World Environment Day: Environment in Danger

Introduction

Former premier of Pakistan Imran Khan highlighted the ongoing impact of environmental issues, more particularly the ever-increasing carbon foot print in the country. It was the first time, that the then-premier accorded it the status of a national issue. The purpose of the announcement of the Ten Billion Tree Tsunami Programme was for the revival of forest and wildlife resources.  let's have a look on the day of World Environment Day that how Pakistan has been facing the biggest life-threating issue related to environmental issues.   

Overview of the initiatives 

The initiatives that the former premier Imran Khan took as followed; 

1. 10 Billion Tree Tsunami. 

The Economic Survey 2020-21 released in June 2021. According to the report, around a whopping 350 million trees and 814.6 million plants were planted in the country to improve the overall conservation of the existing protected areas.  

2. Ecosystem Restoration Fund

This initiative was highly appreciated and recognized by the international community and activists of climate change and environmentalists.   

Carbon Footprint in Pakistan

Though, Pakistan is not among the top 10 countries that overwhelmingly contribute carbon or CO2 which are associated with climate and global warming. The Foreign Minister of Pakistan Bilawal Bhutto Zardari underscored that "Pakistan contributes a negligible 0.8 percent of the global carbon footprint but we are among the 10 most climate-stressed countries on the planet". 

Although, the current status of the carbon footprint in Pakistan indicates the variance with the government's stated intentions. For instances, 

1. Between 1994 and 2015, the carbon footprint or emissions increased by 123 percent.  

2. During the same period, around 46 percent of the country's total greenhouse gas emissions come from fossil fuels.   

3. Agriculture sector accounts for 43 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. 

It is not a surprise that Pakistan's carbon emissions are projected to increase by 300 percent by 2030. According to the report produced by the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology of the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences that the annual cost of environmental degradation in Pakistan is about $4.3 billion which is 4.3 percent of the GDP of the country.