Environmental Problems

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"In the future , the problem of declining living standards in poor countries is likely to be worsened by environmental degradation . Today environmental problems already affect the health and livelihoods of hundreds of millions . If drastic steps are not taken , the coming century will see billions of people suffer the consequences of pollution and scarcity of natural resources , especially , agricultural land and water

Environmental Pollutions

It is a term that refers to all the ways that human activity harms the natural environment . It is one of the most serious problems facing

br humanity and other life forms of today . Badly polluted air can harm crops and cause life-threatening illnesses . Some air pollutants have reduced the capacity of the atmosphere to filter out the sun 's harmful ultraviolet radiation . Many scientists believe that these and other air pollutants have begun to change climates around the world . Water and soil pollution threaten the ability of farmers to grow enough food Ocean pollutions endanger many marine organisms

Most people will say that if one thing is more important than their economic situation , it 's their health . Most experts will state that our health is linked closely to what happens in our environment . It is odd then , that for most people the environment is only a matter of secondary importance . Apparently , the link between our health and our environment is insufficiently recognized

Environmental issues in Pakistan threaten the economy and the population 's health , and there is little indication of their abatement A 1997 World Bank study estimated the annual cost of Pakistan 's environmental problems at US 1 .8 billion in health expenditures , reduced labor productivity , and other costs . The availability of natural resources is limited by the dry climate and mountainous terrain substantial population growth is increasing pressure on the resource base , and resource management has suffered from the emphasis on rapid economic growth and often-unregulated forms of economic productivity . As a result , human transformation of the environment is manifest in several problems . Population growth and poor water infrastructure have reduced per capita water availability from 53 ,000 cubic meters to 1 ,200 cubic meters , and heavy reliance on firewood has contributed to the world 's second highest rate of deforestation . Poor agricultural practices have led to soil erosion , groundwater degradation , and other problems that have hindered crop output and contributed to health problems for rural communities . Solid waste burning , low-quality fuels , and the growing use of fuel-inefficient motor vehicles have contributed to air pollution that in some cities - such as Islamabad , Lahore , and Rawalpindi - has exceeded levels deemed safe by the World Health Organization . 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 . Yet , 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 funds to meet environmental standards established by international trade organizations . A huge amount of budget for poverty alleviation is instead spent on buying costly vehicles for the Government departments or on the Government officials themselves

Pakistan , with its economy dependent on natural resources , faces the daunting challenge of the growing imbalance between an increasing population and the availability of natural resources to meet the basic needs of the people . Limited financial , technical and administrative capacity of the country in solving environmental problems is a major constraint in tackling this basic issue . Similarly , exponential growth of urban population coupled with growing number of vehicles burning fossil fuels , and rapid growth of industries in local pockets is also posing serious threats to the surrounding environment . As a result , it is estimated that approximately 3-4 of GDP is lost annually due to environmental degradation . This environmental degradation along with other factors has resulted in an increase in poverty , which is now at an all time high of 33 of the population

The country 's environmental problems are grouped into two broad categories with varying degree of impacts . The first , arising primarily from a combination of poverty and population growth , leading to the over-exploitation of natural resource capital , and the second emanating from the largely unplanned increase in industrialization and urbanization , leading to the pollution of water , air and land

It is important for national policy makers to understand the essence and importance of environmental protection because if they do not , no policies will be enacted to tackle environmental problems or support environmental conservation . For Pakistan , although an institution to protect the environment has been established , the government at that time , had not given much attention , therefore , no significant actions have been taken to manage environmental problems

Pakistan Environmental Protection Council (PEPC ) is an apex organization at the National level for formulation and implementation of the national environmental policy and programmes . It was set up in 1984 under section 3 of the Pakistan Environmental Protection Ordinance , 1983 under the Chairmanship of the President of Pakistan . Later on , an amendment was made in the Ordinance to provide for the Prime Minister or his /her nominee to head the PEPC

During the first ten years of its existence of this statute , only one meeting of the PEPC had been held , on 10 May 1993 , the meeting was held under the Caretaker Prime Minister of Pakistan whom decided to establish the National Environmental Quality Standards . The standards were related to

Municipal and liquid industrial effluent

Industrial gaseous emissions and

Motor vehicle exhaust and noise . These standards were notified in the Gazette of Pakistan on 29 August 1993

The Chairman of PEPC (during his tenure from 1994 to 1996 accorded the highest priority to tree plantation as the key component of environment . He launched a massive a forestation campaign throughout the country with a view to double the forest cover in ten years . The goals were to increase forest cover from the existing 5 percent to 10 percent by the year 2006 . About 90 million saplings were planted in 1995 and 280 million in 1996 , in addition to plantation of 218 million saplings , as part of the regular programmes of the Forestry Departments of the Provincial Governments . All Government departments , banks , autonomous bodies , corporations , NGOs , voluntary organizations and schools contributed to this process under the Chairperson , PEPC 's Afforestation Campaign

There are also other ways to lessen environmental problems . The answer is that to do something about it is not economically attractive . The conversion to more sustainable forms of agriculture would eat into the profits of transnational companies producing agro-chemicals and seeds of modern crop varieties . Measures to protect the environment and use finite resources more prudently cost money and could slow production That means lower profits and economic growth . What we 're dealing with here is a conflict between short term private interests and the long term common good . Business wants profits , politicians want votes . If those have to come at the cost of the environment , so be it . Pollution control technology is often expensive . It does not as a rule add to production quantity and , with the partial exception of agricultural products , product quality . Therefore , pollution control raises production costs . That reduces profits and makes products less competitive in international markets . The way to resolve the dilemma between growth and sustainability is to change the character of growth Economic growth should no longer be based on activities that increase pollution and the consumption of finite resources , but on activities that do the opposite . Pollution control , recycling , and renewable energy generation will create jobs , profits and thus , economic growth . But it will do so in ways that help achieve sustainability

