Sustainable Development in Pakistan: Stocktaking Report On

Unedited Draft September 07, 2011
Stocktaking Report
On
Sustainable Development
In Pakistan
(Policies/Actions/Progress/Gaps/Needs)
Compiled by
Ambassador (R) Shafqat Kakakhel
UNDESA Consultant for Pakistan’s
National Preparatory Process
for UNCSD (Rio, June 2012)

Table of Contents
1. Introduction ................................................................................................................. 1
Executive Summary .................................................................................................... 1
2. Setting the stage: integrated planning and decision making for sustainable
development .............................................................................................................. 9
2.1. National Conservation Strategy (NCS), 1991 ........................................................... 10
2.2. Interim Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (I-PRSP), 1997....................................... 13
2.3. The Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRSP) – Dec. 2003.............................................. 13
2.4. The Second Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP II), 2007 ............................. 14
2.5. The Millennium Development Goals ......................................................................... 15
2.6. Medium Term Development Frame work (MTDF), 2005-10 ................................... . 17
2.7. Pakistan in the 21st Century: Vision 2030, 2007 .................................................... . 18
2.8. Framework for Economic Growth – Pakistan (2011) .............................................. . 19
3. Assessment of progress achieved, remaining gaps and needs......................... 21

3.1. Economic .................................................................................................................. 21
3.2. Environmental ........................................................................................................... 24
3.3. Social ........................................................................................................................ 33
3.4. Contribution by the UN system to sustainable development in Pakistan .................. 42
4. New and emerging challenges to sustainable development .............................. 42

4.1. Security ..................................................................................................................... 42
4.2. Governance............................................................................................................... 44
4.3. Demography.............................................................................................................. 46
4.4. Water......................................................................................................................... 48
4.5. Energy ...................................................................................................................... 50
4.6. Food security............................................................................................................. 52
4.7. Disaster management ............................................................................................... 54
4.8. Climate change challenges ...................................................................................... 56
5. Green economy ...................................................................................................... 60

5.1. The context .............................................................................................................. 60
5.2. From environment to economics ............................................................................... 62
5.3. Debate/national consensus ...................................................................................... 63
5.4. Opportunities, challenges and risks ......................................................................... 64
6. Institutional framework for sustainable development; recent changes ........... 66
Annex I: Background ...................................................................................................... 71
AnnexII: Contributions provided by United Nations Agencies, Funds

And Programs in Pakistan ............................................................................... 73
AnnexIII: PowerPoint presentation by Chairman, WAPDA to the National Assembly

sub-committee on Water and Power ................................................................ 88
Stocktaking Report on Sustainable Development
in Pakistan
(Policies/Actions/Progress/Gaps/Needs)
Introduction
This compilation comprises the Executive Summary and notes divided into six chapters.
Chapter 2 summaries the contents of key documents outlining goals and targets of sustainable
development. Chapter 3 offers a broad-brushed assessment of progress achieved along with
references to remaining gaps and needs. A number of challenges, including some old ones
whose scale and magnitude has grown and pose tough challenges, such as security,
governance, demographic trends, water, energy, security and the multidimensional impacts of
climate change are addressed in chapter 4.
One of the two main themes of the UNCSD/Rio+20 Conference is “green economy” which is
widely seen as a means to achieving sustainable development in general and addressing the
increasingly serious issues of climate change, food, security and energy. Chapter 5 introduces
the context of green economy and the opportunities, challenges and risks associated with it.
The last chapter (chapter 6) comprises a short note on the recent changes in the institutional
framework for sustainable development in Pakistan. Views on the Pakistani framework
expressed by the stakeholders will help the those responsible for preparing the official brief
for the UNCSD/Rio+20 to view the global institutional landscape from the national
perspective.
The outcome of the multi-stakeholder consultations will inform the national report which is
meant to serve as an input for the positions formulated by the Pakistani Government for the
negotiations prior to and at the Rio+20 meeting in June 2012.
Executive Summary
Chapter 1 - Integrated Planning and Decision-Making for Sustainable

