Green Pakistan Programme; Karachi needs more attention

The easiest way to arrest climate change is planting more trees.

This week the Pakistan's Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC) has finally approved finances worth Rs. 3652.142 million for much-awaited project the "Green Pakistan Programme -- Revival of Forestry Resources in Pakistan" on the recommendation of Ministry of Planning, Development & Reform. According to this project, which aims at plantation of indigenous and fast growing local tree species, 100 million plants will be added over the next five years throughout the country.

Inspired by the "Great Green Wall Programme" of China, the project has now attained the national and political ownership to put a check on the fast depleting flora and fauna, wastage of water resources, protection and management of wildlife and reclaiming and developing forest areas in Pakistan.

Under the Green Pakistan Programme, a huge plantation drive will be carried out along canal/road sides in Punjab, KP and Sindh, Olive and Kikar Phulai forests in Kala Chitta, Pabbi Rasul and Fort Monroe in Punjab, mangrove forest in Sindh, Juniper in Balochistan and a sizable amount of plantation to check erosion in GB and AJK and etc.

The deforestation rate in Pakistan is the highest in the world. Official figures state that Pakistan's forest cover at 5% of its total land area but fact contradicts this figure because land cleaned of forest-trees are also included in it. Yet the 5% of the forest area is still low and should be raised to a significant level. According to a report 20% more land of forests are still required to ensure green environment in Pakistan because the global environment standards suggests the country needs 25% forest area for economic stability and environment protection. Raising forests will support green economy and reduce green house gas emissions for goods of planet and environment.

The country needs to raise its forest cover from 5% to 25% to meet its economic, employment and green environment needs. Forest are the source of economic support , employment, oxygen generation, livestock grazing, furniture products, boats, house oven fire, hotel fuels in cities and town, sports goods and construction industry.

The Ministry of Climate Change brought on board the federating units, including province GB, AJK and FATA, prior to development of the roadmap. Assessment of forest resources depletion, use of modern technology and development of immediate and long term forest resource expansion plans are some of the salient features of the programme. As a whole the initiative will ensure far-reaching reform in forestry and wildlife sectors of the country.

However, experts believes government must focus to make mass plantation in Karachi for reducing air pollution and providing clean air to citizens for their good health. The city is the commercial engine of Pakistan to have engaged with 20 million habitants  so it needs special attention for a sustainable environment in both downtown and its suburbs. As estimated Karachi requires 4 to 5 million proper trees within its vicinity, as a healthy tree with length of five meters creates oxygen for four people daily.

Then the Karachi' coastal belt needs to add Mangroves forests in large as they are important to stabilise shorelines, reduce coastal erosion, protect coasts from storm damage and act as carbon sinks and natural water treatment plants.

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Rationale of Traffic Jam in Karachi

Accessibility to comfortable commutation, smooth traffic flow and safe transportation are keys for environmental civics in megacity like Karachi. However, since the last few months commuters from all walk of life are facing extra ordinary traffic jam in evening hours which has made the city environs extremely horrible,  hectic and burdensome. The traffic police of the city under the directorship of DIG Traffic Police Asif Ijaz Shaikh, issued a recent report pointing out key reasons behind this traffic jam and they are as fallows;

Damaged Roads

Karachi is ranked 7th in the biggest megacities of the word but ranked also 4th with the highest number of road crash facilities. A recent study reveals that 33% of road crashes in the city are caused by erroneous road designs while 42% of the city' population is under high threat of road accidents, noise and air pollution. Roads are also got frequently damaged because of utility leakages and sometime nearby people also dig themselves for their pity interests. Yet patchy and uneven road networks are one of the main causes of traffic jamming and accidents in Karachi.  

Encroachments

The DIC Traffic specifically mentions the illegal parking outside a leading mega Super Store at Qayyumabad that disrupts traffic. However, illegal parking is a common feature nearly all mega super markets and malls of the city. Apart from unauthorised parking these are the illegal encroachments outside almost every mall and supermarket in the shape of carts and road-side cabins which are causing hustles in traffic movement. Moreover these encroachments are regular features of busy cosmopolitan areas like Saddr, Tower, Liaqutabad, Malir,  Korangi, Qaidabad, Banaras, Shershah and etc. These obstacles in free traffic flow can be removed and the mayor Karachi also recently suggested special Hawker Zones in various areas to accommodate carts and cabins, yet it would not be enough as a solution.

