View source for Environmental issues in Pakistan

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'''Environmental issues in [[Pakistan]]''' include [[air pollution]], [[water pollution]], [[noise pollution]], [[climate change]], [[pesticide misuse]], [[soil erosion]], [[natural disaster]]s, [[desertification]] and [[flooding]]. According to the 2020 edition of the environmental performance index (EPI) ranking released by [[Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy]], Pakistan ranks 142 with an EPI score of 33.1, an increase of 6.1 over a 10-year period. It ranked 180 in terms of air quality.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pakistan {{!}} Environmental Performance Index |url=https://epi.yale.edu/epi-results/2020/country/pak |access-date=2022-04-06 |website=epi.yale.edu}}</ref> The climatic changes and global warming are the most alarming issues risking millions of lives across the country. The major reasons of these environmental issues are [[carbon emissions]], [[population explosion]], and [[deforestation]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=The environmental issues in Pakistan|url=https://thefrontierpost.com/the-environmental-issues-in-pakistan/|date=2018-10-03|website=The Frontier Post|language=en-US|access-date=2020-05-29}}</ref>

These are serious environmental problems that Pakistan is facing, and they are getting worse as the country's economy expands and the population grows. Although some NGOs and government departments have taken initiatives to stop environmental degradation, Pakistan's environmental issues still remain. Pakistan is facing a significant challenge as its natural resources and ecosystems encounter increasing pollution and strain. The foremost environmental concerns in the country revolve around the excessive use of limited natural resources, contamination of air and water, diminishing energy reserves, the reduction of forests, and the management of waste.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Is Pakistan paying attention to environment crises? – DW – 05/31/2022 |url=https://www.dw.com/en/is-pakistan-paying-attention-to-existential-environment-crises/a-61987940 |access-date=2023-08-08 |website=dw.com |language=en}}</ref>

== Economic consequences of environmental degradation ==
The majority of Pakistan's industrial sectors, for example [[fishing]] and [[agriculture]], which account for more than one-fourth of the output and two-fifths of employment in Pakistan, are highly dependent on the country's natural resources. Hence, in order to sustain economic growth there is a high demand on already scarce natural resources. However it is ironic that what the country depends on for its growth is also what threatens the future welfare and success of the country. According to the [[World Bank]],<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=http://siteresources.worldbank.org/SOUTHASIAEXT/Resources/Publications/448813-1188777211460/pakceach2.pdf|title=11. Environmental Issues - World Bank|website=worldbank.org|access-date=30 October 2016}}</ref> 70% of Pakistan's population live in rural areas and are already stricken by high poverty levels. These people depend on natural resources to provide income and tend to overuse these resources. This leads to further degradation of the environment and subsequently increases poverty. This has led to what the World Bank refers to as a "vicious downward spiral of impoverishment and [[environmental degradation]]."<ref name=":1" />

