Pakistan losing Rs1b every day
Environmental degradation costing economy approx Rs1b a day, recent floods worsened situation.
ISLAMABAD:
Environmental degradation is costing Pakistan’s economy approximately Rs1 billion a day. This was stated by Dr Aurangzeb Khan, project director of National Impact Assessment Programme (NIAP) here at a workshop organised by International Union of Conservation of Nature.
The workshop was titled “EIA Mapping Analysis” and aimed at implementing NIAP in Pakistan.
The recent floods wreaked further havoc on the environment as 30 per cent area of the country was devastated.
Dr Khan said according to the World Bank, Pakistan wastes Rs365 billion per annum for environmental degradation, which is excessive environmental damage in monetary terms for an underdeveloped country.
The purpose of the workshop was to map the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Process in consultation with the relevant stakeholders, including government institutions both from the federal as well as provincial governments, civil society, private sector, international organisations, academia and environmentalists.
Dr Auangzaib, who is also the chief of the Environment Section Planning Commission claimed that the commission has been successful in promoting the significance of the environment with the policy makers, but the main issue needing urgent attention is implementation of environmental laws.
Dr Bobbi Sachijf of Netherlands Commission for Environmental Assessment (NCEA) said growing factors of environmental changes need to be addressed at the earliest to save Pakistan from natural disasters in the future.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 31st, 2010.
Environmental degradation is costing Pakistan’s economy approximately Rs1 billion a day. This was stated by Dr Aurangzeb Khan, project director of National Impact Assessment Programme (NIAP) here at a workshop organised by International Union of Conservation of Nature.
The workshop was titled “EIA Mapping Analysis” and aimed at implementing NIAP in Pakistan.
The recent floods wreaked further havoc on the environment as 30 per cent area of the country was devastated.
Dr Khan said according to the World Bank, Pakistan wastes Rs365 billion per annum for environmental degradation, which is excessive environmental damage in monetary terms for an underdeveloped country.
The purpose of the workshop was to map the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Process in consultation with the relevant stakeholders, including government institutions both from the federal as well as provincial governments, civil society, private sector, international organisations, academia and environmentalists.
Dr Auangzaib, who is also the chief of the Environment Section Planning Commission claimed that the commission has been successful in promoting the significance of the environment with the policy makers, but the main issue needing urgent attention is implementation of environmental laws.
Dr Bobbi Sachijf of Netherlands Commission for Environmental Assessment (NCEA) said growing factors of environmental changes need to be addressed at the earliest to save Pakistan from natural disasters in the future.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 31st, 2010.