Environment: not for sale

Red Alert. Half a billion people affected. Schools and businesses shut down. Airports around the country closed. This was a summary of what happened in China last week as a result of the toxic smog. Unfortunately, this was not the first time this year that the citizens faced this crisis. Masks are doing a booming business, and so is air, yes air, imported from the Alps and Canada and sold in cans. Absurd as it may sound, the citizens are looking for just a few whiffs of clean air. The smog itself is a result of a multitude of factors, including industrialisation, regulatory lapses and poor adherence to best practices of environmental regulation. The impact on health, which is both short term and long term, will continue to be felt for a long time. This is neither a conspiracy theory, nor hype. It is a reality that even the Chinese citizens and the government now acknowledge.

At home, we see a pattern every year in winter. A cloud of smog and fog envelopes that central and northern part of Punjab and Islamabad, and affects airports, transportation, commerce and other business activities. While long believed, erroneously, to be just a seasonal swing in the weather, we now know that it is driven in large part by pollution both domestic and regional.

So what connects the two stories, what is going on in China, and what happens at home every year? Well, the same thing that connects us in pretty much everything these days, CPEC. Lately, there have been some important questions raised about the lack of economic transparency of CPEC and the debt burden Pakistan may feel in the long term. There are also important questions being asked about the growing influence of China in Pakistan’s service sector. From the sale of Karachi Electric to the 40 per cent share of Pakistan Stock Exchange, the impact of China is inescapable. And while I am all for trade, engagement with neighbours and strong ties that are mutually beneficial, I am also for transparency, discussion and debate on important issues that should concern us. It is rather ironic that on one hand CPEC is being touted as a life-saver and the best deal that was ever made, yet it is shrouded in mystery. This reminds me of another, recently elected, politician who keeps saying that he makes the best deals ever, yet no one knows what those deals are and why are they best for?

The environmental component of CPEC, that has never been discussed openly or debated in academic or technical circles, is particularly concerning for three reasons. Let us assume that there is some cost on the environment. This assumption is backed both by history of massive development and the recent record of China and Pakistan on putting environment as a cursory afterthought. First, negative environmental impact would significantly affect health in the country. Given our current situation where basic health services are sub-par, this would further complicate our problems and add a significant burden on our existing health infrastructure. Second, the effect on agriculture, the backbone of our industry would be substantial. Third, and perhaps the most important aspect is the cost it would take to repair, should we recognise the impact and decide to do something about it.

As we look to 2017, and think about new year’s resolutions, as individuals and institutions, let us make a commitment to rigorous discussions, based on facts and evidence, and not just patriotic hyperbole. Universities have a particular role to play, through engagement of policymakers, experts and the general public. The role of a university in a knowledge economy is not just to create technologies, but also to create knowledge that questions decisions of national significance.

CPEC presents an interesting opportunity for our development, and should be considered as such. Yet, a lack of discussion and debate, and stifling any conversation about the challenges as unpatriotic is both naive and dangerous. The real patriotism is not to stay silent, but to question rigorously the decisions that will affect our future.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 28^th, 2016.

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