== Pollution ==
[[File:Pollution in karachi.png|thumb|Trash thrown in an empty plot in Karachi, Pakistan.]]
[[File:Garbage dump in Karachi.jpg|thumb|right|The picture shows trash lying in the centre of the street. The city has suffered significant harm due to poor administration. People leave trash on the highways, but the local authority never picks it up or even looks at it.]]
The World Bank report in 2013 stated that Pakistan's top environmental issues include air pollution, inadequate supply of uncontaminated drinking water, noise pollution and the health deterioration of urban and rural populations due to pollution. These environmental concerns not only harm Pakistani citizens but also pose a serious threat to the country's economy. The report also stated that the increase in [[Industrialisation|industrialization]], [[urbanization]] and [[Car|motorization]] will inevitably worsen this problem.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/701891468285328404/pdf/890650PUB0Clea00Box385269B00PUBLIC0.pdf|title=Cleaning Pakistan's Air: Policy Options to Address the Cost of Outdoor Air Pollution|last1=Sánchez-Triana|first1=Ernesto|last2=Enriquez|first2=Santiago|date=2014|website=www.worldbank.org|publisher=World Bank|last3=afzal|first3=Javaid|last4=Nakagawa|first4=Akiko|last5=Shuja Khan|first5=Asif}}</ref> Pakistan holds the dubious distinction of being the world's third-most polluted country when it comes to air quality, compounding its environmental challenges. The swift pace of urbanization, coupled with population growth, presents further intricacies in this regard.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pakistan’s Path to Climate Action Needs Strong Political Leadership |url=https://thediplomat.com/2023/08/pakistans-path-to-climate-action-needs-strong-political-leadership/ |access-date=2023-10-06 |website=thediplomat.com |language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Water pollution ===
{{Main|Water supply and sanitation in Pakistan}}
Pakistan is classified as a water stressed nation by the World Bank. There are seven main rivers that enter Pakistan from upper riparian states, including the [[Kabul River]] that enters from Afghanistan, and the [[Indus River]], [[Jhelum River]], [[Chenab River]], [[Ravi River]], and [[Sutlej|Sutlej River]] that enter from India. Among these, the Ravi and Sutlej are diverted in upstream India, for which consumptive use was awarded to India under the [[Indus Waters Treaty]] signed in 1960 by India and Pakistan. Canal networks from the Indus (main stem), Jhelum River, and Chenab River supply water throughout the agricultural plains in [[Punjab (region)|Punjab]] and in [[Sindh]], while the rest of the country has very little access to other fresh water. Potential scarcity of water not only threatens Pakistan's economy but also poses a serious threat to the lives of millions of Pakistanis.

Lower flows due to the Indus Waters Treaty, as well as diversion to canals, means that lower dilution flows are available within the rivers of Pakistan. On the other hand, water pollution generation is increasing largely due to the growing economy and population, and an almost complete lack of water treatment. The sources for water pollution include the overuse of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, the dumping of industrial effluent into lakes and rivers, untreated sewage being dumped into rivers and the ocean, and contaminated pipelines being used to transport water.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://environment.gov.pk/PRO_PDF/PositionPaper/Water%20Pollution.pdf|title=Brief on Water Pollution|website=environment.gov.pk|access-date=30 October 2016}}</ref> The contamination of fresh drinking water makes it harder for people to find clean water supplies and increases the prevalence of [[waterborne diseases]]. Consequently, most of the reported health problems in Pakistan are either a direct or indirect result of polluted water.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Sabir|first=Ismat|title=Water is Becoming Scarce|newspaper=Pakistan Observer|publication-date=28 November 2012}}</ref> 45% of infant deaths are due to diarrhea and 60% to overall waterborne diseases.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.pcrwr.gov.pk/images/press%20news/Current%20Synopsis.pdf|title=Satellite Based Monitoring of Groundwater Storage Variations Over Indus Basin|website=www.pcrwr.gov.pk|publisher=Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resource, Ministry of Science & Technology|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161113052216/http://www.pcrwr.gov.pk/images/press%20news/Current%20Synopsis.pdf|archive-date=2016-11-13|url-status=dead}}</ref>

According to researchers, Pakistan is projected to become the most water-stressed country in the region by the year 2040.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Is Pakistan paying attention to environment crises? – DW – 05/31/2022 |url=https://www.dw.com/en/is-pakistan-paying-attention-to-existential-environment-crises/a-61987940 |access-date=2023-09-23 |website=dw.com |language=en}}</ref>

=== Noise pollution ===
The megacities of Pakistan, such as [[Karachi]], [[Lahore]], [[Islamabad]] and [[Rawalpindi]], face the issue of [[noise pollution]]. The main source of this pollution is the traffic noise caused by buses, cars, trucks, [[Pulled rickshaw|rickshaws]] and water tankers. A study showed that on one of Karachi's main roads, the average noise level was around 90&nbsp;dB and was capable of reaching about 110&nbsp;dB. This is much higher than the [[International Organization for Standardization|ISO]]'s noise level standard of 70&nbsp;dB, which is not meant to be harmful to the human ear. However, the study also concluded that in Pakistan, "the traffic noise levels limit as laid down by National Environment Quality standards, Environmental Protection Agency is 85 dB".<ref>{{Cite journal|title=Traffic Noise Pollution in Karachi, Pakistan|url=http://lumhs.edu.pk/jlumhs/Vol09No03/pdfs/v9n3oa09.pdf|journal=Journal of Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences|volume=09}}</ref>

