Pakistan Economic Survey-2013-14 showed that according to environment's experts the environmental degradation may cost the economy over Rs 365 billion every year of which inadequate water supply, sanitation and hygiene accounts for Rs 112 billion, agricultural soil degradation Rs 70 billion, indoor pollution Rs 67 billion, urban air pollution Rs 65 billion, lead exposure Rs 45 billion and land degradation and deforestation Rs 6 billion.
According to Economic Survey, some other environmental experts believe that the environmental degradation cost must have increased beyond Rs 450 billion. They said that environmental degradation, air and water pollution, ozone layer depletion, deforestation, desertification, vanishing bio diversity and land degradation have resulted in climate change and ecological imbalance.
The environment strains faced by Pakistan over the last decades have become a major challenge for its citizens and economy. The challenges in environmental sector include: (i) Water and air pollution causing widespread diseases (ii) Adaptation to the impact of climate change for energy, water and food securities (iii) Preparedness for adaptation/mitigation due to climate change and to avail opportunities under Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) (iv) Preparedness for an effective disaster management so as to avoid damage to the environment (v) Watershed degradation and deforestation (vi) Management of solid, liquid, hazardous waste (vii) Green economy-improved human well-being and social equity while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities initiatives and its impact on Pakistan. Linking natural resource based livelihoods to production of ecosystem services, the green economy can help reduce poverty and enhance environmental sustainability (viii) Implementation of planned initiative with efficacy to increase forest cover and biodiversity (ix) Reducing land degradation (x) Effluent treatment at source to avoid discharge of polluted industrial and domestic sewage to fresh water bodies and marine environment (xi)Increasing energy efficiency with focus on conservations measures (xii) Rapid urbanisation and industrialisation leading to serious environmental concerns : natural resources depletion resulting from accelerated economic and social transformation.
Climate change is affecting almost all the sectors of our economy particularly water resources, energy, health, biodiversity, with a major impact on agricultural productivity. This is due to changes in temperature, adverse effect on land and water resources and enhanced frequency and intensity of natural hazards such as droughts and floods.
The increasing temperatures increase crop stresses (thermal and moisture stresses), change irrigation water requirements, and increasing the risk of pests and diseases. Water demands of the country are met by Indus River System that is fed by glaciers in Hindukush Karakoram ranges which are believed to be receding under influence of climate change and global warming. The melting of these glaciers will result in increased water flows for a few decades followed by reduced river flows as the glaciers get depleted.
According to the survey, population of the country, all making per capita water availability in Pakistan to as low as 964 cubic meters per year which is creating water deficit and hampering well-being and, at the same time, severely affecting future economic development. Climate change is also expected to have extreme effects on the glaciers which contribute over 70 percent of our water resources and may reduce the water availability by 30 percent to 40 percent. According to the survey, the country has very high migration rate to urban centers which has made the cities very congested and has made the civic infrastructure inadequate. The number of motorcycles/scooters is growing fast in Pakistan and has increased by 133.8 percent in 2012-13 when compared with the year 2001-02. Rickshaws have grown by 24.4 percent in 2012-13.
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