ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES OF PAKISTAN

Challenges & opportunities

PRESENTED BY:

Liaquat Ali Rahoo

A number of serious environmental problems are inherent in the country, which are of great ecological concern in terms of its sustainable economic future.

These include soil erosion, pesticide misuse, deforestation, desertification, urban pollution, waterlogging & salinity, freshwater pollution and marine water pollution, just to name a few.

Environmental Issues of Pakistan

The use of raw materials is also inefficient and many reusable resources are discarded as waste.

Only limited industrial plants meet international waste treatment standards. There are serious effluent problems and lack of sanitation affecting the natural resources.

• “The environmental challenges being faced by Sindh are enormous, which have largely resulted from the effects of rapid population growth, increasing rate of urbanization and the development of industrial complexes adjacent to the major cities.

• These activities have put enormous pressure on the natural resource base of the province.

• Also, availability of wastes due to limited treatment facilities, the increasing release of industrial effluent and municipal waste have polluted the land and water bodies, thereby posing a perpetual threat to the health of living beings”.

Sindh Environmental Protection Agency says;

• It is first time in the history of 5,000 years old Indus valley civilization of Sindh that it has its own green law to preserve its

ever-degrading environment. • Sindh valley has been facing environmental threats since the

invention of wheel and its wanton use to achieve the material gains.

• It got this act because of devolution of power from the center to the provinces of Pakistan.

• Now environmental protection is provincial subject in this country of more than 180 million population.

• Earlier, all the provinces of Pakistan had a combined green law. • It is called Pakistan Environmental Protection Act 1997.

• Before that the Islamic nuclear power managed its environment with the enforcement of Environmental Protection Ordinance

1984. It took almost 13 years to pass a green law in 1997. • Then another sixteen years passed to shift the responsibility of

environmental protection to the provinces.

• The legislative assembly of Sindh province of Pakistan passed the bill on 24th  February 2014

to enact Sindh Environmental Protection Act 2014.

• The Act envisages protection, improvement, conservation and rehabilitation of environment of

Sindh with the help of  legal action against polluters  and green awakening of communities.

Sindh Province Passes Bill

Monitoring and regulating agency Responsible for enforcement of Pakistan Environmental

Protection Act (PEPA) 1997 Enforce National Environmental Quality Standards (NEQS) Implement Self Monitoring & Reporting Tool (SMART) Environmental Impact Assessment Advise and coordinate with the government, NGOs etc. on

preventive measures for abatement of pollution. Assist local authorities and government departments to

implement schemes for proper disposal of wastes to ensure compliance with NEQS

Enhance awareness among general public. Conduct research and studies on different environmental

issues. Attend to public complaints on environmental issues. Carry out any other task related to environment assigned by the

government.

Including SEPA’s Main Functions

There is silence in Sindh Environmental Protection Act 2014 or in its preface about how the enforcement mechanism will be transferred from the previous law to the new law. How the cases of environmental violations already in courts will be dealt with. Will the subsidiary rules of previous act support the new law or new rules be developed? There are more than 20 rules and regulations that supported the previous act. How fast the new rules will be developed to replace the old ones. The pace of making of new rules could be ascertained from the efficiency level of the top environmental managers of the province.

Silence on Transition Mechanism

To make an advance version of Sindh Environmental Protection Act 2014, following questions need to be thoroughly answered.

•What is not in the previous act?•What is extra in the previous act?•What is overlapping in the previous act?•What is outdated in the previous act?

On the basis of answers of these questions the new act should have been drafted. Not a single provision of Sindh Environmental Protection Act 2014 implies that it is an advance version of the previous act.

How to improve Sindh Environmental Protection Act 2014?

Pakistan Environmental Protection AgencyPakistan Environmental Protection Agency has been under section (5) of Pakistan Environmental Protection Act 1997. Basic functions of Pak-EPA are to prepare or revise, and establish the National Environmental Quality Standards with approval of council. The Agency may undertake inquiries or investigation into environmental issues, either of its own accord or upon complaint from any person or organization.Pakistan environmental protection agency is an attached department of the ministry of climate change and responsible to implement the Pakistan environmental protection act, 1997 in the country. An act to provide for the protection, conservation, rehabilitation and improvement of environment, for the prevention and control of pollution, and promotion of sustainable development. Pakistan environmental protection agency also provides all kind of technical assistance to the ministry of climate change.

Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency

Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency

Sponsored by Samsung, National Environmental Education Week (EE Week) is the nation's largest celebration of environmental education. It is held each spring around the time of Earth Day and inspires environmental learning and stewardship among K-12 students. In 2014, EE Week explored the application of engineering to sustainable solutions for a healthier planet and healthier people. This year, EE week will focus on science education as part of our continuing series on Greening STEM.

International contributionNational Environmental Education Foundation

Running awareness campaign in school-going children.

Making them able to how take care of plants and methods of its development.

Involving children for environmental protection;

Participatory action;

People, interest groups, NGOs, institutions, and the government need to make affinity for the cause of green-world, that has been a global dream.

A tree’s global appeal to all !!!

THANK YOU ALL

For

Being Statue

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