Living In Ignorance

Most Pakistanis are as yet not aware of the effects of global warming on their lives

By Rahimullah Yusufzai

Global warming is not a widely discussed or understood issue in Pakistan. The media is slowly taking note of it and government officials occasionally mention its likely fallout on the life of the people. Only experts make it a point to highlight the pitfalls of global warming with regard to Pakistan. However, it would take a while before most Pakistan's realise the consequences of global warming on their lives.

Daniyal Aziz Baloch, from Turbat in Balochistan, in a letter to the editor of an English daily, recently echoed the feelings of alarmed Pakistani citizens who have become conscious of the effects of global warming when he wrote: "I humbly request the forest department, as well as the people, to start planting trees to save the planet that we live in." He added: "If we all unite and work round the clock diligently and honestly, then I am sure we will be able to control global warming. We can control almost 50 percent of this problem through forestation, because it is estimated that a large number of trees can absorb up to 58 million tonnes of carbon dioxide within 40 years."

Daniyal Aziz is an ordinary Pakistani who admits that his knowledge of global warming is derived from information made available by the media. Concerned and educated Pakistanis like him are becoming aware that global warming is responsible for climate change. Some illiterate citizens, mostly farmers, also know from experience that average temperatures are rising. Summers are getting longer and hotter, and the heat is becoming almost unbearable in the peak summer months of June, July and August. Farmers are realising that agricultural practices and timings have to be altered while planting, irrigating and harvesting seasonal crops. They are coping with the new challenges as best as they can and largely on their own, in the absence of government support.

Pakistan established a Ministry of Environment several years ago, but not many people know about its activities. At a recent seminar on environmental pollution in Karachi, speakers wondered about the kind of work the ministry was doing. Colleges and universities have set up departments of environment, and a number of students are now acquiring degrees in related disciplines. Graduates of these departments are spearheading efforts to create awareness about environmental pollution.

Some facts about the environmental challenges facing Pakistan were highlighted by experts at another seminar held recently on the occasion of the Earth Day at the University of Karachi. Professor Naveed Ahmad Tahir said about 60 percent of Asians likely to be affected by global warming would belong to South Asia, including Pakistan. Quoting a report by the United Nations Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change, she pointed out that as a result of global warming South Asia along with rest of Asia would be getting less rainfall and it, in turn, would affect agricultural production and cause food and water shortages. Another expert, Dr Arshad Ali Baig, termed the high rate of deforestation in Pakistan the main reason for climate change. He said this was a social problem, and was contributing to climate change along with global warming.

It is pertinent to mention here that the forest cover in Pakistan is only three percent, which is far less than the recommended 20 percent. The NWFP is the most forested province in the country, while the other provinces have fewer forests and are, therefore, hotter and subject to higher degree of climate change. Afforestation campaigns are regularly held in Pakistan during the spring and monsoon seasons, and thousands of saplings are planted. However, lack of care of the saplings remains a problem. Water, wastewater and solid waste management; air and marine pollution; and disposal of industrial waste are often cited as some of the main environmental issues confronting Pakistan.

The country is still not able to quantify the extent of the problems of pollution and climate change that it is facing. Instead of credible research, things are done on the basis of guesswork. However, it is commonly known that atmospheric pollution in the country is widespread and urban centres such as Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Multan, Faisalabad, Hyderabad, Gujranwala, Peshawar and Quetta are highly polluted by automobile fumes and industrial waste. In busy marketplaces in these big cities and other urban centres, the amount of carbon dioxide emitted has reached high levels. Most rivers are polluted by human and industrial waste. In summer resorts such as Swat, hotels and motels built along the banks of rivers directly pour their human and other waste into the river water and cause pollution.

The rise in population is taking a toll of the once clean waters of rivers and canals. The sea in Karachi is also being polluted by chemicals and industrial waste. The beach in the city is crowded by picnickers on holidays and it is common knowledge that the Arabian Sea at these points is polluted. The increase in the number of vehicles on the road, particularly in urban areas, is contributing to pollution in a significant way. Easily available bank loans are enabling families to buy more and more cars and other vehicles. Import of cars, mostly gas guzzlers, is also rising.

The automobile industry in Pakistan is small, but it has now set a target of manufacturing and assembling half a million vehicles in five years. Auto-rickshaws remain a big pollutant and are also noisy. Demands to ban these rickshaws, which emit smoke like chimneys, have been ignored by successive governments on the pretext that they provide service at a reasonable price, and are a source of livelihood to drivers and their poor families. Use of gas instead of petrol and diesel, which can reduce fumes though not the heat, is increasing after the rise in prices of petroleum products. However, the use of natural gas by vehicles is far less than those using petrol and diesel.

The shortage of electricity and the frequent power outages / load-management have resulted in protests and even riots in some parts of Pakistan. The economic fallout is also significant and the issue has serious political implications. This is forcing the new government to implement long-stalled electricity generation projects based on coal and thermal power. Hydel-generation projects are costly and take time to materialize, but such installations are environment-friendly. In comparison, thermal power plants and those run on coal cause pollution.

Plans to expedite work on the Thar coalmines, one of the largest in the world, in Sindh to produce power have been taken up in the right earnest. The project is being described as necessary to overcome electricity shortages, but at the same time the mining operations at Thar will contribute to climate change and global warming. The Thar power project would initially use imported coal for which a coal port is being set up. The imported coal would be mixed with coal mined at Thar. Gradually the Thar coal would replace the one being imported for the purpose. The impact of the coalmining and power production at Thar in an already arid area would be significant, because it would alter the climate and cause a rise in temperature.

The common people in Pakistan believe that out of season rains in the country are caused by climate change. Many of them think that the earthquake in the NWFP and Azad Jammu and Kashmir in October 2006 was the outcome of climate change. Villagers are reporting that they no longer see certain species of wildlife and birds that were common in their local mountains and forests till a few years ago. Simple village folks are surprised by the changes taking place in their surroundings. Their way of life is changing and some of this is due to climate change. Therefore, a lot more needs to be done to educate people about the hazards they are likely to face as a result of global warming and climate change.

Courtesy: The News Pakistan