In this part of my report I will be discussing the environmental impacts of the projects being developed under Cpec (China–Pakistan Economic Corridor). In a country like Pakistan, that is already facing major environmental issues due to no attention being paid to this sector by the government, it is very crucial to study the dangerous effects and implement their solutions in order to create a sustainable future for the generations of this country.
Moreover, we will also discover the fact that it is high time that the federal and provincial ministries start working together to protect the environment and its biodiversity. Furthermore, we will discuss how this preservation can aid the local communities to sustain their livelihoods in advanced ways.
Current Situation of our Environment
Pakistan is currently going through a major environmental threat, our glaciers are melting rapidly, deforestation is rising at a fast rate to support industrialisation and urbanisation, we are now unsheltered towards extreme climatic conditions such as fog and smog and over fifteen billion dollars have been lost because of extreme monsoon floods in the years 2010- 2012. Moreover, Pakistan is unfortunately four times higher than the world health organization’s air pollution limits and despite this there are no regulations imposed to diminish the pollution caused by industrial activities.
Moving to the northern areas, the average temperatures have increased in past decades by over 1.2 celsius thus causing our glaciers to melt at a faster pace. Other issues include, soil erosion and land degradation that are serious concerns as well. Erosion is rising rapidly due to demolition of natural vegetation. Sindh and Balochistan are the regions that have been the most affected by soil erosion. An economic loss of around fifteen billion rupees per year was suffered due to such damages to the lands.
Furthermore, a major challenge that Pakistan faces is the shortage of water and the lack of sanitation facilities in the major parts of the country. Due to being heavily populated and no availability Of water storage facilities, towns, cities and especially rural areas face water scarcity issues. Not only this, but in areas where water scarcity is not a issue, the quality of water is an issue. Chemical pollutants and other harmful wastes from Industries are disposed off in rivers, lakes etc which are then consumed by humans, thus causing illnesses and harmful diseases such a typhoid, diarrhea, hepatitis and many more. These illnesses cause infant mortality, deaths and harmful health effects on the elderly population. Lastly, an additional cause that not only damages the environment but also harms people directly is the current waste disposal situation. People now turn to burning down waste which firstly increases pollution by causing harmful elements to release in the air and secondly, it can lead to lethal fires. Sadly, There are no proper waste disposal or recycling systems set up by the authorities for the people to use.
Environmental Issues caused by CPEC:
CPEC has been questioned over the environmental concerns it may lead to. In April 2016, The Lawyers Foundation for Justice put forward a petition at the lahore High court, proposing that the projects being established under Cpec should be stopped as they could result in creating major environmental problems for the county. The externalities these projects could cause and the solutions to reduce their impact are as follows:
Creation of air pollution or low quality air from enormous construction activities : The vast variety of projects being built will lead to constructions using heavy machinery, land digging and other constructive tools. This will then result in dust storms and emissions that will spread out through the wind, thus causing air pollution to grow. While such activities are going on, the implementation or the supervisory authorities should take measures to reduce the dust, such as usage of water sprinklers and wet scrubbers to reduce and stop the pollutants from entering the air
Deforestation: Large scale deforestation will lead to destruction of the shelters in which the flaura and fauna exist. These plants, species and animals will be negatively affected and this will then disturb the ecosystem and its bio diversity.