I, recall 1972, visiting beautiful valley of Swat along with my wife, which takes me to nostalgia, recalling all mountains with forest and green pasture with Swat river. I, feel sorry with present state of affairs of the valley and it gives me immense shock to see the mountains denuded, thus raising the temperatures in Mingora.
I recall that Swat had excellent motels with British managers, serving 4/5 course meals. Pakistan has been left with 3 percent forest areas, raising temperatures and causing melting of glaciers. The old axiom one man one tree is not implemented, thus entire Pakistan even Karachi is engulfed with heat waves and high temperatures. Karachiites wonder where the sea breeze has gone.
It is very recently that human being have learnt that the planet that sustains us and give us life is a fragile entity and our actions of deforestation, emissions etc have massive repercussions on the well being of mother nature. We cannot freely squander the earth and its resources, without considering the impact on future generations. Climate change, ozone layer depletion, green house gas emissions are the terms unheard of a generation ago, but now are the key words as world is awakening.
More than a decade ago, many countries agreed, through the United Nations frame work convention on climate change (UNFCC), to consider ways and means to reduce global warming and how to cope with inevitable rise in temperatures and prior to that Montreal Protocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer came in 1989, and I recall that amendments were made to SOLAS Convention forbidding use of Halons and perfluoro carbons as fire extinguishing media. It is interesting that Kyoto Protocol was signed in 1997 to ensure legal binding measures to protect the environment in addition to UNFCC, but unfortunately the biggest emitter USA, Singapore, Australia and partially China did not sign, thus no serious efforts were made to preserve the environment.
On the other hand, authoritative organisations such as world metrological organisation and the US national and atmospheric administration are warning that the level of gases in the atmosphere associated with climate change are reaching record high. I am sure millions must have seen the BBC documentary "Global Dimming" which reveals that we may have grossly under-estimated the speed at which our climate is changing. I would also recommend that BBC's documentary "INVADERS OF THE SEA" very vividly explains the problem in graphic details. For the glare of international publicity, fuelled by today's global communication infrastructure, ensures that environmental issues are played on world wide stage. The broader concerns of society mean that pressure to be "GREEN AND CLEAN" is mounting.
In the world of global business today, it is not unusual to find major commercial concerns freely embracing the notion that good environmental and social stewardship actually makes good business sense, thus Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is the new concept. Companies are learning the value of their own environmental considerations as their markets and their customers become increasingly sensitised to environmental issues, however there is an inherent quandary in the fact that, on one hand everybody, it seems wants more for less - while on the other society's concerns about safety and the protection of environment grow. Of course all industries and commercial concerns needs to do whatever it can to solve this apparent conundrum, but in the long-term, society will need to address its own priorities and understand that nothing comes for nothing.
A, first comprehensive study reveals the human impact of global warming, climate change is causing 300,000 deaths per year and affecting 300 million people. The study predicts that by 2030 about 500,000 people may die due to severe heat waves, floods, storms and forest fires. The U N Secretary General think tank estimates economic losses more than 125 Billion USD/.year and by 2030 it may cost 600 billion USD/year. The worst to be affected are developing countries and there is serious risk to sub Saharan Africa, Middle East and South Asia. U N Secretary General has launched the report on 29th May at London and said that world is at cross roads, he squarely blamed the weak politicians world wide for impasse in negotiations. He said that now we cannot ignore the human affect of climate change. He called upon negotiators to come to some agreement to avoid mass starvation and migration on mass scale.
Whilst 1997 Kyoto protocol on climate change could not bring any relief due to tough attitude and refusal of USA, Australia and some other countries, but the protocol also failed to address the huge amount of green house gas emissions due to destruction of world rain forest. Deforestation as per study amounts for one fifth of the worlds green house gases. It is estimated that 30 million acres of rain forest disappear every year, destroying biodiversity and pouring billions of tons of carbon dioxide in the air.
As per media report the global warming bill in USA seeks to change the destructive dynamics in two ways. It will, set up a carbon trading system and may raise 60 billion USD / year through sale of pollution allow-ness. It is interesting to note from the world bank report that one acre of rain forest stores 200 tons of carbon.
A big effort is required to resist the loggers, miners, ranchers and politicians who helped in cutting the rain forest in Amazon, NWFP Pakistan (Swat, Kaghan etc). We in Pakistan are already feeling the heat, thus we must put an immediate halt on logging to save ourselves and posterity both. The UN must enforce a legislation on all its members to save the rain forests and control loggers. The fall meeting in Copenhagen must address this serious issue by signing a treaty with no waivers and ensure that BRIC countries must be netted being big polluters.