This high level of noise pollution can cause auditory and non-auditory health issues. Auditory issues include the loss of auditory sensory cells; non-auditory health issues include sleep disturbance, noise and cardiovascular disease, [[Endocrine system|endocrine]] response to noise and psychiatric disorder.<ref>{{Cite journal|title=Exploring Noise Pollution, Source and its impacts: an anthropological Study of rawalpindi city|url=http://www.sci-int.com/pdf/3641762493rd%20Paper%20Noise%20615-616.pdf|journal=Pakistan Association of Anthropology|issn=1013-5316|access-date=2016-11-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160804132348/http://sci-int.com/pdf/3641762493rd%20Paper%20Noise%20615-616.pdf|archive-date=2016-08-04|url-status=dead}}</ref> There are very few, vague laws and policies in regards to noise levels. There is no accountability, and while the federal and provincial environmental protection agencies receive dozens of complaints on noise pollution from the public, these agencies are unable to take action due to legal constraints and the absence of national noise level standards.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.environment.gov.pk/PRO_PDF/NoisePaperGen.pdf|title=Position Paper for environmental quality standards of noise in pakistan|website=environment.gov.ok|publisher=Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency|access-date=30 October 2016}}</ref>

=== Air pollution ===
[[Air pollution]] is a growing environmental problem in most major cities of Pakistan. According to a World Bank report, "Karachi's urban air pollution is among the most severe in the world and it engenders significant damages to human health and the economy". The inefficient use of energy, an increase in the number of vehicles used daily, an increase in unregulated industrial emissions and the burning of garbage and plastic have contributed the most to air pollution in urban areas. According to a recent study, the Sindh Environment Protection Department claims that the average level of pollution in big cities is approximately four times higher than the [[World Health Organization|World Health Organisation]]'s limits. These emissions have detrimental effects, including "[[respiratory disease]]s, reduced visibility, loss of vegetation and an effect on the growth of plants".

One of the greatest contributors to air pollution is industrial activity. The inadequate air emission treatments and lack of regulatory control over industrial activity has contributed to the deterioration of ambient air quality in major cities. In addition, the common practice of burning massive amounts of solid waste, including plastic and rubber, on street corners by the public, releases toxic gases, which are extremely harmful for residents in the area.

In 2018, a young entrepreneur in Karachi, Abid Omar, launched the Pakistan Air Quality Initiative to monitor air quality in Pakistan's big cities. The project aims to increase the availability of air quality data in Pakistan and make citizens more aware of the health impacts of air pollution.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rehman |first=Sonya |date=2018-09-01 |title=Pakistan's Rising Air Pollution Crisis |url=https://thediplomat.com/2018/08/pakistans-rising-air-pollution-crisis/ |access-date=2022-04-06 |website=[[The Diplomat (magazine)|The Diplomat]]}}</ref> The US State Department has set up three high-quality air quality monitoring stations at three locations in Pakistan.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://pk.usembassy.gov/u-s-mission-pakistan-starts-publishing-air-quality-data/|title=U.S. Mission Pakistan Starts Publishing Air Quality Data|date=2019-04-30|website=U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Pakistan|language=en-US|access-date=2019-06-01}}</ref>

Specifically, studies have revealed the negative consequences air pollution can have on the welfare of those impacted. Studies have revealed how the constant fluctuation of particulate matter poses a major threat to Pakistan's citizens who are frequently exposes to harmful levels of air pollution. Suspended Particulate Matter, which has been linked to respiratory illnesses has been found in harmful quantities in Pakistan's major urban areas. Some strategies that can be used to effectively manage Pakistan's urban air pollution problems include the advancements to road design and improvement of transport sustainability, increased use of abatement policy by the Pakistani government, and a conversion to clean fuel energy alternatives like CNG.

