47. Pakistan Economic Survey 2011-12 - Consultancy Services in ...

hectares of fertile land in Thatta district alone isaffected by sea intrusion.The other major threats to mangrove ecosystemincludes shortage of fresh water and resultant siltdepositions, industrial and municipal pollution,dumping of waste, oil spills and leakages, andencroachment of settlements around mangroveforests. The Government of Pakistan has takensteps to halt the deforestation of mangroves byestablishing protected areas and new plantations byforest department with the help of nongovernmentalorganizations like WWF-Pakistanand IUCN.Floods of 2011 and Policy ResponsesIn a Damage and Need Assessment Report jointlyprepared by the Asian Development Bank and theWorld Bank, it has also been pointed out that inaddition to causing loss of life, displacement ofmillions, and huge losses to the economy, thefloods in 2011 have resulted in environmentaldamages, heightened environmental health risksand affected forests, wetlands and other naturalsystems. The floods have also causedcontamination of drinking water, proliferation ofdisease vectors caused by stagnant water ponds,and accumulation of solid wastes – factors thatwould further exacerbate health risks for theaffected population, particularly women andchildren. Environmental degradation and its effectson human health was already a significantdevelopment challenge in Pakistan, which hassome of the highest prevalence rates in all of SouthAsia for child mortality, diarrhea and acuterespiratory illnesses associated with environmentalfactors. The conditions created by the floods couldresult in a significant increase of these and otherillnesses. No estimates are available for damages toother environmental resources such as wetlandsand mangroves at this stage. To fill such damagedata gaps, follow-up environmental studies havebeen proposed to address safe disposal of debris,leakage/spillage of hazardous and/or toxicsubstances and assess damage to cultural heritagesites.The floods were initiated by a naturalphenomenon; however, anthropogenicinterventions exacerbated them, particularly asEnvironmentdestruction and degradation of natural ecosystemsreduced their capacity to protect from flood. Also,development of settlements and croplands infloodplains as well as blocking of natural drainageroutes created the conditions for the current humantragedy. To avoid such disasters in the future,strengthening the resilience of the Indus Watershedis urgently needed, involving an approach thatcombines structural and non-structural measuresthat are strategic, feasible, and affordable tominimize vulnerability to extreme weather events.Such an approach also calls for improvedmanagement of the Indus Basin’s major naturalresources through strengthened coordination offlood-related actions within and among theprovinces. Towards this end, the following priorityactions are proposed to be undertaken: Addressing environmental health priorities,including drinking water, sanitation, hygieneand indoor air quality Reviewing/updating the flood protectionstrategy and master plan, and preparing astorm water drainage master plan; and Preparing land use plans and buildingregulation, and strengthening legal andinstitutional frameworks.The environmental damage caused by floodshas been estimated at Rs. 2,762.7 million (US $31.8 million) and environmental recovery /reconstruction needs has been estimated at Rs.2,873.6 million (US $ 33.02 million).Environmental Considerations in PolicyResponseThe 2011 floods have caused wide-ranging damageto different sectors of the economy. Thereconstruction and recovery needs are diverse andmulti-faceted and work has to be undertaken on anurgent basis. However, these interventions,particularly those related to irrigation, agriculture,transport, health, education, housing, and watersupply and sanitation are likely to cause negativeenvironmental impacts. In order to ensure thesustainability of the reconstruction and recoveryprocess, these negative environmental impactsought to be addressed as an integral part of allsectoral plans.Comment [MM16]: this sentence is not addinganything newComment [MM17]: I don't know if I understandthe message here: reconsutruction efforts are goingto create a carbon footprint. Is that the negativeenvironmental impact being referred to here? Even ifit is, it's hard to see the "social" impact here.245