Development
Pakistan adopted the system of integrated planning and decision-making for socio-economic
development as early as 1953 with the setting up of a National Planning Board (upgraded as
the Planning Commission in 1960) for formulating five year development plans.
Subsequently it also prepared longer-term development frameworks called Perspective Plans
of 10 years or longer duration. Since the 1990’s, Pakistan has had to develop, in return for
financial support, policy frameworks for economic and fiscal stabilization packaged as
‘Poverty Reduction Strategies’ at the insistence of the IMF and the World Bank. In 2007,
Pakistan crafted a high sounding, forward looking comprehensive policy blue print called
‘Pakistan in the 21st Century: Vision 2030’. The most recent policy guidelines prepared by
the federal Planning Commission and meant to guide the four Provincial governments in
elaborating their development plans is the ‘Framework for Economic Growth’ approved by
the National Economic Council – the apex forum for taking decisions on major development
issues – in May 2011.
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For the most part, the thrust and content of the integrated development plans have been
shaped by local factors. However, the global consensus on key issues such as environment,
social justice, human rights, food security, forged in the serial conferences of the 1970’s and
1990’s has been echoed in the plans evolved since the 1990’s.
A chapter on environment was added to the 7th Five Year Plan; Sustainable development and
the MDG’s were highlighted in the Medium Term Development Framework (2005 – 10), the
Vision 2030 and the Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers. The Poverty Reduction Strategy
(PRSP 2003) elaborated the implications of the environment-poverty nexus in Pakistan. The
Framework for Economic Growth (2011) speaks of “climate proofing development”,
promises financial and other resources for the implementation of the National Environment
Policy and the (under preparation) related action plans on adaptation and mitigation and
proclaims the goal of “green economy”!
The status and effectiveness of the Planning Commission has evolved. The Commission was
the “nerve centre” of policy making and served as an “independent source of advice” to the
head of state during the Ayub era (1958 – 1969). The People’s Party’s tenure (1971 – 77) was
a “No Plan” period and saw a decline in the status of the Commission. Subsequently, it
recovered its role but not its erstwhile status. The Planning Commission’s future role will
depend on how it repositions itself in the wake of the 18th Constitutional Amendment which
has placed national economic planning under the shared responsibility of the Federal and
Provincial Government to be discharged through the Council of Common Interests.
Over the past two decades, Pakistan has developed a number of policy frameworks on
environment and sustainable development issues, mostly with the financial and technical
assistance of the relevant UN agencies, such as Vision 2025 for Forest Biodiversity
Conservation, the National Forest Policy (draft), National Wetlands Policy, National Strategy
for Sustainable Development (not yet approved), Energy Conservation Act, National
Sanitation Policy, and policies and strategies prepared as part of implementation of the
multilateral environmental agreements (MEA’s).
Chapter 2: Environment
Since the 1980’s Pakistan has paid greater attention to addressing the growing environmental
challenges. Significant milestones include the establishment of the Environmental and Urban
Affairs Division (EUAD), later upgraded as the Federal Ministry of Environment, the
Pakistan Environmental Protection Ordinance (PEPO, 1983), subsequently revised as
Pakistan Environmental Protection Act (PEPA, 1997), establishment of environmental
protection agencies (EPA’s) at federal and provincial levels, setting up of environmental
laboratories, environmental courts, National Environment Quality Standards etc. Pakistan has
ratified and sought to implement fourteen multilateral environmental agreements (MEA’s),
and actively participates in global environment-related meetings held under the MEA’s.
Pakistan has been actively participating in the annual meetings of the Commission on
Sustainable Development (CSD) and the Governing Council of UNEP.
Pakistan evolved a comprehensive National Conservation Strategy (NCS) in 1991 which was
implemented through a National Environmental Action Programme (NEAP) financed from
increased domestic resources and assistance from multilateral agencies, including the World
Bank, the Asian Development Bank and the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and other
UN entities. In 2008, Pakistan signed an agreement for cooperation in environment under the
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UN Delivering As One Initiative whose implementation has enabled the formulation of the
National Environment Policy. The next phase of the programme will be launched in 2012.
In August 2006, the World Bank published a two-volume survey of Pakistan’s major
environmental challenges, especially air, water, and soil pollution and depletion of natural
resources, and calculated costs to the national economy, estimated at Rs. 365 billion annually.
The Bank recommended strengthening of the institutional design for environmental
protection, updating of the regulatory framework, including environmental impact
assessments, building up of capacity for environmental management and reinforcing
incentives and accountability in environment-related activities. Subsequently, the World
Bank has funded several environment-related projects.
The Asian Development Bank also prepared a Country Environment Analysis in December
2008 identifying several areas of concern such as depletion of forests, declining quantity and
quality of freshwater, air and soil pollution, waste management as well as Pakistan’s
vulnerability to natural hazards, including those related to the adverse impacts of climate
change. The ADB identified a number of priorities such as ensuring access to basic sanitation
and clean water, energy efficiency, urban pollution, sustained agricultural productivity
through water conservation, and public-private partnership for cleaner production.
Pakistan has formulated a number of policy frameworks and action plans addressing a wide
range of environmental challenges, including climate change, biodiversity, trade in hazardous
substances and in endangered species etc. The budget allocation of the Federal Ministry of
Environment has recently been increased substantially.
Despite these positive developments mostly at the policy and institutional levels, the state of
the environment shows unabated and in some cases rapid deterioration. Water, air, and soil
pollution has not been curbed, and progress in reversing the depletion of forests, lakes, and
mangroves is unsatisfactory. On the other hand, Pakistan’s vulnerability to the negative
effects of climate change has become a major concern.
The implementation of the 18th Constitutional Amendment which included the abolition of
the Federal Ministry of Environment led to concern over a hiatus in Pakistan’s active
participation in global environmental forums and ability to enlist external support for
environmental protection. This concern is being addressed by the Committee assigned to
guide and oversee the implementation of the 18th Amendment. A federal environment office
is being established under the Planning Commission. The appointment of an Adviser on
Climate Change and Development (at ministerial level) has been widely welcomed in view of
the multifaceted adverse effects of climate change on Pakistan’s food and energy security and
vulnerability to disasters such as floods and droughts.
Social
As noted in the report on Millennium Development Goals (MDG’s) progress in Pakistan

