Environmental degradation is costing Pakistan's economy about Rs 1 billion a day and there is apprehension of massive increase in the losses following the flood that wreaked havoc across the country.
This was stated by Dr Aurangzeb Khan, National Project Director of National Impact Assessment Programme (NIAP) while addressing a workshop organised by the International Union of Conversation of Nature (IUCN) "EIA Mapping Analysis" here on Saturday. It was aimed at implementing the NIAP in Pakistan.
Aurangzeb Khan said that according to the environmental experts Pakistan wastes Rs 365 billion per annum due to environmental degradation, which is an excessive environmental damage in monetary terms for an underdeveloped country like Pakistan.
The purpose of the workshop was to map the EIA processes in consultation with the relevant stakeholders including governmental institutions both from the federal as well as provincial governments, civil society organisations, private sector, international organisations, academia and environmental experts/consultants.
Dr Aurangzeb Khan, who is also the Chief of the Environment Section of Planning Commission, said that the Planning Commission of Pakistan has been successful in promoting the significance of environment with the policy makers; however, the main issue is implementation of the environmental laws, which needs urgent attention. EIA map is a tool to gauge the strength and weaknesses of the EIA system with respect as how it is organised formally as well as implemented. EIA map can contribute to the formulation of priorities for EIA strengthening. In addition, it also provides a useful reference for monitoring and evaluation purposes.
Dr Bobbi Schif of Netherlands Commission for Environmental Assessment (NCEA) said that EIA Mapping Tool has been developed by NCEA, which can be adapted into local context to take the snapshots of the existing EIA system covering its legal and implementation dimension.
Presented the combine mapping results based on the views and results of attended stakeholders on EIA Mapping exercises, he said that the growing factors of environmental changes need to be addressed at the earliest to save Pakistan from natural disasters in the future. Saqib Aleem, Joint Secretary (Planning & Development Wing) Ministry of Environment stressing the need for creating awareness about the concept of EIA said that assessment of the effectiveness of EIA process in Pakistan would be gauged through NIAP.
Ghulam Mohayuddin Marri, Member (Infrastructure) of Planning Commission of Pakistan said the government is dealing with the environmental safety issue on priority basis to ensure socio-economic uplifting. He said the government will take all-out efforts to curb the growing hazardous of climates translating millions of rupees losses to the national exchequers.