== Climate change ==

{{See also|Indus River#Effects of climate change on the river}}{{Excerpt|Climate change in Pakistan}}

== Natural disasters ==
{{Main|List of natural disasters in Pakistan}}
Due to Pakistan's diverse land and climatic conditions, it is prone to different forms of natural disasters, including [[earthquake]]s, [[flood]]s, [[tsunami]]s, [[drought]]s, [[cyclone]]s and hurricanes. A disaster management report claims that the provinces of [[Gilgit-Baltistan]] (GB), [[Balochistan, Pakistan|Balochistan]] and [[Azad Kashmir|AJK]] are vulnerable seismic regions and hence highly susceptible to earthquakes, while [[Sindh]] and [[Punjab (region)|Punjab]] constantly suffer from floods because they are low-lying areas.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Irshad|first1=Muhammad|last2=Ali|first2=Arshad|last3=Iqbal|first3=Shahid|date=April–June 2015|title=Disaster Management System of Pakistan|journal=Acta Technica Corvininesis- Bulletin of Engineering|volume=8|issue=2|issn=2067-3809}}</ref>

Some of the worst natural disasters that Pakistan has faced include the [[1935 Quetta earthquake]] when around 60,000 people were killed, the 1950 floods when an estimated 2900 people died and 900,000 people were left homeless, the [[1974 Hunza earthquake]] where around 5300 people were killed, the [[2005 Kashmir earthquake]] that killed at least 73,000 and affected more than 1.5 million people, and the [[2010 Pakistan floods|2010 floods]], where 20 million people were affected.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.dawn.com/news/661518/ten-worst-disasters-in-pakistan|title=Ten worst disasters in Pakistan|date=2011-09-24|newspaper=DAWN.COM|access-date=2016-11-12}}</ref>

== Forests ==
Pakistan had a 2018 [[Forest Landscape Integrity Index]] mean score of 7.42/10, ranking it 41st globally out of 172 countries.<ref name="FLII-Supplementary">{{cite journal|last1=Grantham|first1=H. S.|last2=Duncan|first2=A.|last3=Evans|first3=T. D.|last4=Jones|first4=K. R.|last5=Beyer|first5=H. L.|last6=Schuster|first6=R.|last7=Walston|first7=J.|last8=Ray|first8=J. C.|last9=Robinson|first9=J. G.|last10=Callow|first10=M.|last11=Clements|first11=T.|last12=Costa|first12=H. M.|last13=DeGemmis|first13=A.|last14=Elsen|first14=P. R.|last15=Ervin|first15=J.|last16=Franco|first16=P.|last17=Goldman|first17=E.|last18=Goetz|first18=S.|last19=Hansen|first19=A.|last20=Hofsvang|first20=E.|last21=Jantz|first21=P.|last22=Jupiter|first22=S.|last23=Kang|first23=A.|last24=Langhammer|first24=P.|last25=Laurance|first25=W. F.|last26=Lieberman|first26=S.|last27=Linkie|first27=M.|last28=Malhi|first28=Y.|last29=Maxwell|first29=S.|last30=Mendez|first30=M.|last31=Mittermeier|first31=R.|last32=Murray|first32=N. J.|last33=Possingham|first33=H.|last34=Radachowsky|first34=J.|last35=Saatchi|first35=S.|last36=Samper|first36=C.|last37=Silverman|first37=J.|last38=Shapiro|first38=A.|last39=Strassburg|first39=B.|last40=Stevens|first40=T.|last41=Stokes|first41=E.|last42=Taylor|first42=R.|last43=Tear|first43=T.|last44=Tizard|first44=R.|last45=Venter|first45=O.|last46=Visconti|first46=P.|last47=Wang|first47=S.|last48=Watson|first48=J. E. M.|title=Anthropogenic modification of forests means only 40% of remaining forests have high ecosystem integrity - Supplementary Material|journal=Nature Communications|volume=11|issue=1|year=2020|page=5978|issn=2041-1723|doi=10.1038/s41467-020-19493-3|pmid=33293507|pmc=7723057|doi-access=free}}</ref> Yet, deforestation is happening at an alarming rate in Pakistan. The country currently relies heavily on imported wood-based products due to a lack of self-sufficiency in this sector, resulting in substantial resource expenditure. Furthermore, these resources are depleting at a rate of one percent, which is having a significant impact on the well-being of the Pakistani population.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-11-24 |title=Deforestation in Pakistan |url=https://www.nation.com.pk/24-Nov-2022/deforestation-in-pakistan |access-date=2023-08-16 |website=The Nation |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Hussain · |first=Tasawar |date=2023-02-02 |title=Post-flood demand for firewood piles pressure on Pakistan’s forests |url=https://www.thethirdpole.net/en/livelihoods/post-flood-demand-for-firewood-piles-pressure-on-pakistans-forests/ |access-date=2023-08-16 |website=The Third Pole |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Conservation efforts==
{{Main|Conservation in Pakistan}}
The government has expressed concern about environmental threats to economic growth and social development and since the early 1990s has addressed environmental concerns with new legislation and institutions such as the Pakistan Environment Protection Council. However, foreign lenders provide most environmental protection funds, and only 0.04 percent of the government's development budget goes to environmental protection. Thus, the government's ability to enforce environmental regulations is limited, and private industries often lack the funds to meet environmental standards established by international trade organizations. Government of Pakistan start new campaign with Clean and Green Pakistan to overcome environmental issues.
=== Living Indus Initiative ===