The Shipping industry was also blamed as polluter, however on examination of its credentials it has been observed that shipping is the least environmentally damaging type of transport, when benched marked to land industry and transport, it is a minor contributor, overall, to marine pollution from human activities. According to GESAMP (UN agency) and UNEP's study reveals that land based discharges, such as sewage and in case of Karachi 400 million gallons of untreated sewage is pumped into Karachi Harbour alongwith industrial effluent from Korangi industrial area to Gizri creek. The land based pollutants along with emissions account for 77 percent of marine pollution generated by human activity.
The maritime transport in contrast is responsible for 12 percent of the total, which has now been reduced to only 10 percent, by stringent measure taken by IMO ie convention Marpol 73/78 and Annex VI for emissions. The world seaborne trade rose from around 15000 billion ton miles to 27000 billion tone mile upto 2004 from 1988. The carriage of oil and petroleum product rose to 70 percent in the above period.
The average number of oil spills have shrunk from 25 in 1970's to 3.5 in 2000, thanks to Marpol convention. It is also interesting to note that maritime industry is small contributor to atmospheric pollution and Pakistan with only 9 ships has virtually no place in the records, neither accounted in studies. The marine engine efficiency and quality of fuel used, improved hull design and large vessels has caused reduction in emission.
I quote a United Kingdom transport study that shows that energy consumption by road transport by truck lies in the range 0.7 to 1.2 mega Joules/tons/km, whereas a 3000 DWT ship at 14 knots is about 0.3 MJ/Tones/km and a container ship is 0.12 MJ/tones/km . The green peace has forced IMO to adopt ship recycling convention, thus taking care of pollution during demolition of ships.
This does not mean that maritime industry be relaxed, but it calls for curtailing their share of pollution and emission both to save this beautiful planet which has been neglected for long and it is our undeniable responsibility to protect the posterity. Shipping has to ensure that its activities are sustainable and we must understand that caring for our environment be our top priority even though it may carry an economic price tag with it.
We need a broad based effort in which every one has a responsibility and every one has a role to play, which is a maxim "THINK GLOBALLY" act locally. We all must educate people, increase awareness about the true state, and detoriating state of planet and be responsible citizens to protect and preserve the environment, but we may promote and promulgate its virtues and beautiful impact on all forms of life.
Now that there is a wide spread recognition that green house effects represent a real, present, clear and serious threat to environment and our planet earth, thus only action can save mother nature. The ball is in court of politicians of developed and under developed countries to respond soonest as I quote Sir Nicholos Stern former world bank economist who said, "economic cost of action against global warming is far lower than the cost of inaction". The world masses have great hope on the fall summit as it is already too late.
Whilst in Karachi's perspective our city father, be commended for plantation and President's effort to develop Boat Basin Park and Malir River park and plantation of trees is equally commendable, but Karachiites would like to see implementation of these environment friendly efforts.
The other aspect which is equally important to ensure maintaining the trees by watering them with sewage treated water, as its pains to see that Cano-corpus planted in open space near old Casino Clifton are dying down due to no maintenance. The City Nazim and Cantonment Board must salvage the remaining trees.
As, a humble maritime person , I can safely say that shipping has a green record, however it pains to see in Pakistan, that having ratified many conventions on oil response etc, our ports are not adequately equipped to address OPRCI requirement, nor they have trained staff. Pakistanis have enormous indivual potential but collectively, we have failed to project our motherland.
One has to hang his head in shame, when Pakistanis nominated for ILO, IMO, etc are simply tourist section officers, personal Secretaries who are obliged as member of Pak delegation, even the head of delegation could not comprehend the International documentation of UN bodies.
What a pity and misuse of tax payers money. I, remember that a Pak delegation member was said to be asked to leave the ILO meeting due to misbehaviour and not being sober. On the contrary Iran, India, even Saudi Arabia delegation comprises of Public/Private Sector, Experts who are known internationally and can contribute as they are not layman like our delegation to marine environment, UNEP etc.
We look forward for a change in Governance environment of Pakistan by inducing professionals in all faculties, so that our country's contribution be taken seriously by International forums and we could protect our interest world wide. We have to ensure recognition of our credentials by world's agency. The cost of action on correcting our governance is nominal than the cost of action which is effecting our PSDP and all environmental/social welfare projects suffer due to slashing of PSDP.
(The writer is Governor World Maritime University, Malmao Sweden & Maritime Adviser Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry.)