Sewage Fuss

Nishter Park signal, Guru Mandir, Nazimabad, Gulshan e Iqbal, PECHS and Sadder are usual areas in the city where sewage leakages are common. This sewage water on roads reduces the acceleration of traffic flow and also causes accidents in rush hours. Besides sewage water, tons of solid waste and mounts of garbage alongside roads is also a reason which is a nuisance in commutation and environment.    

Absence of Parking areas

Not only in markets at old city areas the parking spaces are unavailable, but also the provision of parking has not been kept in mind in newly developed markets, hospitals, education institutes and business offices. Similarly areas like Sakhi Hasan, Korangi Creek turn and Rashid Minhas Road where series of marriage halls and lawns are situated the facility of parking are not provided.

Under-construction Developments

Long queues of vehicles are daily witnessed on multiple thoroughfares in Sadder, Tower, Gulshan e Iqbal, Malir, Gulistan e Jauhar, F B Area, Nazimabad, New Karachi, Sher Shah and Korangi. The DIG Traffic himself points out that development works are underway in different areas of the city too was one of the causes as vehicles had to diverted to other roads where massive traffic jams are already occurring. In the six Karachi districts simultaneous reconstruction of 20 different roads  including Shahr e Faisal, MA Jinnah Road, University Road, Rashid Minhas Road, Sir Shah Suleman Road, Stadium Road, Tariq Road, Jahangir Road, Mauripur Road, Green Line Bus  and National Highway cause traffic gridlock and severe hardship and agony to a large number of motorists and commuters.

These above are the reasons asserted in the Traffic police reports, yet there are other key untold reasons of traffic jamming which were missing in the report. These untold reasons are

Peak Hours Rush

Traffic police and urban planners of various civic bodies in the city has failed to identify any acceptable solution of peak hour rush on the roads. Largely the city' commercial hub that includes wholesale markets, traders, shipping sector, head offices of commercial banks and Corporations are situated at the south of the city so catering this one-dimensional movements of traffic should not be any rocket science. Traffic authorities have tried out orthodox solutions so far including widening of lanes and manual traffic controlling but that's not enough for megacity traffic management, they will have to come up with some modern modules with strict implementation of rules.  

VIP Movements

Traffic flow in Karachi is just like circulation of blood in human body. If any clot comes in the way, the pressure will build on other areas and it will affect the entire system. Police and other law enforcement agencies always avoid to comment on VIP movements, which forcibly put a halt on traffic flow at a particular section of the road and denies commuters including ambulances to travel to their destinations. Usually the areas are largely affected by VIP movement are Shara e Faisal, Abdullah Haroon Road and Clifton but when the circulation of traffic is stopped there the effects of this blockage can be seen throughout the city.    

Heavy Traffic

Regulations are already existed which proscribe heavy vehicle movement in the downtown in day time, but traffic police authorities often exercise these regulations only when and where they like. As, presently the higher ups of traffic police has enforced ban on heavy traffic in day time in limited areas like Clifton, DHA, Shara e Faisal, Baldia, Korangi, Malir, Landhi and etc where development works are not underway while area like Sadder, University Road and Nazimabad were exempt from this rule. Therefore this regulation rarely bring any smoothness in traffic flow. Heavy traffic specially containers, dumpers and tankers must be strictly banned during daytime in city which are not only causing traffic jam but are dangerous in terms of accidental events.

Regular rise in vehicles

Although there is no as such accurate data but traffic and excise departments blame that more than 3 million registered vehicles on road are contributing to traffic problems. But independent sources claim that there are nearly 5 million registered and unregistered vehicles in Karachi. While more than 16,000 new vehicles arrive monthly in the city and besides that thousands of vehicles enter in and depart the city daily. Urban planners do not plan transport strategies keeping in mind these unforeseen number of vehicles.

     

Absence of Mass Transit Program

Above them all a mass transit system is urgently required to make the urban transport system more sustainable and safe. Only thereafter we can hope a Karachi which would be a manageable, commutable and livable city.