issued by the Planning Commission (PMDGR 2010), Pakistan’s efforts to achieve the
MDG’s have been severely constrained by a combination of unfavorable internal and external
developments during the past five years (2006 – 2011). These include socio-political turmoil,
militancy, military operations, natural disasters, especially the Great Flood in 2010, the
impacts of the sharp increases in the prices of food and oil and the global economic recession.
However, Pakistan has reiterated its resolve to attain the MDG’s by 2015.
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Based on information for 2008-09, Pakistan’s performance lagged below the requisite level
on MDG 1 (‘eradicate extreme poverty and hunger’) and MDG 2 (‘achieve universal primary
education). The record was uneven for MDG 3 (‘promote gender equality and women
empowerment’) which showed “slow” progress on three targets but exceeded it in respect of
parliamentary representation. On MDG 4 (‘reduce child mortality’) Pakistan’s performance
was on-track on immunization against measles and lady health worker’s coverage of target
population but lagged behind on under-five mortality and “off track” on infant mortality rate.
On all targets of MDG 5 (maternal health) Pakistan shows “lag”. Uneven progress was noted
on MDG 6 (‘combat HIV/AIDs, Malaria and other diseases’); it was “ahead” on HIV/AIDS,
“lag” on population in risk of malaria and TB, and “ahead” on treatment of TB cases that
have been detected.
As for Environmental Sustainability (MDG 7), progress lagged on increasing forest cover,
reducing sulphur content in high speed diesel, and enhancing access to safe drinking water
and sanitation. Pakistan was “on track” on land protected for wildlife conservation and ahead
on CNG-powered vehicles.
Other social sector issues addressed in chapter 3 include employment, education and health.
Occupying 143rd position out of 200 countries, and with the third highest unemployment rate
in South Asia (after Nepal and Maldives), Pakistan’s performance needs to significantly
improve. This is especially necessary in the case of women who constitute 48% of the
population but have only 22% of the jobs.
The quality of education generally and that imparted by public sector institutions needs
improvement. The same applies to the health facilities. The National Health Policy 2009
needs to be implemented effectively through efforts by the Provincial Governments.
Contributions by the UN system to sustainable development in Pakistan
During the preparation of this Stocktaking Report, concise notes of activities undertaken by
the UN agencies were received. A summary of the inputs is set out below.
The UN has been supporting the government and people of Pakistan with policy support
since the late 1950s. Since then, the many UN Agencies (UNDP, UNIDO, FAO, UNICEF,
UNESCO and the UN Entity for Gender Equity have all participated in policy support and
capacity building.
The World Summit on Sustainable Development gave lead responsibility of carrying out its
mandate to the UNESCO (the United Nations Education and Scientific Society). Other than
its work in protecting world cultural sites in Pakistan, UNESCO is also contributing to the
Friends of Democratic Pakistan Task Force on Water.
UNICEF has been working in various water and sanitation, child care, nutrition and
education, child protection and social policy, research and evaluation. It has supported the
formulation of the Sanitation and Clean Drinking Water for All policies.
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has supported policy development in the
agriculture sector as well as capacity building. It leads in implementation of pilot and key
demonstration projects in the agriculture sector and has contributed to the formulation of the
Pest Management and Pesticide policies of Pakistan.
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The UNIDO has worked, amongst other things, in strengthening Pakistan Clean Development
Mechanism capacity. The CDM cell of the former Ministry of Environment worked hard in
guiding applicants seeking “Carbon Credits” through investment in Pakistan.
The UNDP supported the Ministry of Finance with its Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper and
has assisted in the 2010 Millennium Development Goals Report. It has supported the
National Climate Change Policy as well as the development of others, such as the National
Forest Policy.
An overview of the UN’s experience in Pakistan, especially in policy development and

implementation, suggests that the UN is capable of assisting Pakistan in transitioning to a
green economy. The UN agencies have ability to reach out to Pakistani policy makers in all
sectors and to initiate a dialogue with them about their responsibility as stewards the
conutry’s economy and natural resources.
Chapter 3: Assessment of progress achieved, remaining gaps and needs
Economic
Seen against the backdrop of the formidable challenges faced at its birth, Pakistan has made a
remarkable transition from being a producer of agricultural raw materials to a semi-
industrialized economy, with 13,000 manufacturing units producing goods for local
consumption and exports. The average GDP growth has until recently been around 5% per
annum. Per capita income has gone up more than tenfold and the living standards of the
majority of its burgeoning population compare favorably with other South Asian and Third
World countries.
External resources facilitated by the Indus Water Treaty and Pakistan’s participation in the
Western alliances in the 1960’s, the 1990’s and the War on terror as well as growing
remittances of expatriate workers helped revive the economy in critical periods but the loans
also created mounting external debt liabilities.
Agriculture has all along served as the key economic sector; nearly all periods of vibrant
growth coincide with those of high productivity of the agricultural sector due to timely
interventions (the Green Revolution) and favorable climatic conditions. It holds the key to the
urgently needed revival of the sluggish economy at present. Despite the key role played by
agriculture in the national economy, Pakistan has failed to evolve a national policy and
strategy on agricultural growth and food security despite the recommendations of the
National Commission on Agriculture (1988) and the Task Force on Food Security (2009).
The 1988 report’s call for “protecting the ecological security by protecting the resource base
of land, water, and forests” is especially relevant today.
The inadequacies in the economic sector include inability to curb population growth, neglect
of physical and human capital, inability to raise internal savings and tax revenues, critical
dependence on foreign investments, nationalization of key industrial sectors and banks which
undermined the private sector, insufficient progress in boosting exports, huge losses incurred
by large and poorly managed public sector enterprises, deteriorating governance of the
economy, and the reluctance or inability to carry out urgently needed structural reforms.
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Since 2007, food and energy crises, coupled with the diversion of resources to address
growing security-related challenges, adverse effects of the global economic recession as well
as the unprecedented floods in 2010 have exacerbated Pakistan’s economic woes. In 2009,
GDP growth hit rock bottom (1.4%); it was 2.4% in 2010.
Recommendations for economic revival include measures for increasing domestic resources,
overcoming the energy crisis, reducing public sector expenditure, and better economic and
financial management.
Chapter 4: New and emerging challenges for sustainable development
Security
Lack of security of life and property, and disruption of normal life in the wake of the rapid
deterioration of law and order throughout the country constitutes a serious threat to
sustainable development in the country. Security has profound immediate, medium and long
term socio-economic implications and its restoration needs to be pursued through re-doubled
efforts by Government and all stakeholders in Pakistan with the wholehearted support of the
international community.
Governance
The unabated, indeed rapid, erosion of the institutions and processes of governance caused by
multiple and complex problems rooted in socioeconomic conditions seriously threatens the
quest for sustainable development in Pakistan. Governance deficits needs to be addressed
through national consensus across political dividing lines on key measures for promoting
democratic participation, reform of the civil service, accountability encompassing all sectors,
efficient delivery of social services, and strengthening of existing “institutions of restraint” in
the Legislature, Judiciary, and Executive branches of the state. A vigilant civil society and
responsible media are indispensible for good governance.
Demography
The demographic challenges facing Pakistan are highlighted by a five and a half-fold increase
in population, from around 32 million at the time of independence to almost 180 million
today. An estimated 104 million Pakistani’s are below the age of 30 – which raises both the
spectre of an impending social turmoil and the promise of “demographic dividend” if
properly raised, educated and trained to lead productive, purposeful lives.
Pakistan’s rapid urbanization too has both positive and negative aspects. Cities can serve as
engines of sustainable development as envisaged in the second Poverty Reduction Strategy
Paper (2007) and the Framework for Economic Growth (2011). Conversely, if the urban
agenda (comprising political, economic, environmental and social dimensions) is not
addressed, cities can degenerate into cesspools of instability, violence and destruction.
Water
Population explosion, economic development, urbanization, wasteful irrigation and other

