Press Release
August 23, 2002

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan attended "Earth summit" in 1992 as the leader of the developing world, Group-77, but after ten years at the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg, South Africa (August 26 to September 4), it is going with modest representation and carries the baggage of many failures on ecological accounts.

The Green Press noting the twelve failures on the front of environment, regrets that the head of the state who also happens to be the head of country's apex environmental decision making body, Pakistan Environment Protection Council (PEPC) is not attending the conference despite the invitation from the host United Nations Environment Program (UNEP). Instead the federal minister of environment, who will lose her job after election 2002, will represent the country.

Despite the passage of much eulogized green laws in 1997, the two promised Environmental Tribunals exist no where. The industry dominated PEPC has dodged the implementation of National Environmental Quality Standards (NEQS) since July 1996.

The country's safety standards could be well judged from the odd fact that the environment ministry's offices in Shaheed-I-Millat secretariat in Islamabad were burnt to ashes.

Over the years instead of allocating more resources to bring the country out of the quagmire of ecological disaster the fourteen core areas identified in the National Conservation Strategy (1992) have been trimmed to four in a new donor-driven, National Environmental Action Plan (NEAP).

Deforestation and desertification continues at rather an accelerated pace. A number of cities have experienced water riots and rationing and heaps of un-disposed solid waste in almost all cities of the country epitomize the failure of civic authorities. Similarly many development projects have been announced without conducting mandatory Environmental Impact Assessment.

Green Press Pakistan urges conduct of the 'development audit' of all failed projects and asks to shun the cosmetic approach of donor-driven reports, seminars and task-forces and embark on much needed ecological repair on the ground before it is too late.

According to the World Bank and other institution's studies, Pakistan annually loses billions of rupees because of its lethargy to arrest the environmental degradation. Country's environmental decision makers need to realize that it is no more a matter of choice, but life for the 140 million Pakistanis.

The Green Press hopes that the WSSD could serve as a defining moment in this regard. A member of Green Press Pakistan will also be attending and covering the WSSD.

Issued by:
Green Press Pakistan
Ph: 2270236
E-mail: greenpress@hotmail.com Website:
www.greenpress.sdnpk.org

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