experts said. According to Country Environment Analysis, released by the ADB on Friday.
Pakistans present pro-growth strategy and its development agenda foresee major investments in large infrastructure projects including the priority areas of urban development, energy, power, roads, water and irrigation. The potential environment challenges associated with the new policy accentuate the need to address the existing environmental issues at the outset to support the sustained growth in the long run.
Based on the assessment of the state of environment and in view of the future policy objectives of Pakistan, the study identifies some priority areas for investment. Commenting on the Access to basic sanitation and safe water for all, the ADB experts stated that the rapid urbanisation in Pakistan over the years, has resulted in a higher demand for water and sanitation services.
This can be addressed by developing capacities of the local water and sanitation agencies in major cities and supported by province-based regulatory frameworks, the analysis said. Promoting public-private partnerships for water supply and sanitation would help improve and maintain environmental quality.
Sector wide reforms need to be introduced to achieve required level of energy efficiency in the country by addressing weak public sector capacity to (i) implement energy conservation programmes, (ii) to integrate environmental considerations into sector plans, (ii) to establish and regulate urban mass transit systems and devise strategic regulations for the transport sector. In addition, advocacy programmes could help prioritise mass transit options, they added.
The ADB experts further said that urban air quality can be improved through reduction in vehicular emissions by developing national and city specific transport polices for improved traffic management, implementation of emission control regulations and monitoring. The implementation capacities of federal and provincial agencies need to be strengthened for operational enforcement of environmental quality standards (NEQS).
To improve agriculture productivity, ADB experts mentioned that specific measures to achieve improved agriculture productivity per unit of water needs (i) introduction of water conservation strategies; (ii) research programmes for developing crop varieties that are resilient to the looming heat stress factors associated with prospective climate change; and (ii) revival of institutional processes such as National Commission on Agriculture supported by wide-ranging consultations as an input to a national agriculture policy.
For Public-Private partnerships for cleaner production and the treatment of industrial effluents, the ADB experts said that the successful experience of selected industries in promoting cleaner production and effluent treatment needs to be scaled up and underscores the need for building public sector support to private sector-driven initiatives.
Further, high-priority measures should include demonstrating the economic returns to cleaner production, as well as above mentioned operationalisation of NEQS. In addition, investment is required for institutional development and organisational strengthening and human capacity building in the priority environment areas to fill existing gaps, the ADB analysis suggested.
According to ADB report, in recent years Pakistan has experienced impressive GDP growth accompanied by a sharp decline in poverty. However, human wellbeing is critically dependent on the continued availability of essential ecological services and natural resources.
Furthermore, Pakistans environment and natural resources are increasingly polluted and under stress. Pressing environmental concerns facing the country relate broadly to the management of scarce natural resources (green issues), pollution and waste management (brown) and issues pertaining to the potential vulnerabilities to natural hazards and climate change.
In addition, Pakistans natural resources are increasingly under stress due to a rapid population growth and environmentally unsustainable practices. Renewable fresh water resources are fast depleting pushing Pakistan into the category of water stressed countries, the report mentioned.