Environmental Awareness is the Need of the Hour
English Essay on "Environmental Awareness is the Need of the Hour" - Compositions on "Environmental Awareness is the Need of the Hour"
Bearing the worst environmental circumstances in Pakistan we should be the most concerned nation as how to improve the situation. Though rest of the world today are also greatly concerned about the accelerating pace of environmental degradation caused by unsustainable development models and lifestyle.
Pakistan at the global level is neither a major polluter nor a major consumer of natural resources. As in other parts of the world environmental concerns are relatively new to Pakistan’s political landscape. educationsight.blogspot.com The result is that until very recently, the response to these concerns, issues by the government as well as civic groups has been fragmented and incidental rather than organised and well-directed.
The basic causes for environmental problems in Pakistan are numerous and complex. However those can be summed up to include:
1- Past tendency to emphasise quantitative growth at the expense of quality.
2- Failure of our economy to provide full accounting for the social costs of environmental pollution.
3- Limited natural resources base (e.g. clean air, clean water, and fertile land).
4- Lack of awareness.
5- Inadequate institutions and failure of our institutions to perceive the environment in its totality.
The major success so far has been in the area of increasing environmental awareness where much of the credit goes to print media. The increase in public awareness has been slow but palpable. In 1991, for the first time the government made an explicit commitment to provide clean water and air to the citizens of this country, protect bio-diversity by establishing good husbandry practices, supporting parks, reduce the rate of population growth and promote rational use of energy. We, now in the succeeding paragraphs shall highlight some of the areas subscribing towards danger to the human health.
Population:
Pakistan’s growth rate of population is the 14th highest in the world. Among the 9 most populous countries in the world, only Nigeria has a comparably high growth rate. Pakistan’s growth rate is much highest than the overall average of the low income economies of the South Asia.
Consequently, the rate of growth of per capita income has been adversely effected by the high growth of population and hence low productivity levels. Some of the reasons of high population growth rate are:
1- Religious taboos (misconception about contraceptive use).
2- Low status accorded to women. Thus resulting in low labour force participation rate, low literacy level, preference to male births, etc.
3- High infant mortality rates. (Thus desired for a large family to ensure that at least some children will attain adulthood.
4. Poverty and economic uncertainty.
Water Supply:
Only 53%of the population in Pakistan has access to piped water, 79% of those in urban areas and 21% in rural area. Access to piped water however is no guarantee that water quality measures up to required health standards. Analysis of water samples from various areas of only Karachi reveal that level of water contamination in all areas is highly dangerous. 92% of Karachi depends on surface water supplies. Surface water is polluted and is unfit for human consumption unless it is treated or boiled.
Sewerage Cover:
Between 50% and 55% of the urban population in Pakistan is provided sewerage and drainage service. Sewerage disposal is disposed of through open drains, which is unhygienic and dangerous. Some 10% or 30% of such sewage either remains in the streets or is discharged into ponds or other water bodies. Thus provides and ideal breeding ground for disease vectors. Only Islamabad and Karachi possess sewage treatment plants Another drawback is that waste is allowed to be contamination with highly toxic industrial effluent. Such sewage is than used for irrigation and that is how toxic substances are introduced into food grains. The situation in rural areas is worst, with only 6% population having access to sanitation.
Health:
Poor health facilities are yet another factors of rapid population growth. During 1994-95, the country had one doctor for every 2,127 persons and one hospital bed for 1,535 persons. Another neglected area of health care is the provision on ante and post natal care. 45% of new born suffer from diarrhea. The present allocation of 0.2% of GNP to public health needs to be revised to provide clean water and sanitation facilities to the population.
Literacy:
Only 31% population of Pakistan is literate. This is well beyond the average of 42% of South Asia. Given a population growth of 3.1%, it is expected that by the end of the century, 83 million will be illiterates. Education is also a neglected field and is accorded low priority by the government until now. Pakistan allocated 2.2% of its GNP whereas average allocation in third world countries is 3.7% of GNP.
Transport:
The transport sector in Pakistan accounts almost 19% of total energy consumption. It is almost wholly dependent on petroleum as a source of energy. The inability of the government to meet the rapidly growing demand for transport has led to private enterprise in the transport sectors. Due to financial constraints, buses and light vehicles are popular modes of metropolitan transport, despite the serious air and noise pollution costs associated with their use. Old vehicles stay on the roads, because of the absence of emission regulations, lack of enforcement of motor vehicles fitness regulations and the owners lack of capital to purchase replacements.