agricultural practices, inadequate stortage, contamination of groundwater by chemical
fertilizers and pesticides, poor maintenance of water infrastructure, and corruption in the
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allocation of water have turned a once water surplus country into a water stressed one, on the
verge of slipping down to being water scarce. Climate change impacts, including reduced
water flows in the Indus River System and disruption of the normal pattern of monsoons
critical for augmenting river flows and replenishing underground aquifers threaten to
exacerbate the country’s water crisis.
Ensuring adequate supply of water both for the economic and social sectors and human
consumption would require integrated water management within the country. It will also need
cooperation with India and Afghanistan from which 78% of Pakistan’s water resources flow
into the Indus River System. Further, financial, technical and technological support should be
provided by the multilateral agencies to assist Pakistan in effecting the needed improvements
in the water sector.
Energy
Energy is indispensible for development, clean energy from renewable sources is key to
sustainable development and addressing the threats posed by climate change.
Pakistan has recently embarked on a major effort to develop its vast hydropower capacity
(estimated at 35,000 MW) and considerable solar and wind power potential. Actions to
enhance energy conservation and energy use efficiency have been initiated by the Energy
Conservation Authority (ENERCON). However, hydropower development requires huge
investments which Pakistan cannot make from its meager sources, and long periods of time to
materialize. Meanwhile, the “do-able” restoration of the available electricity generation
capacity through an early resolution of the “circular debt” problem needs to be effected as an
urgent priority to bring to an end the “load shedding” menace. Pakistan’s sustainable energy
policy – which needs to be evolved on priority basis – would need to pay special attention to
the growing health-threatening pollution caused by a large fleet of old transport vehicles
using leaded fuel.
Food Security
Food security as defined by the World Food Summit (1996) is essential for sustainable
development. Lack of availability of and access to nutritious food at affordable price can
breed social and political instability and even cause civil wars. Food security depends on
domestic and global factors including local production, storage, food reserves, and
availability of surplus food to cope with emergencies. As documented by research carried out
by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) in 2009, food security has
deteriorated since 2003. There are intra-district disparities in terms of access to food, with
KP, Balochistan and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) facing more severe
constraints than the rest of the country.
Given the negative impacts of climate change for Pakistan’s food security (due to reduced
availability of water from glacier melt and erratic monsoons, increased thirst caused by rising
temperature, difficulties caused by frequent and intense incidents of floods and droughts),
Pakistan needs to evolve,perhaps under the aegis of the Council of Common Interests, a
National Food Security Strategy as recommended by the Task Force setup by the
Government in 2008 in the wake of food shortages and high prices, in its report submitted in
February 2009.
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Disaster Management
The adverse impacts of climate change – which have already become evident – include an
increase in the number, duration and intensity of extreme events such as floods, flash floods,
droughts, with obvious implications for Pakistan’s disaster management capacity and the
likely victims of the disasters. The destruction wrought by the Great Flood in 2010 is cited as
a major factor in slowing down Pakistan’s economic growth and progress in the MDG’s.
The Pakistan National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has formulated a National
Disaster Risk Management Framework (NDRMF) comprising nine priority sectors, including
institutional and legal arrangements, hazard and vulnerability assessment, training, education
and awareness, disaster risk management planning, community and local-level programming,
mainstreaming disaster risk reduction into the developmental processes, emergency response
capacity and capacity for post-disaster recovery.
The international community, including friendly Governments, the UN agencies, IFI’s and
the NGO’s provided invaluable assistance in providing relief to the victims of the 2010 floods
and have assisted in developing the capacity of the NDMA to cope with disasters. The
effective implementation of the NDRMF would require substantial financial, technical and
technological support.
Climate Change
The major threats posed by climate change to Pakistan relate to water, food and energy
security and increased pressure on the country’s limited capacity to manage disasters.
Pakistan has, with assistance from the Environment Programme of the UN Delivering As One
Initiative, formulated a broad-based National Climate Change Policy. The preparation of a
climate change action plan addressing mitigation and adaptation is underway.
The success of Pakistan’s climate change-related mitigation and adaptation efforts would
decisively depend on several factors: availability of financial resources, effective governance,
technical know-how and technology, and international cooperation, including multi-faceted
collaboration with China, India, and Afghanistan bilaterally and in the framework of sub-
regional cooperation facilitated by SAARC.
Institutional framework for sustainable development
Until the signing into law of the 18th Constitutional Amendment in April 2010, the
institutional framework for socioeconomic development comprised a federal government
headed by the president or Prime Minister. A federal cabinet comprising up to thirty ministers
of as many federal ministries dealing with subjects allotted to the Federal Government under
the 1973 Constitution, including those mentioned in the Concurrent List which were
concurrently dealt with by both the federal and provincial governments constituted the basic
structure of government. National Economic Council (NEC), whose meetings were chaired
by the head of state/government and comprised federal and provincial ministers and the
Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) constituted the decision
making echelon on sustainable development-related matters. The Planning Commission was
responsible for the formulation of the five year development plans and other policy
frameworks and related functions
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The provincial governments, headed by a Chief Minister presiding over a ministerial council,
had set up provincial planning departments (PDD’s) which prepared the annual development
plans and served as focal points for the NEC an d ECNEC.
The 18th Constitutional Amendment eliminated the concurrent list and amended the Federal
List, leading to the abolition of twenty or so federal ministries, including those dealing with
sustainable development subjects, such as environment, health, food and agriculture, labor
and manpower, population welfare, women and youth affairs. The bulk of the subjects listed
in the Concurrent List were devolved at the provincial levels. However, a few subjects,
including national development planning and inter-provincial coordination, were made the
joint responsibility of the federal and provincial government, to be addressed through a
reconstituted Council of Common Interests whose composition would henceforth include
provincial Chief Ministers.
Prior to the 18th Amendment, the new, 7th National Finance Award (NFC), adopted in
December 2009, drastically amended the formula for the division of financial resources
between the federation and the provinces, giving the latter the lion’s share of government
revenues.
The 18th Amendment and the 7th NFC Award would significantly transform Pakistan’s
governance structure.
In the wake of the 18th Amendment, the Federal Government has evidently decided to put on
hold the nearly completed 10th Five Year Plan. The provincial governments have prepared
their own five year plans. The recently approved Framework for Economic Growth will also
be elaborated into plans and implemented by the provinces.
The full implementation of the 18th Amendment is likely to take several years. Meanwhile,
some of the statutory bodies setup under the overall administrative control of the former
Ministry of Environment have been placed under various federal ministries and key sections
of the Ministry are functioning as part of the Planning Commission. The Committee
responsible for implementing the 18th Amendment and the Council of Common Interests will
need to avail the opportunity offered by the Amendment to restructure and ‘build better’ the
institutional framework for sustainable development. It is especially urgent to develop a
robust governance structure for addressing the multifaceted threats of climate change through
actions at home augmented by external assistance. The climate change-related institutional
structure must be based on strengthened capacity in the federal office for environment,
climate change and development, the planning commission, the Ministries of Finance and
Foreign Affairs and effective horizontal and vertical coordination at all levels of government.
2. Setting the Stage: Integrated Planning and Decision-making for