The [[Living Indus Initiative]] is a comprehensive environmental program launched by the Ministry of Climate Change in Pakistan, in collaboration with the United Nations. This initiative aims to protect, conserve, and restore the natural ecosystems within the Indus Basin, which is crucial for the livelihoods of 90% of Pakistan’s population. The initiative addresses the severe environmental degradation caused by climate change, unsustainable population growth, and inefficient resource use. By implementing a series of 25 preliminary interventions, Living Indus focuses on nature-based solutions and ecosystem-based adaptation approaches. These efforts include restoring freshwater, terrestrial, coastal, and marine ecosystems, thereby enhancing the resilience of the Indus Basin against climate impacts. The initiative also emphasizes the importance of collective action, involving government bodies, the private sector, and civil society, to mobilize resources and foster a sustainable future for the region.

=== Clean Green Champion Program ===
An initiative named Clean Green Pakistan was launched in 2019 by the Government of Pakistan.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://blog.ramizansari.com/2019/11/25/pm-launches-clean-green-champion-program/|title=PM Launches Clean Green Champion Program|last=Ansari|first=Ramiz|date=2019-11-25|website=Blog by Ramiz Ansari|language=en-US|access-date=2019-11-25}}</ref> The idea of the initiative was to hold a competition between cities of Pakistan in cleanliness and greenery. A web portal was launched where citizens can get registered and report their activities to earn points. Citizens would also be awarded medals when they reach a certain threshold of points.

