By
Sunila A. Wassey DD-SEPA
ALLAH bestowed His blessing to their creature with the concept of sustainability and in this regard
Quran says in Sureh Al- Rehman,
“He created man, teaching him the [coherent] speech. The sun and the moon follow a reckoning,
and the grass and the trees prostrate. And He has raised the heaven and set up the balance,
[declaring] that you should not contravene with regard to the balance. And observe the measure
with justice and do not skimp the balance. And the earth, He placed it for [all] creatures. / In it
are fruits and date-palms with sheaths, / and grain with husk, and fragrant herb. So which of,
Lord’s favors will you deny?” (Al-Rahman, 55:3-13).
This article is fundamentally based on four basic pillar i-e integration, sustainability,
environmental issues and sustainable development and that will be structured for the better concept
of sustenance in Pakistan regarding environmental sustainability. According to economist,
“sustainable” stands for producing goods and services on a continuous basis and for avoiding
extreme sectoral imbalances in the economy. Social sustainability is focused on distributional
issues and equity and should create adequate provision for social services. Environmental
sustainability on its part is related to all developed strategies aimed at maintaining stable resource
base by avoiding over-exploitation of renewable resource and the depletion of non-renewable ones.
These three aspects are considered as the base of sustainability that should strive to find the right
balance between these issues. Whereas, Jim MacNeill, Former Secretary General of the World
Commission on Environment and Development urges environmental sustainability as–the growth
based on forms and processes of development that do not undermine the integrity of the
environment on which they depend” .
To address environmental issues and find out their solutions are not an easy task because it is very
complex process and interlinked with socio-economic issues. Environmental problems makes
apparent that, solving complex issues requires the cooperation of all sectors that give birth to
integrated approach .Sustainability comes, if there will be the balance between economics
development, social equity and environment quality. We cannot be divorced one parameter from
another and if it is happened, then lead to unsustainably. The United Nations Conference on
Environment and Development in 1992 has emphasized the need for sustainability and for respect
for the precautionary principle to protect the environment. The concept “sustainability” comes
originally from forestry, fisheries and groundwater. According to Rogers, the concept of
sustainability is first of all an attempt to bring the concept of development close to the
environmental one. Sustainability is more and more becoming a measure or an indicator of
sustainable development as well as a philosophy following the principles of sustainable
development that considers the long term perspectives of the socio-economic system, to ensure
that improvements occurring in the short term will not be detrimental to the future status or
development Potential of the system, i.e. development will be “sustainable” on environmental,
social, financial and other grounds”.
Environmental issues are the great concern of today in Pakistan as well around the world. The
importance of subject “environment” and its “issues” were ignorant in Pakistan and little attention
was paid until early 1990s.With time, country moved towards progressive mode, industries,
energy, agricultural as an assets of Pakistan improved in mid 1960s-1970s and then aggressively
seems growth in population, industries, agricultural ,energy, oil and gas production,
construction/infrastructure and in urbanizations .With advent of such developments, economic
condition well considered but birth to other un-noticed issues regarding environmental pollution
particularly air, water, land including miss-management of natural resources that accelerate the
climatic impacts on an environment. Pakistan came into being in the name of Islam and officially
declared Islamic Republic of Pakistan but unfortunately unobserved the concept of sustainability
that taught us Islam. We could not maintain the equilibrium of nature. Over exploitation of natural
resources, un-planned urbanization and infrastructure, encroachments, over population, air, water
and land pollution, climatologically impacts, disciplinary violations, harassments, security issues,
weak governance and others. These factors make our country unstable and causing great loss to
economic development, social equity and environmental quality. Unsustainable developmental
policies stand our country under developing states. Mostly economic considerations are well
thought-out over last many years without enough considerations to environmental and social
levels. Rapid growth in the corporate sector is debilitating precarious ecological health; the need
to devise preventive measures and to adopt restorative policies is formidable. Inclement weather,
rising global temperature, melting ice, accumulating greenhouse gases, encroaching seas,
inundated coastal lines, mismanagement of natural resources, pollution (air, water, land and noise)
and many more are all impacted by poor environmental management. As global response to
deteriorating ecological stability, both public and private institutions, nationally and
internationally have been pointing their fingers at lack of environmental management policy,
monitoring and implementation process as root cause for all the environmental problems. So,
efficiently integrating sustainability approach into core environmental issues (i-e pollution and
climate change) of Pakistan is holistic approach for better sustenance and sustainable development.
Sustainability promotes only one earth strongly, we should stands up and work together to support
nations under one agenda i-e start to reduce environmental pollution at local and climate change
as problem at global level. The action needs now because as per FAO-United Nation, on everyday
815 million people go to bed with empty stomach, and we waste one third of all the food we
produce whereas food loss and waste generate 8% of total GHGs emissions. 26% of the damages
to agricultural developing countries is due to climate risk in the last decade. Crop yield is decreased
by up to 25% by 2050.livestocks chains accounts for over 14% of the GHGs emissions. Soil
degradation has released up to 78GT of carbon in to the atmosphere. About 11% of global GHGs
emissions are due to forest degradation /deforestation (Source: FAO-UN). Pollution kills nine
million people every year and we are still on the track for a global temperature rise of 2.7 degrees
Celsius (Source: IUCN).
Therefore, to improve population health, natural resources protection, socioeconomic well-being,
and the integrity of diverse national and ethnic cultures need to develop and up-grade awareness,
solutions or strategies for conservation and restoration of deteriorated environment and climate
change and promote the concept of environmental sustainability for the ONLY ONE EARTH
because Earth doesn’t need us but the people should value this planet for their better sustenance.
