ENS 301.02

Foremost Environmental Sustainability Challenges in Pakistan

Shehnaz Shehnaz

Objective of the Study

The primary objective of this study is to delve into the prevalent challenges confronting Pakistan in its pursuit of environmental Sustainability. It aims to identify, examine, and analyze the multifaceted obstacles hindering Pakistan's progress toward achieving the environmental SDGs. With a focus on understanding the interconnected issues faced by the country, the study will unfold the intricate dynamics at play within Pakistan's socio-economic and political framework.

What is Environmental Sustainability?

'Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs' (UN Brundtland Commission in 1987).

Environmental Sustainability includes the responsible use of natural resources, the protection of ecosystems, and the mitigation of environmental degradation to ensure a healthy planet for current and future inhabitants.

Environmental sustainability encompasses various aspects such as biodiversity conservation, climate change mitigation, pollution prevention, and sustainable resource management.

Environmental SDGs 2030

Importance of ES in Pakistan

According to the SDG Index, Pakistan is ranked among 128/166.
The Global Climate Risk Index¹, in its annual report for 2020, has placed Pakistan at fifth spot on the list of countries most vulnerable to climate change.
The country has suffered economic losses worth USD 3.8 billion and has been witness to 152 extreme weather events between 1999 to 2018.
Pakistan is one of the few nations, which face a disproportionate burden of threats posed by climate change, contributing only 0.90 metric tons of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) per capita, while being one of the most vulnerable to the impacts resulting from it.
According to the Air Quality Life Index, Pakistan is the world's 4th most polluted country. Fine particulate air pollution shortens the average Pakistani resident’s life expectancy by 3.9 years

Key Environmental Issues in Pakistan

Air Pollution

The air quality in most Pakistani cities ranges from very unhealthy to dangerous. Most of the air pollution is due to vehicular emissions. ⁶ The fact that Pakistan uses Euro2 fuel with diesel fuel high in sulfur content. Brick kilns, which use dirty fuel such as used tires are another major cause of air pollution, Indoor air pollution is caused by burning of dung, wood, coal which is used for cooking and heating. Air pollution mostly effect the poor and vulnerable communities the most.

Water Pollution

The leading cause of water pollution is untreated municipal and industrial sewage. The use of untreated water for agriculture results in bioaccumulation of contaminates in plants. Fertilizer run-off is another major contributor of surface and ground water pollution. The haphazard disposal of wastewater across the country leads to degradation of water quality in rivers, wetlands and groundwater,

Solid Waste Management

The improper management of solid municipal waste across the country is a major environmental concern. The waste mostly openly dumped in urban areas due to lack of engineered landfills, A huge portion of the waste is recyclable thus poor people visit the sites and handpick items of value. hospital waste is the biggest constituents of solid waste especially after COVID-19 due to the lack of proper management of infectious waste.

Climate Change Induced Calamities

Pakistan is one of the most affected countries of climate change. From floods to droughts to heatwave, Pakistan has bear the worst outcomes of climate change. The floods in 2023 affected 33 million people, more than 1730 lost their lives and the country faced a total economic loss of USD 15.2 billion. Sudies show that nearly 36 percent of glaciers in the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) mountain range will be eradicated by 2100, if warming is not curtailed to below 1.5°C.

The above table shows Pakistan's progress in achieving the SDGs. 5 out of the 7 goals still face major unsolved challenges. Additionally, only goal 13 has achieved the SDG status, however, the improvement is still inadequate to achieve the SDGs.

Global Commitments and The Progress

Pakistan affirmed its commitment to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by adopting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as its own national development agenda through a unanimous National Assembly Resolution in 2016. The country established an institutional framework for SDGs implementation in 2018. It has also established the Ministry of Planning Development and Special Initiatives and Provincial Planning and Development Departments to guide SDGs implementation and monitor its progress. Regardless of these initiatives, Pakistan has a long way to achieve environmental sustainability.

Challenges to Environmental Sustainability

POVERTY

Poverty or poor people are traditionally defined as a major agent of many challenges in Pakistan and the environmental problem is one of them.
The Brundtland Commission report, which offers guidelines for environmental conservation, explicitly states that poverty is a major cause of environmental problems, and its encounter is central to dealing with environmental concerns.
According to the UN Pakistan Annual Report 2021, Pakistan is ranked 154th out of 189 on the Human Developmental Index 2021 around 24% of Pakistan's population lives below the national poverty line, with individuals having limited access to fundamental needs, such as food, water, sanitation, etc.

The people of Pakistan are the victims of “a grim calculus of climate injustice”, while the country was responsible for less than one per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, it is paying a “supersized price for man-made climate change” (Secretary-General António Guterres)

Poverty undermines Pakistan ability to transition to clean energy, build efficient infrastructure and modernizing its industries which can minimize carbon emissions

It also drives communities in many rural areas to rely on traditional and inefficient energy production methods including wood, kerosene, and biomass which leads to carbon emissions, air pollution and deforestation.

Clean water is a privilege and luxury in Pakistan. 64% of people do not have access to safe and clean drinking water. Communities in rural areas do not have the resources to clean.

2. LACK OF ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS

Pakistan lacks strict enforcement of environmental regulations on the industries.
Many industries prioritize profit over environmental protection due to the high cost associated with environmental protection compliance.
Pakistan textile industry which is a leads industrial sector is the biggest contributor of water pollution. According to a report by the Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR), about 90% of wastewater generated by the textile industry in Pakistan is discharged untreated into water bodies, contributing to severe pollution.
Pakistan faces significant deforestation due to a lack of strict regulations on logging and land use. Deforestation not only leads to the loss of biodiversity but also exacerbates soil erosion and contributes to climate change. The World Bank estimates that Pakistan has one of the highest deforestation rates in Asia, with an annual deforestation rate of 2.1%

References

Alam, S. (2010) ‘Globalization, poverty and environmental degradation: Sustainable development in Pakistan’, Journal of Sustainable Development, 3(3). doi:10.5539/jsd.v3n3p103.

Sustainable development report 2023 (no date) Sustainable Development Report 2023. Available at: https://dashboards.sdgindex.org/profiles/pakistan (Accessed: 03 April 2024).

World Bank Group (2022) Pakistan: Flood damages and economic losses over USD 30 billion and reconstruction needs over USD 16 billion - new assessment, World Bank. Available at: https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2022/10/28/pakistan-flood-damages-and-economic-losses-over-usd-30-billion-and-reconstruction-needs-over-usd-16-billion-new-assessme (Accessed: 03 April 2024).

UNDP (2020) Environmental sustainability in Pakistan, UNDP. Available at: https://www.undp.org/pakistan/publications/environmental-sustainability-pakistan (Accessed: 03 April 2024).

University of Chicago (2023) Pakistan, AQLI.

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