=== Billion Tree Tsunami ===
The '''[[Billion Tree Tsunami]]''' was launched in 2014 by the government of [[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]] (KPK) as a response against the challenge of [[global warming]]. Pakistan's Billion Tree Tsunami restores 350,000 hectares of forests and degraded land to surpass its [[Bonn Challenge]] commitment.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bonnchallenge.org/content/pakistan-kpk|title=Pakistan (KPK)|website=Bonn Challenge|language=en|access-date=2019-03-27|archive-date=2019-10-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191010052941/http://www.bonnchallenge.org/content/pakistan-kpk|url-status=dead}}</ref> The project aimed at improving the ecosystems of classified forests, as well as privately owned waste and farm lands, and therefore entails working in close collaboration with concerned communities and stakeholders to ensure their meaningful participation through effectuating project promotion and extension services.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://few.kp.gov.pk/page/about_billion_tree_tsunami_afforestation_project|title=About Billion Tree Tsunami Afforestation Project|website=few.kp.gov.pk|access-date=2019-03-27}}</ref> In just a year it has added three-quarters of a billion new trees, as part of a “tree tsunami” aimed at reversing worsening [[forest loss]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/04/pakistan-investing-150m-billion-tree-reforestation-150430135404923.html|title=Pakistan investing $150m in billion-tree reforestation|website=www.aljazeera.com|access-date=2019-03-27}}</ref> The project was completed in August 2017, ahead of schedule.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/07/pakistan-s-billion-tree-tsunami-is-astonishing/|title=Pakistan has planted over a billion trees|website=World Economic Forum|access-date=2019-03-27}}</ref>

The initiative was acknowledged by international media, namely ''[[The Washington Post]]'',<ref>{{Cite news |last=Constable |first=Pamela |author-link=Pamela Constable |date=2018-10-14 |title=In Pakistan, an ambitious effort to plant 10 billion trees takes root |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/in-pakistan-an-ambitious-effort-to-plant-10-billion-trees-takes-root/2018/10/12/18f14474-c015-11e8-9f4f-a1b7af255aa5_story.html |access-date=2022-04-06 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref> ''[[VoA News]]'',<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.voanews.com/a/pakistan-incoming-government-to-plant-10-billion-trees-/4516212.html|title=Pakistan to Plant '10 Billion Trees'|website=VOA|language=en|access-date=2019-03-27}}</ref> ''[[The Hindu]]'', ''[[Reuters]]'',<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/pakistan-forest-government-idUSL5N1GS5XO|title=FEATURE-'Billion tree tsunami' surges across northern Pakistan|date=2017-03-16|work=Reuters|access-date=2019-03-27|language=en}}</ref> ''[[Al Jazeera Media Network|Al Jazeera]]'',<ref name=":0" /> and many others. Short films such as ''Green Election Campaign''<ref>{{Citation |title=Green Election Campaign {{!}} Animated short film {{!}} HDsheet |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6sxKnn-N1o |language=en |access-date=2022-04-06}}</ref> and ''Stop'' are a part of Clean Green Pakistan Effort.

===National Conservation Strategy===
The Conservation Strategy Report has three explicit objectives: conservation of natural resources, promotion of sustainable development, and improvement of efficiency in the use and management of resources. It sees itself as a "call for action" addressed to central and provincial governments, businesses, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), local communities, and individuals.

The primary agricultural nonpoint source pollutants are nutrients (particularly nitrogen and phosphorus), sediment, animal wastes, pesticides, and salts. Agricultural nonpoint sources enter surface water through direct [[surface runoff]] or through seepage to ground water that discharges to a surface water outlet. Various farming activities result in the erosion of soil particles. The sediment produced by erosion can damage fish habitat and wetlands, and often transports excess [[agrochemical|agricultural chemicals]] resulting in contaminated runoff. This runoff, in turn, affects changes to aquatic habitat such as temperature increases and decreased oxygen. The most common sources of excess nutrients in surface water from nonpoint sources are chemical fertilizers and manure from animal facilities. Such nutrients cause eutrophication in surface water. Pesticides used for pest control in agricultural operations can also contaminate surface as well as ground-water resources. Return flows, runoff, and leach ate from irrigated lands may transport sediment, nutrients, salts, and other materials. Finally, improper grazing practices in riparian areas, as well as upland areas, can also cause water quality degradation. The development of Pakistan is viewed as a multigenerational enterprise.

In seeking to transform attitudes and practices, the National Conservation Strategy recognizes that two key changes in values are needed: the restoration of the conservation ethic derived from [[Islam]]ic moral values, called Qantas, and the revival of community spirit and responsibility, Haqooq ul Ibad.