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Ruination of Karachi' Coastal Environs & Marine Ecosystem (Part II)

Industrial Toxics and Commercial Activities

Karachi has seven major industrial estates in Korangi, Landhi, SITE, Federal B Area, North Karachi, Superhighway and Port Qasim. For these estates, the coastal region of Karachi has become a dumping ground for hazardous waste, receiving huge quantities of untreated domestic and industrial wastewater through the Lyari and Malir river-channels.  It is also approximated that 78 mgd industrial wastewater is also generated by more than 6000 industrial units operating in the city. Nearly 87% of this runs to the Arabian sea untreated as majority of industries have no treatment facility. Huge amount of toxic metals have been found in the city marine life including mercury, cadmium, chromium, lead, arsenic and zinc. These metals are largely carcinogens and can cause fatal diseases when consumed by humans.

Three main power plants like KANUPP I (Nuclear), Bin Qasim I (Thermal) and Bin Qasim II (Gas} located at the Karachi coast also use large amount of seawater for cooling while they discharge heated effluents and other pollutants to the sea. Oil spills are one of the most alarming problems of the coastal areas. Among the creeks of Indus delta, the Korangi and Gizri creeks are the most affected from oil discharges from refineries, industries and municipal activities.

Apart from this, the increased dumping of sewage and industrial waste upstream of Indus River has decreased the quality of fresh water flow to the sea and there is no fresh water input to the sea except the local run-off from rainfall, which is minimal in Karachi.

The lengthy 70 KM coastline, which accommodates Karachi Port and Port Qasim -- the busiest ports of Pakistan -- makes Karachi the only home of shipping, sea trade and navel drills. However, ships and fishing trawlers through their discharges, wastages water pollution, and oil spillages also affecting the coastal environs, besides severely contaminating the mangrove forests and marine life in the sea.  The ports authorities are ill equipped to deal with the environmental degradation being caused by the shipping sector.

The country' heavy dependence on oil imports is also chipping in it as majority of cargo ships transit oil to the Karachi' ports. And, it is believed that thousands of tons per year oily discharges are pumped out within the port limits and there isn't any waste oil receptor or treatment facility available within ports.

Mangroves

Mangrove forests are significant in balancing coastal ecosystem and bridging between terrestrial and marine environments. They transfer organic matter and energy from land to the sea, forming the base of many marine food webs. Mangroves are the first natural wall of defence against natural calamities including cyclone and sea level rise as they are vital in trapping sediments, thereby stabilising coastlines and protecting coral reefs and sea grass meadows. They are also important to stabilise shorelines, reduce coastal erosion, protect coasts from storm damage and act as carbon sinks and natural water treatment plants.

Pakistan coastal belt is heavily dependent on these mangroves forests to maintain the ecological balance. Besides a source of nutrients, the mangroves provide a diverse habitat for complex and interdependent community of invertebrates, birds and reptiles. However the growing dependency of coastal communities on mangroves for fuel and fodder for their livestock and camels and unchecked mangroves deforestation, misbalancing the marine ecosystem .  Mangroves forests are being continuously degraded further by decreasing fresh water discharges. This degradation is resulting in the loss of important breeding and spawning grounds for marine fisheries.

Nearly 125,000 mangrove trees were planted over last 25 years in different coastal areas of Sindh, with survival ratio of 70%. But release of fresh water that also carries nutrient-rich slit and deposits it into the sea is pre-dominant cause of the rapid worsening state of the mangroves forests and is a stumbling block to the growth of new mangroves trees.

Ecologists therefore recommend strong check on mangroves deforestation through laws and strict control of coastal development besides reforestation of denuded areas to recover the mangroves loss caused over decades. Raising and protecting mangroves forests also require sweat water through Indus river -- a minimum 10 million acre feet fresh water discharge into the delta is suggested for sustainable management.

Biodiversity

Karachi coastal areas are also home to species and habitats that provide many benefits to society and natural ecosystems. It's wetlands attract a number of migratory birds, particularly waterfowl. Two species of turtles -- the Green turtle and Olive Ridely turtle -- are also found in the shores of the Karachi coastline.