Deforestation:
Recent increase in the prices of oil, charcoal and fuels, people have been indiscriminately cutting and selling trees on a large scale, thus causing extensive deforestation. Pakistan, already being amongst the group of countries with the lowest are as under forest in the world, further depletion of forest resources will be simply disastrous. The gravity of the situation in this area, calls for augmentation of financial resources, allocation of substantial amount in the budget as well as vigorous pursuance of creative and preventive measures.
Air Pollution:
Air pollution is the result of foreign gases, vapours, and particles or of excess amount of normal constituents, such as carbon dioxide and suspended matter produces by burning fossil fuel. In Pakistan atmospheric pollution is caused by combustion of fuel for domestic and commercial power generation purposes, specific industrial activities, certain community activities and even personal habits such as smoking. The exhaust containing large quantities of sulphur, carbon dioxide, and lead and nitrogen oxide in the urban atmosphere is not only a perpetual source of nuisance but a prime factor for increasing incidence of asthma, chronic bronchitis, and other diseases of heart, lung and skin.
Dust Storms:
Dust storms is another massive problem that deteriorates atmospheric ecosystem. In summers, particularly they are a big nuisance. Government and the people must take preventive measures such as tree plantation, protective vegetation, and deforestation and overgrazing is also needed to be checked.
Noise Pollution:
The main’ sources of noise and vibrations are loud speakers, vehicle., industry, aeroplanes and overcrowding. Karachi a noise level above 90 decibels, is one of the noisiest cities in the world. Noise pollution in the west is checked by legislation but in Pakistan such kind of legislation alone will not help until the people are convinced that noise is a menace and take step to curb it.
These are some of the hard facts and indicators requiring attention of the government and co-operation of the people to curb this increasing pollution of various kind, threatening human life in Pakistan. The rapidly conglomerating population are urban centres and industrial areas resulting in the increase of environmental pollution through air, water and soil pollution on the one hand and growing slums, swatters and congestion on the other. The countless rural communities are without basic sanitary facilities, water supplies and medical facilities. All these are threatening human health in a country where traditional infectious diseases are now being reinforced by new and more deadly ones like cancer. Thus it is the duty of the government, who should encourage the masses and promote sense of participation in restoring and maintaining the environment. Environmental awareness in this direction has to be undertaken by means of all available media both public and private i.e., press, radio, television, adult education, school programmes, training courses, people movements and societies etc. Awareness alone will not achieve the desired results. Government will have to take serious and strict measures to arrest the fast and deteriorating situation to save human life in Pakistan.
Pakistan at the global level is neither a major polluter nor a major consumer of natural resources. As in other parts of the world environmental concerns are relatively new to Pakistan’s political landscape. educationsight.blogspot.com The result is that until very recently, the response to these concerns, issues by the government as well as civic groups has been fragmented and incidental rather than organised and well-directed.
The basic causes for environmental problems in Pakistan are numerous and complex. However those can be summed up to include:
1- Past tendency to emphasise quantitative growth at the expense of quality.
2- Failure of our economy to provide full accounting for the social costs of environmental pollution.
3- Limited natural resources base (e.g. clean air, clean water, and fertile land).
4- Lack of awareness.
5- Inadequate institutions and failure of our institutions to perceive the environment in its totality.
The major success so far has been in the area of increasing environmental awareness where much of the credit goes to print media. The increase in public awareness has been slow but palpable. In 1991, for the first time the government made an explicit commitment to provide clean water and air to the citizens of this country, protect bio-diversity by establishing good husbandry practices, supporting parks, reduce the rate of population growth and promote rational use of energy. We, now in the succeeding paragraphs shall highlight some of the areas subscribing towards danger to the human health.
Population:
Pakistan’s growth rate of population is the 14th highest in the world. Among the 9 most populous countries in the world, only Nigeria has a comparably high growth rate. Pakistan’s growth rate is much highest than the overall average of the low income economies of the South Asia.
Consequently, the rate of growth of per capita income has been adversely effected by the high growth of population and hence low productivity levels. Some of the reasons of high population growth rate are:
1- Religious taboos (misconception about contraceptive use).
2- Low status accorded to women. Thus resulting in low labour force participation rate, low literacy level, preference to male births, etc.
3- High infant mortality rates. (Thus desired for a large family to ensure that at least some children will attain adulthood.
4. Poverty and economic uncertainty.
Water Supply:
Only 53%of the population in Pakistan has access to piped water, 79% of those in urban areas and 21% in rural area. Access to piped water however is no guarantee that water quality measures up to required health standards. Analysis of water samples from various areas of only Karachi reveal that level of water contamination in all areas is highly dangerous. 92% of Karachi depends on surface water supplies. Surface water is polluted and is unfit for human consumption unless it is treated or boiled.
