Environmental Issues and Policies in Pakistan

1. ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES OF
PAKISTAN
Challenges & opportunities
PRESENTED BY:
Liaquat Ali Rahoo

2. Environmental Issues of
Pakistan
 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.

3.  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.

16. Sindh Environmental Protection Agency says;
• “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”.

17. • 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.

18. Sindh Province Passes Bill
• 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.

19. Including SEPA’s Main Functions
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.

20. Silence on Transition Mechanism
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.

21. How to improve Sindh Environmental Protection Act 2014?
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.

22. Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency
Pakistan 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.

23. Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency

24. Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency

25. International contribution
National Environmental Education Foundation
 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.

26. Involving children for environmental
protection;
 Running awareness campaign in
school-going children.
 Making them able to how take care
of plants and methods of its
development.

27. 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.

28. A tree’s global appeal to all !!!

29. THANK YOU ALL
For
Being Statue 
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QUESTION ?????
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