However, these coastal areas are now vulnerable to climate change, which could affect in variety of ways and bring cyclone and cause heavy devastation of life and property. Coasts are sensitive to sea level rise, changes in the frequency and intensity of storms, increase in precipitation and warmer ocean temperature.

The impacts of climate change are likely to worsen many problems that coastal areas already facing. Shoreline erosion, coastal flooding, and water pollution affect man-made infrastructure and marine ecosystems. To confront these challenges is already a concern, yet the additional stress of Climate change definitely require modern and global approaches to managing land, water, waste and ecosystems.

                                                                          (To be concluded)

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Ruination of Karachi' Coastal Environs & Marine Ecosystem (Part I)

The World Bank writes in a report titled "Pakistan Development Updates" released in November 2016 that Karachites  are facing "limited access to sewage and solid waste management. Upto 475 million gallons of raw sewage are discharged into the sea each day, including hazardous material and untreated industrial effluent." It further says "Less than half of estimated solid waste is collected and transported to open dumpsites."

 Environmental issues and pollution have always been national concerns and that revelation from World Bank was also not any secret, however if it is mirrored with the perils of climate change, this marine degradation pose now a inevitable threat to the coastal biodiversity of the city.

Being the economic hub of Pakistan, Karachi has an unmatchable and massive importance to the Arabian sea. The mega city has a 70 km coast line, which is vital not only in maintaining the essential ecosystem in balanced and functional, but these coasts also provide space to live and directly and indirectly create wealth, including millions of jobs in industries such as fishing, aquaculture and tourism. But due to the vulnerable climate change, massive industrialisation and unchecked urbanisation, the environmental quality of associated coastal areas and marine ecosystem is being degraded continuously and speedily. The aquatic pollution arising from combination of domestic and industrial waste like plastic trash, oil spills, sewage, toxicants and etc has put us on the international radar for contributing to the destruction of the marine ecosystem and if this pollution isn't controlled it will result in tremendous loss for us in civics, ecological and economic means.

The key areas that are affecting and contributing to marine ecosystem are identified as;

Domestic Waste and Plastic Pollution

The Karachi Water and Sewage Board maintains that approximately 472 million gallons of sewage is generated on daily basis in Karachi, which is dumped into the sea via different drains flowing in the city. Unfortunately, there are only three sewage treatment plants in the city located at Karachi SITE, Mehmoodabad and Mauripur. These three plants have a combined capacity of 151 mgd to treat sewage but all are not operational these days, therefore all the untreated sewage goes to the sea and pollutes the marine life. A Judicial Commission investigating these days environmental degradation, non-provision of clean drinking water and sanitation facilities in Sindh has ordered the KWSB to make all three plants operational within 45 to 90 days.    

Apart from sewage and industrial effluent, 12,000 tons of municipal solid waste is generated from the city daily. But due to the proper waste management system in the city and negligence on behalf of concerned civic bodies, most of the solid waste -- particularly from areas adjacent to the coastal line -- is dumped into the sea.

Then Plastic pollution is another concern. Uncontrolled dumping of plastic products in the terrestrial and marine environment has become a serious threat to the animals and plant inhabiting in the coastal and offshore waters of Pakistan. Plastic garbage from District Municipalities like South and Korangi, Cantonments like Clifton, Mauripur and Korangi and various District Councils situated along the coastline makes it way to the Arabian sea. The WWF-Pakistan estimates 14 billion pounds of trash, much of it plastic is dumped in the world' oceans every year. Fishermen also annually contribute in this pollution by dumping an estimated 150,000 tons of plastic into oceans, including packaging, plastic nets, lines and buoys,

Plastic bags, bottles, toys, packaging material, if not disposed off correctly, can reach the sea and then ocean. Plastic waste decomposes very slowly that's why remain either floating in the open sea or piled up on the beaches. It is also estimated that about 8,000 tons of plastic waste is unaccounted for in Karachi, which is mostly ended up in the sea along the city. Marine wildlife consumes this micro plastic and thus the plastic becomes a part of food chain. Concentrated plastic material and specially polythene bags have been found blocking the breathing passages and stomach of many edible marine species.

Most of these plastic materials degrade in fragments very slowly taking in most cases even centuries.  Scientists couple of years ago announced the existence of a garbage patch in the India ocean, which proved to be the third biggest collection of plastic garbage of the world.