development/sustainable development
Introduction
Centralized, integrated planning, goal-setting and decision-making have been a recurring

feature of Pakistan’s development landscape. The process began with the establishment of a
small National Planning Board (PNB) in 1953 assigned to formulate Pakistan’s first Five
Year Plan for 1955 – 60 (the task was accomplished in 1957 but the plan never took off
owing to political turmoil). The PNB was upgraded as Planning Commission in 1960 which
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crafted the Second Five Year Plan (1965 – 70). The Second Plan was fully implemented and
all of its goals and targets were achieved, and in some cases exceeded. The Third Plan’s
implementation was less optimal due to the costs of the 1965 Pak – India war and the
subsequent cutting off of US aid to Pakistan. The Fourth Plan (1970 – 75) was overtaken by
the break-up of Pakistan. The 1971 – 76 period is described as a “No Plan Period”; the PPP
Government adopted annual development plans while introducing wide-ranging
nationalization of industries, banks and insurance companies drastically weakening the role
of private sectors and broadening the public sector.
Pakistan resumed the five year plans with the formulation of the Fifth Plan (1978 – 83) whose
implementation entailed some notable changes such as lifting of some controls on the private
sector, a trend continued during the Sixth Plan (1983 – 88). The Seventh Plan (1988 – 93)
assigned a larger share of expenditure to the private sector than the public sector. During the
8th Plan (1993 – 98) the expansion of the private sectors role was far more than pronounced.
However, frequent changes of government delayed the finalization of the plan documents and
slowed its implementation.
Since 2001, Pakistan embarked upon a new generation of medium-term development

planning such as the Interim Poverty Reduction Strategy (2001 – 04) the (full) Poverty
Reduction Strategy (2004 – 08), and the second Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRSP II, 2007 -
) in pursuance of agreements reached with the IMF/WB. The contents of these plans were
largely donor-prescribed financial reforms packaged as poverty reduction strategies. Pakistan
also developed a Medium Term Development Strategy (2005 – 10) instead of the 9th Five
Year Plan. This was followed by a longer term strategy called Vision 2030 approved by the
Musharraf Government in 2007. The latest policy blue-print is the Framework for Economic
Growth approved by the National Economic Council in May 2011.
The Vision 2030 was not the only longer time development framework. Earlier, the Planning
Commission had formulated a number of perspective plans such as the 20-year Perspective
Plan (1965 – 85), the 15 year Perspective Plan (1988 – 2003) and the 10-year Perspective
Plan (2001 – 11).
Noted below are the main contents of the sole comprehensive environmental strategy (the
National Conservation Strategy – NCS, 1991) and several key socio-development
frameworks.
2.1. The Pakistan National Conservation Strategy (PNCS) 19911
The Pakistan National Conservation Strategy (PNCS) which was approved by the
Government of Pakistan on March 1, 1992 and described as Pakistan’s “own Agenda 21”
2
prior to the Rio Conference comprises three parts, via, Pakistan and the Environment;
Elements of National Conservation strategy; and Implementation Arrangements. The 5
chapters of Part I address the context of global environment, the state of the environment,
resource use impacts and linkages, and a review of existing policies, instruments, and
1
Pakistan Nation Conversation Strategy published by the Government of Pakistan and IUCN (ISBN 969-
8141-00-6)
2
This section draws on policy paper series # 3 titled “The Pakistan National Conservation Strategy: A Plan of
Action for the 1990’s” and policy paper series # 9 titled “Pakistan’s Annual Report to the Commission on
Sustainable Development: National Implementation of Agenda 21”, prepared by the Sustainable
Development Policy Institute, Islamabad, in 1993. (www.sdpi.org)
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environmental progress. Part II comprises of chapters containing the objectives, principles