The National Conservation Strategy Report recommends fourteen program areas for priority implementation: maintaining soils in [[farm|croplands]], increasing efficiency of [[irrigation]], protecting watersheds, supporting forestry and plantations, restoring rangelands and improving livestock, protecting water bodies and sustaining fisheries, conserving biodiversity, increasing energy efficiency, developing and deploying renewable resources, preventing or decreasing pollution, managing urban wastes, supporting institutions to manage common resources, integrating population and environmental programs, and preserving the cultural heritage. It identifies sixty-eight specific programs in these areas, each with a long-term goal and expected outputs and physical investments required within ten years. Special attention has been paid to the potential roles of environmental NGOs, women's organizations, and international NGOs in working with the government in its conservation efforts. Recommendations from the National Conservation Strategy Report are incorporated in the Eighth Five-Year Plan (1993–98).

In a recent study conducted by the Global CLEAN campaign, it was found that the average temperature in Pakistan had risen by 0.2 degrees in only two years. This is a dramatic change and puts emphasis on climate change campaigns.

'''Land use'''
* Arable land - 27%
* Permanent crops - 1%
* Permanent pastures - 6%
* Forests and woodland - 5%
* Other - 61% (1993 est.)
* Irrigated land - 171,100&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> (1993 est.)

===Protected areas===
{{Main|Protected areas of Pakistan}}
Pakistan has 14 [[National Parks|national parks]], 72 [[Wildlife Sanctuary|wildlife sanctuaries]], 66 [[game reserve]]s, 9 marine and littoral protected areas, 19 protected [[Ramsar convention|wetlands]] and a number of other protected [[grassland]]s, [[shrubland]]s, [[woodland]]s and [[natural monument]]s.

====International agreements====
Pakistan is a party to several international agreements related to environment and climate. The most prominent among them are:

{| width="100%" bgcolor="#fff4f4"
!align="center" colspan="2"|Treaties and agreements
|-align="center"
!align="left" valign="top"| Specific regions and [[sea]]s
|align="left" valign="top"|<small> [[United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea|Law of the Sea]], Ship Pollution ([[MARPOL 73/78]])</small>
|-align="center"
!align="left" valign="top"| [[Earth's atmosphere|Atmosphere]] and [[climate]]
|align="left" valign="top"|<small>[[United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change|Climate Change]], [[Montreal Protocol|Ozone Layer Protection]], [[Partial Test Ban Treaty|Nuclear Test Ban]]</small>
|-align="center"
!align="left" valign="top"| [[Biodiversity]], [[environment (biophysical)|environment]], and [[forest]]s
|align="left" valign="top"|<small>[[United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification|Desertification]], [[CITES|Endangered Species]], [[Environmental Modification Convention|Environmental Modification]], [[Ramsar Convention|Wetlands]], [[Convention on Fishing and Conservation of Living Resources of the High Seas|Marine Life Conservation]]</small>
|-align="center"
!align="left" valign="top"| [[Waste]]s
|align="left" valign="top"|<small>[[Basel Convention|Hazardous Wastes]]</small>
|-align="center"
!align="left" valign="top"| [[River]]s
|align="left" valign="top"|<small>[[Indus Waters Treaty]]</small>
|}

==See also==
* [[Green economy]]
* [[Geography of Pakistan]]
* [[Health care in Pakistan]]
* [[Hydrogen economy]]
* [[Leapfrogging#Leapfrogging in developing countries|Leapfrogging from natural gas to hydrogen]]
* [[List of environmental issues]]
* [[Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency]]
* [[Protected areas of Pakistan]]
* [[Wildlife of Pakistan]]

==References==
<references />

==External links==
* [http://www.environment.gov.pk/ Environment Protection Agency, Pakistan]
* [http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/4153/thesaurus/pakistan/ Resources on Pakistan, Environment and Sustainable Development]

{{Asia in topic|Environmental issues in}}
{{Geography of Pakistan}}
{{Social issues in Pakistan}}
{{Pakistan topics}}

{{Country study}}

[[Category:Environmental issues in Pakistan| ]]