The situation demands strictly execution of anti-dumping laws at local level. The controlling of disposal of solid waste, specially plastics and polythene bags, can be better managed if municipalities create new but proper dump sites and improve already existed garbage collection and transportation mechanism. While the civil society also come up to undertake regular cleaning operations of the beaches to remove accumulated plastic.              

                                                                                         (To be continued)

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Environs; what Karachites can do to deter Climate Change

A recent report titled "Drivers of Climate Change Vulnerability at Different Scales in Karachi" states that ongoing Climate Change would have profound impacts on Karachi' urban infrastructure system, environment and ecosystem services, and therefore on its population and economy.  Climate Change is the rise of average surface temperature on planet Earth due to emission of greenhouse gases and affecting the ecosystem, including rising sea levels, severe weather events, and droughts that render landscapes more susceptible to wildfires.

However, when we envision and signify it with the environs we live in it, the subsequent changes do not  allow us to remain optimistic. Just take an example the heat-wave event in June 2015 in Karachi that took more than 1200 human lives was nothing but an offshoot of Climate Change. A Technical Report on Karachi Heat wave June 2015, prepared by Ministry of Climate Change under Dr. Qamar uz Zaman Choudhry identifies the "Urban Heat Island Effect" (UHI) as one of the major causes of the crisis, which worsened the heat wave condition. The UHI is a phenomenon whereby the condition of structures and waste heat from human activity results in warmer envelope of air over city.  

Land use violation leading to encroachments of parks and playgrounds, eroding of coastal sensitive ecological land and unsustainable lifestyle in the city all are contributors in this regard. That impacted the less green space and infrastructure therefore "significantly contributed to the blistering heat wave and large number of casualties in Karachi" the report states.

Around the world various states' organisations and environ agencies are devising and implementing strategies to reduce the adverse impacts of Climate Change. But what a single person can do and contribute at individual level is perhaps the most significant aspect to do away the horrors of this adversity.  

1. Adopt a sustainable life style. It means meeting your current needs without having a negative impacts on the needs of future generations.

2. Plantation and flower pots at home are essential. The Climate Change report in fact identifies Green roofs as a method of decreasing the Urban Heat Island. Green roof is the practice having vegetation plantation on a roof. These plants on the roof increase the albedo and decrease the UHI effect.

3. Buy organic and locally grown foods. Avoid processed items. Grow some of your own vegetables and fruits. And also reduce the intake of red meat as 18% of greenhouse gas emissions come from meat and dairy production.

4. When going shopping, make it a habit to bring your own eco-bags and say no to plastic bags as much as possible.

5. Reduce emissions from cars by walking or cycling. These are not just great alternatives to driving, but also great exercise.

6. Keep unnecessary lights switched off  and change light bulbs to compact fluorescents or LEDs. Unplug computers, TVs and other electronics when not in use. Wash clothes in cold or warm (not hot) water. Dryers are energy hogs, so hang dry when you can.

7. When affordable, switch to a greener energy provider or, if possible, purchase solar or wind power for your home.

8. Garbage buried in landfills produces methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Keep stuff out of landfills by composting kitchen scraps and garden trimmings, and recycling paper, plastic, metal and glass.

9. Be water wise. Conserve water by taking shorter shower, fixing leaky toilets and choosing low-flow and low-water appliance options. 

10. Do not pour chemicals, waste oil and plastic bags on to the ground or into drains, that affects the sewage and underground utilities. 

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2016; A Civic Review of Karachi

Perhaps in terms of civic development and municipal amenities to its citizens, the 2016 has been one of the worst year for Karachi. Unplanned under-construction projects, road-side diggings and encroachments, mounts of garbage almost everywhere, severe water shortage and traffic mismanagements remained the hallmarks of the city this year, that ranks the city this year at 6th among the worst cities in Global Livability Ranking.

With the holding of local bodies elections in late 2015, it was hoped that with the arrival of elected councilors and mayor of Karachi many of the civic and municipal problems would be resolved sooner or later, but it took more than eight months for the new Mayor to take the charge of his authority. Although even before his taking of the charge, the condition of the city was as pathetic as it is today. Mayor Waseem Akhter complains for lacking of funds to adequately run his local government, though his excuse is not unjustified but still there are many fields where he is independent and equipped enough to deliver and facilitate people living here.     

