It is a matter of national concern that the rapidly growing population and economic development are leading to the environmental degradation in Pakistan through the uncontrolled growth of urbanisation and industrialisation, expansion and massive intensification of agriculture, and the destruction of forests.
Pakistan is facing numerous environmental threats that are affecting its sustainable economic future due to heavy pressure on land, land degradation, forests, habitat destruction and loss of biodiversity. Changing consumption patterns has led to rising demand for energy. The final outcomes of this are air pollution, global warming, climate change, water scarcity and water pollution.
The province of Sindh and for that matter Pakistan, in general, is facing environmental problems of both green and brown nature. The green issues mainly include environmental problems of irrigated agriculture, rain-fed agriculture, forests and rangelands. Each system is characterised by different management and conservation problems.
The brown environmental problems include waste pollution, motor vehicle emissions, urban and industrial air pollution and marine and coastal zone pollution. The key factors contributing to increasing air pollution are lack of awareness about the potential impact, high rate of urbanisation, an inefficient and diesel based private transport system.
Environmental issues related to Sindh include various natural hazards, population growth, increasing individual consumption, industrialisation; infrastructural development, poor agricultural practices, and resource mal-distribution that have led to substantial human transformation of natural environment.
Pakistan has a total forest area of about 12 million hectares, out of which the forest area of Sindh is only less than 1.5 percent. The continuous destruction of forests is causing a substantial loss. At Sindh level, 2.2 million hectare of area is affected with salinity and sodicity. The fertility status of Sindh soil is rapidly depleting. Same is the situation with organic matter content.
The estimated loss of productivity as a result of land degradation in Pakistan is US $353 million annually, and the loss to rangeland productivity is between US $90 - 160 million per year. According to a conservative estimate, the impacts of degradation and biodiversity loss on productivity and public health are about 3% of GDP per year.
Most of the industries in Pakistan, located around major cities, are increasingly polluting rivers and Arabian Sea through discharging untreated toxic waste threatening human and fisheries survival. Karachi was the cleanest city East of Suez but now a pollution free environment is a mere dream.
More than 8,000 small and large industrial units are located in the coastal belt of Indus delta which includes some of the major polluting industries like leather tanning, pharmaceuticals, oil refinery, chemicals, textile, pulp and paper, paint, shipyards, engineering works and thermal power plants.
No doubt some of the industrial units are observing strict environmental standards, but still there is discharge of untreated effluent containing heavy metals, detergents, lubricating oils and various organic and toxic compounds into the sewers or adjacent rivers or creeks leading to the Arabian Sea. Besides, oil is one of the major cargoes imported at the Karachi port and oil spills are a continued hazard as there is no treatment facility at the port.
The industrial pollution discharge combined with mangroves destruction and "over-fishing" has resulted in sharp decline in production of several varieties of fish, including shrimps, which translate into loss in foreign exchange earnings. In recent years, the Government of Pakistan has taken various concrete steps to address the environmental problems in the country.
Government is implementing various policies and programs; many of which have come out of the National Environment Action Programs of the Ministry of Environment. The National Environment Policy was finalised by the government in 2005 in consultation with the stakeholders.
Government of Pakistan has substantially increased the Medium Term Development Framework for environment (2005-10). Under the NEAP-SP, Green Industry Program was launched in the year 2006 by the Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency for the promotion of SMART program, to make the industries responsible for systematic monitoring and reporting of their environmental performance.
It is heartening to note that Pakistan has effectively dedicated itself to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDG for 2015) and environmental targets set in Medium Term Development framework for 2010.
The forest cover as percentage of total land area which was 4.9% in 2004 has risen to 5.2% during the last fiscal year, but it is disquieting to know that Pakistan is experiencing the world's second highest rate of deforestation. The given figures indicate that Pakistan has already achieved double the MDG 2015 target for the number of vehicles using CNG fuel. Pakistan is, however, far behind in targets for access to clean water and sanitation, which is resulting in Pakistan's low ranking in Human Development Index.
It will be recalled that WTO has no specific agreements dealing with environment. However, a number of WTO agreements include provisions dealing with environment concerns. The objectives of sustainable development and environmental protection are stated in the preamble to establishment of WTO.
A major item on the built-in agenda for WTO discussions is the link between international trade and environment .Trade and environment was one of the issues that was singled out for attention in the ongoing Doha Development Round. It mandates WTO Committee on Trade and Environment to give particular attention to effect of eco-labeling requirements on market access especially in relation to developing countries.
We should see writings on the wall and address the environmental issues through public private partnership .Trade and industry is already going for ISO 14,000 certifications, which include commitment to compliance with environmental regulations, pollution prevention and continuous improvement in order to meet the exacting international requirements.
Before I conclude, I may make a reference to notices served on the industry by Environmental Protection Agency of Sindh for non compliance of National Environmental Quality Standards (NEQS). There certainly are lapses as there are several categories of industries with different levels of NEQS. Besides, since there were no clusters of industries individual industries find it difficult to set up their own effluent treatment plants.
The issue could be solved through setting up of effluent treatment plants on emergent basis through public private partnership for which government of Sindh may allocate adequate funds. The task ahead is no doubt formidable, which can only be accomplished through combined efforts of Government and private stakeholders.