and instruments, issues and opportunities in the primary, secondary and tertiary sectors and
supporting programmes. Part III includes four chapters containing an action agenda and
implementing strategy, government and corporate institutional development, cooperation
between Govt., community organizations and NGO’s and, finally, financing arrangements.
The PNCS, spread over 378 pages (including an index), focuses on the following fourteen
key programme areas for priority implementation:
1. Maintaining soil in croplands.
2. Increasing irrigation efficiency.
3. Protecting watersheds.
4. Supporting forestry and plantations.
5. Restoring rangelands and improving livestock.
6. Protecting water bodies and sustaining fisheries.
7. Conserving biodiversity.
8. Increasing energy efficiency.
9. Developing and deploying renewables.
10. Preventing/abating pollution.
11. Managing urban wastes.
12. Supporting institutions for common resources.
13. Integrating population and environment programmes.
14. Preserving the cultural heritage.
The PNCS proposes a seven-level strategy to implement the agenda elaborated by it. These
are:
1. Wise and sustainable use of resources is promoted more cost-effectively among
individuals and small business by economic incentives than by regulations.
2. For the corporate sector, a mix of indirect economic incentives as well as equitable
regulations is more appropriate.
3. Economic incentives, social sanctions, investment in community organization, and
legislation that secures the use of common resources are all needed to promote wise use
among local communities.
4. Institutional goals and orientation play a key role in improving departmental efficiency
and effectiveness.
5. Interagency collaboration is the major issue at the provincial level.
6. The key decisions bearing on wise resource use at the national level are those pertaining
to resource allocations and sharing and to pricing.
The strategy seeks to enlist support at seven levels, namely:

• Federal and provincial leadership;
• Departmental responsibility;
• District coordination;
• Community participation;
• Individual action;
• Corporate tasks; and
• Government/NGO support
11
The Report of the Midterm Review on the implementation of the PNCS3 was carried out by
an external team of local and foreign experts and was published by the Ministry of
Environment, Local Government and Rural Development, in November 2000. The key
conclusions of the Review were:
• Achievements under the NCS have been primarily awareness raising and institution
building rather than actual improvements in the quality and productivity of environment
and natural resources.
• The NCS was not designed and is not adequately focused as a national sustainable
development strategy.
• The NCS process has strengthened civil society institutions and their influence, and
enhanced the capacity of public institutions.
• NCS implementation capacity requires much improvement.
• NCS continues to have a major catalytic role in furthering Pakistan’s sustainable
development agenda. However, it needs refocusing and closer link to achievable
development outcomes; this should constitute the agenda of the next phase of NCS.
The constraints to the implementation of the NCS, identified by the Report were:
• A clear enough implementation plan or ‘road map’.
• A monitoring system geared towards evaluating institutional change and environmental
outcomes.
• A system of accountability for resource use and outcomes.
• A multistakeholder process for keeping an overview of the NCS, learning and enriching
it.
The Review made the following recommendations for future action:

• Broad intentions – should a strategic approach be continued, with what scope, and in
what form?
• Strategic principles – what principles should be adopted that have been shown to work
well?
• Mechanisms – what component processes and institutional roles are required?
• Activities – what options might be considered (whilst avoiding a ‘shopping list’ of
projects)?
Follow-up
The Government formally approved the PNCS and its 10-year plan of action (1992 – 2001).
It established a ministerial-level Implementation Committee which formulated a 5-year Plan
of Action (1993 – 98) for its implementation through domestic and external funding.
The institutional mechanisms for the implementation of the PNCS included environment cells
in several Ministries, including the Planning Commission, strengthening of a host of technical
institutions dealing with environmental issues, increased interaction with the NGO’s and
mass awareness campaigns.
The Govt. identified several constraints likely to affect the implementation of the PNCS such
as lack of adequate financial resources, technological and technical deficiencies, adverse
3
‘Report of the Mid-term Review of the PNCS, published by the Government of Pakistan. (November ISBN
969-8141-40-5)
12
impact of the Government’s external debt liabilities, the lack of an integrated framework for
promoting sustainable development etc.
The review of existing legislation, including the Pakistan Environmental Protection