Economic growth , then , does not necessarily have to mean increased pollution and consumption of natural resources . This statement can also be reversed : pollution is not a necessary result of growth . Instead , in many cases it is a sign of inefficiency and indifference . What is needed is a new approach to production , in which the starting point should not only be to maximize profits , but also to produce as few harmful emissions and use as few finite raw materials as possible

Many types of environmental pollution have been difficult to control because no single person or nation owns the earth 's global resources - that is , its oceans and atmosphere . To control pollution , the people of the world must work hand in hand . The government can tie up with other global organization like the Greenpeace , it is an international environmental organization founded in Vancouver , British Columbia Canada in 1971 . Greenpeace is known for its use of campaigns to stop atmospheric and underground nuclear testing as well as to bring an end to high seas whaling . In later years , the focus of the organization turned to other environmental issues , including bottom trawling , global warming , ancient forest destruction , Nuclear power , and genetic engineering

Like Pakistan , China also experiences the same environmental problems China is facing "severe " environmental problems , including pollution in most of its rivers and lakes and worsening acid rain , the government said , blaming the booming economy and urban growth

"China is witnessing rapid economic growth , which has a major impact on the environment , intensifying environmental problems " said Wang Jirong deputy director of the State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA

Acid rain fell more often and on more cities last year , affecting 298 urban areas -- more than half of all the cities monitored . Caused by the burning of fossil fuels for generating electricity , acid rain can kill trees and harm soil and water

Urban pollution was another fast-growing problem , as statistics showed only one-third of the sewage and about 57 percent of the garbage generated in cities was being treated , according to the report

Much of the problem was due to the rapid industrialization and economic growth , officials said . They indicated the problem would not be resolved soon , despite government measures to curb pollution

The government , for example , is trying to reduce the country 's dependency on coal for power generation , moving to build more hydroelectric plants

Land degradation was also occurring at a larger percentage of China 's natural grassland due to overgrazing "irrational development " and industrial pollution . The trend "still had not been curbed " the report said . Chinese government along with the German government ties up in solving the environmental problems that occur in China . The following programs were established and push through

1 . Introducing environmental standards from foreign countries Cooperation in the pesticide-quality management has resulted in mapping out and implementing laws on pesticide management in China and improvement in the quality of pesticides used . While introducing ISO14000 international environmental standards , the two sides jointly worked out an information advisory model , which was developed by China trained personnel to take charge of environmental management , and set an environmental index on industrial production . In 1999 , both sides decided to develop an intensified agricultural environment strategy project in north China . The project , to be implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture , will siphon off 10 million Marks . It will be conducive to the formulation and improvement of China 's laws and regulations on agricultural ecological conservation

2 . Ecological conservation . The cooperative projects jointly undertaken by China and Germany have made remarkable achievements . This includes the projects to protect the tropical rainforests in Yunnan and Hainan provinces , the establishment of the Sichuan Wolong Nature Preserve and the protection and use of the water in the Miyun reservoir

3 . Protecting and Monitoring the Atmosphere . In China , more than 70 percent of its energy comes from coal-burning electric plants Therefore , it is very important for China to develop the technology to reduce the pollution from burning coal and discharge of greenhouse gases . The High-tech Training Center of the Xian Thermal Electric Power Station , a project jointly developed by China and Germany , does just that . The center is devoted to spreading advanced management methods and clean coal-burning technology . Another project aimed at reducing the discharge of carbon dioxide (CO2 ) is now ongoing in the provinces of Jiangsu and Zhejiang as well as the municipality of Shanghai

4 . City Planning Conducive to the Environment . In city planning , energy resources and the environment are normally given top priority . In Beijing , Suzhou and Hohhot , effective measures on energy management have been adopted and have improved the structure of energy management and reduced environmental pollution . Jiangsu 's Yangzhou put their focus on the ecological environment , economy and society in drawing up their city plan

Currently , one of the group 's tasks is to implement urban environmental protection concepts . For example , the group offers its expertise to cooperate with the Beijing Municipality toward the goal to transform Beijing into one of the cleanest cities in Asia , ready to hold the 2008 Olympics

References

Santos , Gil Nonato C Ocampo , Jorge

(2003 . Science and Technology I

Published , copywrited 2003 , and distributed by Rex Bookstore

Ning , Li (2000 . China and Germany Seek Solutions to Environmental Problems

Retrieved November 23 , 2006

http /www .bjreview .com .cn /2001 /NationalIssues /China200110a .htm

Environment and Energy (2005 . Retrieved November 23 , 2006 from

http /www .un .org .pk /undp /energy /overview .htm

Pakistan Environmental Protection Council (2003 .Retrieved November 23

2006 from http /www .unescap .org /drpad /vc /conference /bg_pk_1_pep .htm

Greenpeace . Wikipedia the free Encyclopedia (2006 . Retrieved November 23

2006 from Wikipedia .com : http /en .wikipedia .org /wiki /Greenpeace

China Faces Severe Environmental Problems (2005 . Retrieved November 23 , 2006

from http /www .redorbit .com /news /display ?id 153393 source r_science

Doorman , F .J . Global Development (2006 . Retrieved November 23 , 2006 from http /home .wanadoo .nl /f .j .doorman /Page14html

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Environmental Problems ...