Sewerage Cover:
Between 50% and 55% of the urban population in Pakistan is provided sewerage and drainage service. Sewerage disposal is disposed of through open drains, which is unhygienic and dangerous. Some 10% or 30% of such sewage either remains in the streets or is discharged into ponds or other water bodies. Thus provides and ideal breeding ground for disease vectors. Only Islamabad and Karachi possess sewage treatment plants Another drawback is that waste is allowed to be contamination with highly toxic industrial effluent. Such sewage is than used for irrigation and that is how toxic substances are introduced into food grains. The situation in rural areas is worst, with only 6% population having access to sanitation.
Health:
Poor health facilities are yet another factors of rapid population growth. During 1994-95, the country had one doctor for every 2,127 persons and one hospital bed for 1,535 persons. Another neglected area of health care is the provision on ante and post natal care. 45% of new born suffer from diarrhea. The present allocation of 0.2% of GNP to public health needs to be revised to provide clean water and sanitation facilities to the population.
Literacy:
Only 31% population of Pakistan is literate. This is well beyond the average of 42% of South Asia. Given a population growth of 3.1%, it is expected that by the end of the century, 83 million will be illiterates. Education is also a neglected field and is accorded low priority by the government until now. Pakistan allocated 2.2% of its GNP whereas average allocation in third world countries is 3.7% of GNP.
Transport:
The transport sector in Pakistan accounts almost 19% of total energy consumption. It is almost wholly dependent on petroleum as a source of energy. The inability of the government to meet the rapidly growing demand for transport has led to private enterprise in the transport sectors. Due to financial constraints, buses and light vehicles are popular modes of metropolitan transport, despite the serious air and noise pollution costs associated with their use. Old vehicles stay on the roads, because of the absence of emission regulations, lack of enforcement of motor vehicles fitness regulations and the owners lack of capital to purchase replacements.
Deforestation:
Recent increase in the prices of oil, charcoal and fuels, people have been indiscriminately cutting and selling trees on a large scale, thus causing extensive deforestation. Pakistan, already being amongst the group of countries with the lowest are as under forest in the world, further depletion of forest resources will be simply disastrous. The gravity of the situation in this area, calls for augmentation of financial resources, allocation of substantial amount in the budget as well as vigorous pursuance of creative and preventive measures.
Air Pollution:
Air pollution is the result of foreign gases, vapours, and particles or of excess amount of normal constituents, such as carbon dioxide and suspended matter produces by burning fossil fuel. In Pakistan atmospheric pollution is caused by combustion of fuel for domestic and commercial power generation purposes, specific industrial activities, certain community activities and even personal habits such as smoking. The exhaust containing large quantities of sulphur, carbon dioxide, and lead and nitrogen oxide in the urban atmosphere is not only a perpetual source of nuisance but a prime factor for increasing incidence of asthma, chronic bronchitis, and other diseases of heart, lung and skin.
Dust Storms:
Dust storms is another massive problem that deteriorates atmospheric ecosystem. In summers, particularly they are a big nuisance. Government and the people must take preventive measures such as tree plantation, protective vegetation, and deforestation and overgrazing is also needed to be checked.
Noise Pollution:
The main’ sources of noise and vibrations are loud speakers, vehicle., industry, aeroplanes and overcrowding. Karachi a noise level above 90 decibels, is one of the noisiest cities in the world. Noise pollution in the west is checked by legislation but in Pakistan such kind of legislation alone will not help until the people are convinced that noise is a menace and take step to curb it.
These are some of the hard facts and indicators requiring attention of the government and co-operation of the people to curb this increasing pollution of various kind, threatening human life in Pakistan. The rapidly conglomerating population are urban centres and industrial areas resulting in the increase of environmental pollution through air, water and soil pollution on the one hand and growing slums, swatters and congestion on the other. The countless rural communities are without basic sanitary facilities, water supplies and medical facilities. All these are threatening human health in a country where traditional infectious diseases are now being reinforced by new and more deadly ones like cancer. Thus it is the duty of the government, who should encourage the masses and promote sense of participation in restoring and maintaining the environment. Environmental awareness in this direction has to be undertaken by means of all available media both public and private i.e., press, radio, television, adult education, school programmes, training courses, people movements and societies etc. Awareness alone will not achieve the desired results. Government will have to take serious and strict measures to arrest the fast and deteriorating situation to save human life in Pakistan.
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