Ordinance (PEPO) promulgated by the Military Government in 1983 and initiated by the
Federal Government in 1993 in order to “consolidate earlier laws, resolve outstanding
sources of confusion, provide legislative cover to NCS implementation, and reinforce the
visibility and coherence of the action programme” eventually led to the enactment of the
Pakistan Environmental Protection Act (PEPA) in 1997 which was, and served until the
adoption of the 18th Constitutional Amendment, the main overarching legal framework for
the protection and development of the environment.
2.2. Interim Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (I-PRSP), 20014
The 3-year I-PRSP was jointly prepared by the Planning Commission and the Ministry of
Finance in pursuance of the IMF’s Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility, in November
1997 in order to secure assistance from the IMF in the wake of serious macroeconomic
challenges. It contained a number of macro-economic stabilization measures for reviving the
sluggish economy and improving the balance of payments situation. The Strategy claimed to
provide “an integrated focus to a diverse set of factors that impact poverty” in order to help
meet the twin challenges of reviving growth and reducing poverty. In line with the principles
defined for the IMF’s Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility, initially designed for the
highly indebted and poorest African countries and launched in 1999, the I-PRSP was evolved
after extensive consultations at provincial and district levels and civil society organization.
The Strategy addressed a wide range of issues and sectors impinging on socio-economic
growth. The economic measures included the creation of an enabling environment for
investment and building infrastructures, Govt. reform, better access to justice and sound and
transparent fiscal and financial management.
The social sectors issues addressed by the strategy included

• Education
• Health
• Water supply and Sanitation
• Nutrition
• Population and Planning
• Protection of/support to the vulnerable
• Environment
The assistance provided by the IMF Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility helped shore up
the foreign exchange reserve and increased investments. The Musharraf Govt. claimed to
have fully implemented the 3-year reform package of the I-PRSP. The agreement with the
IMF facilitated debt relief from the Paris club.
2.3. The Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRSP) – Dec. 2003
The PRSP which was issued on 31st December 2003 builds up on the successes of the 3-year
Interim PRSP (2001 – 2003). It contains a comprehensive strategy to achieve accelerated and
4
Planning Commission website (http://www.pc.gov.pk/)
13
sustained broad-based economic growth, particularly in the rural areas, reducing poverty,
providing essential social and economic services and infrastructure to the poor, creating job
opportunities, and improving governance.” The Strategy rests on four pillars:
• Accelerated, broad-based economic growth while achieving macro-economic stability
• Improving governance and consolidating devolution
• Investing in human capital, and
• Protecting the poor and the vulnerable groups through programmes with emphasis on
social inclusion.
The Strategy elaborates programmes and policies for each of the four pillars. For example,
for the fourth pillar, it refers to microfinance schemes, Khushal Pakistan and Tameer-i-
Pakistan Programmes etc.
From the “sustainability” angle, the Strategy’s deliberate effort to align its goals with all the
MDG’s and the related targets and the first-of-a-kind recognition and operationalization of
the “environment – poverty nexus” are note worthy.
The linkages between environment and poverty are placed in three categories: environment
and livelihoods, environment and health, and environment and vulnerability.
The litany of Pakistan’s environmental challenges cited in the PRSP includes:
• Water, air and land pollution
• Degradation of agricultural lands
• Shrinking forests
• Diminishing supplies of clean water
• Dwindling fisheries
• Threat of growing social and ecological vulnerability from climate change and loss of
biological diversity
The Strategy takes cognizance of the legislative and institutional efforts made thus far for
improving the environment and promises support for strengthening those efforts.
In terms of its content, the PRSP espouses all that economists, social sector activists and
environmentalists can hope for!
2.4. The Second Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP II), 2007
The PRSP-II, prepared by the Ministry of Finance in 20075 “was built around a set of seven
pillars,” including the development and enhancing the role of the private sector in sustaining
higher economic growth. The salient features of the private sector development strategy
included: “lowering the barriers to the development of small and medium size enterprises
(SMEs) (in order to promote inclusive growth), removing irritants and impediments to private
sector growth, consistency and continuity of economic policies and developing a modern
banking and financial system with a view to providing a wide range of financial services.”
The other features of PRSP II “included the role of mega-cities in promoting growth,
development of rural infrastructure and markets for growth and poverty reduction, enhancing
competitiveness and productivity through investing in tertiary education, vocational and
technical training and development of a knowledge economy through a fully developed ICT
5
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(information and communications technology) infrastructure. It also included investing in

people; that is, human resource development, further development of financial markets and
institutions, effective governance and management through strengthening institutions, that is,
reforms in judiciary, police, civil service, pension, restructuring of the Federal Bureau of
Statistics to make it an autonomous institution and transforming the Monopoly Control
Authority into the Competition Commission of Pakistan.”
PRSP II also called for “strengthening and enhancing the country’s physical infrastructure”.
2.5. The Millennium Development Goals
In pursuance of the Millennium Declaration adopted by the World Summit in 2000 calling for
a “safer, more prosperous and equitable world”, a set of eight time-bound and measurable
objectives known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDG’s), were formed, to be
reached by 2015. Along with the other nations of the world, Pakistan whole-heartedly
adopted the Millennium Declaration and the associated Millennium Development Goals in
2000, and pledged to “spare no effort to free our fellow men, women and children from the
abject and dehumanizing conditions of extreme poverty”.
The 8 MDG’s have been broken down into 16 national targets that are measured by 37
indicators keeping in view Pakistan’s specific “conditions, priorities, data availability and
institutional capacity”.6
The agreed upon Millennium Development Goals and their descriptions and measurement
indicators as per UNDP Pakistan are listed as follows:
Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger

‐ Target 1: Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people below the poverty
line.
‐ Target 2: Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people who suffer from
hunger.
The indicator for Target 1 is the ‘proportion of population below the calorie-based food plus
non-food poverty line’. For Target 2 the indicators are ‘prevalence of underweight children
under 5 years of age’ and ‘proportion of population below minimum level of dietary energy
consumption’.
Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education

‐ Target: Ensure that by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to
complete a full course of primary schooling.
The performance indicators for Goal 3 are the ‘net primary enrolment ratio’ and the
‘completion and survival rate to grade 5’ (both required to be 100% by 2015), and the overall
national Literacy Rate, (required at 88% by 2015).
Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women