There are many reasons for the current chaos of the city. If judiciously analyzed the two foremost are the people' inaccessibility to the basic amenities and various unfinished under-construction projects where work is not in progress presently. In this scenario  unthinkable  start of new development projects have not only multiplied the local problems but  are adding health and social miseries with each passing day.

More importantly instead of operating and managing  all these developments projects under one civic body or corporation, various new departments like Karachi Infrastructure Development Company and Local government Project also  came into existence this year to execute the majority of new projects. Both are the new entrants in the megacity, where already other multiple civic bodies like Cantonment Boards, D.H.A., Pakistan Railways, Karachi Port Trust, Civil Aviation Authority and etc. are already functional with their own development schemes and civil services.

Naming a few incomplete projects in public sector is vital here. Specially the Malir 15 Bridge, the Nazimbabd Under pass and widening of Shafiq turn bridge are substantial construction schemes for Karachites, each required 24-hour work because they exist in dense residential areas and pivotal for smooth commutation. All three projects should have been completed year ago but not only work is stopped on them right now but roadside diggings and laying of construction materials alongside contributing adversaries in the civic life.  

The situation of public gardens and green belts of the city is equally pathetic. Major parks like Bagh Ibn e Qasim, Bagh e Jinnah and Beach park are in degrading state while hundreds of other locality parks badly lack routine maintenance  and staff for their survival. So are the situation of important green belts running alongside key roads like Shahra e Faisal, Shahra e Pakistan, University Road, etc, where grass is vanished from these belts while trees are crassly untrimmed. However, what was more scandalous is mass cutting of some 18,000 trees to pave way the Green Line Bus Project and another 12,000 during widening of the University Road.  Besides to establish cattle market for keeping  sacrificial animals for sale on Eidul Azha  nearly 540 fully grown Neem trees on Superhighway were chopped down.  All that  deforestation was done by public sector on the name of development

Mounds of  garbage and filthy material can be seen steadily piling up almost at every major locality and roadsides, creating hurdles for foot and vehicular traffic. There remained an tussle between KMC and Sindh government throughout the year over solid waste management. Neither the Sindh government transferred this subject to the newly formed Solid Waste Management Authority nor the KMC brought any improvement in this regard as it always kept complaining that the Corporation doesn't have enough funds to pay salaries to sweepers and fuel' money for garbage lifting vehicles. Finally on 29 December the provincial government has reportedly contracted a private Chinese firm to provide garbage clean-up and disposal services in Karachi.  

However, nothing was as serious and scarce among basic municipal amenities as the water supply in the city whole year. Shortage of water was persistent  because of frequent bursts of supply pipeline on numerous occasions and areas while absence of electricity at pumping stations were also the second other but routine cause which has forced the city residents to increase dependency on tanker mafia this year. However, the kick off of K4 worth Rs. 25.5 billion in March that will provide 650 million gallons of water daily to Karachi was welcome news for the citizens. Similarly the Karachi Sewage Treatment Project S3 worth Rs. 8 billion to treat 460 million gallon per day is the other prominent  achievement of the KWSB this year.

Major development projects that have been launched this year include the Green Line Bus Lane from North Karachi to Guru Mandir, Improvement of University Road and  Renovation of Tariq Road to name a few, besides a number of other development schemes launched under Local Government Project. However, works on these schemes at a time has  created a mess in the city creating severe traffic jam on daily basis and other environs' issues, that are causing multiple health problems.   

Another laudable step that has been taken this year was in May when Supreme Court of Pakistan ordered the KMC, D.H.A., and all the Cantonments to remove all billboards and signboards across the city by June 30 as there is no law that permits installing outdoor adertising hoardings on "public property". The order aimed to ensure the safety of public and to achieve city-wide uniformity for installation of Billboards. 

In other basic amenities like health, education and sports facilities, the contribution of the city and provincial governments remains unnoticeable. Overall the 2016 is not a year where Karachi is seen as a ideal metropolitan in terms of livability and prosperity. 

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