‐ Target: Eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education by 2005 and to
all levels of education no later than 2015.
6
UNDP Pakistan, “MDG’s in Pakistan”.
15
The indicators for Goal 3 are the ‘gender parity index (GPI) for primary, secondary and
tertiary education‘, ‘youth literacy GPI’, ‘share of women in wage employment in the non-
agricultural sector’ and ‘proportion of seats held by women in national parliament’.
Goal 4: Reduce child mortality

‐ Target: Reduce by two-thirds, between 1990 and 2015, the under-five mortality rate
There are six indicators being used to measure Goal 4, which are, ‘under-five mortality rate’,
‘infant mortality rate’, ‘proportion of fully immunized children 12-23 months’, ‘proportion of
under 1 year children immunized against measles’, ‘proportion of children under five who
suffered from diarrhea in the last 30 days and received ORT’ and ‘Lady Health Workers’
coverage of target population’.
Goal 5: Improve maternal health

‐ Target: Reduce by three quarters, between 1990 and 2015, the maternal mortality
ratio.
The indicators for Goal 5 include ‘maternal mortality ratio’, ‘proportion of births attended by
skilled health care professionals’, ‘contraceptive prevalence rate’, adolescent birth rate’,
‘antenatal care coverage’, ‘unmet need for family planning’.
Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases

‐ Target 1: Halt and reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS
‐ Target 2: Halt and reverse the incidence of malaria and other major diseases
The five indicators used to monitor Goal 6 in Pakistan are, ‘HIV prevalence among 15-24
year old pregnant women’, ‘HIV prevalence among vulnerable group (e.g., active sexual
workers)’, ‘Proportion of population in malaria risk areas using effective malaria prevention
and treatment measures’, ‘Incidence of tuberculosis per 100,000 population’ and ‘Proportion
of TB cases detected and cured under DOTS (Direct Observed Treatment Short Course)’.
Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability

‐ Target 1: Integrate the principles of sustainable development into country policies and
programmes and reverse the loss of environmental resources.
‐ Target 2: Halve, by 2015, the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe
drinking water and basic sanitation
‐ Target 3: Have achieved, by 2020, a significant improvement in the lives of slum
dwellers
There are eight indicators that are being used to measure the targets of Goal 7 comprising
‘Forest cover including state owned and private forest and farmlands’; ‘Land area protected
for the conservation of wildlife’; ‘GDP (at constant factor cost) per unit of energy use as a
proxy for energy efficiency’; ‘No. of vehicles using CNG’; ‘Sulphur content in high speed
diesel (as a proxy for ambient air quality)’; ‘Proportion of population (urban and rural) with
sustainable access to a safe (improved) water source’; ‘Proportion of population (urban and
rural) with access to sanitation’; and ‘Proportion of katchi abadis regularized’.
Goal 8: Develop a global partnership for development

The overall global targets of Goal 8 are as follows:
‐ Develop further an open, rule-based, predictable, non-discriminatory trading and
financial system.
16
‐ Address special needs of the least developed countries, landlocked countries and
small-island developing States.
‐ Deal with developing countries’ debt.
‐ In cooperation with developing countries, develop and implement strategies for
decent work for youth.
‐ In cooperation with the private sector, make available the benefits of new
technologies, especially information and communications.
Primarily the objective is to “foster cooperation at the bilateral and multilateral levels for
realizing the MDGs”.
2.6. Medium Term Development Frame work (MTDF), 2005-107
The MTDF (2005-2010) was developed to implement the Vision 2030. Its objectives were:
i) Establishing a just and sustainable economic system for reducing overty and achieving
MDGs.
ii) Move, in an organised and disciplined manner, towards an efficient, balanced,
internationally competitive, environment friendly and technologically driven knowledge
economy for rapid and sustainable growth to become an industrialized nation in 25
years
iii) Evolve a mature, tolerant, democratic society which is developed economically,
culturally, ethnically and imbibed with Islamic values of moderation and enlightenment,
at peace with itself and with the rest of the world
iv) Build a strong and prosperous Pakistan having a fully integrated economy with a sense
of common and shared destiny
v) Protect the right to development of every citizen particularly those of children, youth,
women and minorities
vi) Ensure equitable development of regions
vii) Minimize wastages in the economy
MTDF claimed to offer a framework based on a strategic thrust on manufacturing,

development of physical and human resources, the role of human capital and private sector as
engines of economic growth, appropriate policy instruments, physical and scientific and
technological infrastructure, strengthening of public institutions, elimination of wastages,
maximizing the benefits of globalisation, creating a sustainable society, a sound
macroeconomic stability framework, etc. It envisaged an average growth of 7.6% of real
GDP and 8.2% in 2009-10.
The Framework set targets for growth in agriculture, livestock, manufacturing and services as
well as fiscal and monetary development, improved balance of payments, enlarged
investments in the public sector, etc.
Significantly, the MTDF listed as one of its main objectives the establishment of a just and
sustainable economic system for achieving all the MDGs including poverty reduction,
education, health, nutrition, water and sanitation, environment, empowerment of women,
housing for all, etc.
7
17
The Framework promised progress in promoting good governance, accelerated growth in

agriculture, livestock, fisheries, forestry, manufacturing, minerals, exports, services sector,
ICT, upgrading of physical infrastructure including water and energy resources, transport,
etc. It also laid emphasis on human resource development.
The fate of the MTDF and indeed of the Vision 2030 which it sought to achieve is unclear.
The Vision 2030 document remains on the Planning Commission’s website despite
developments such as economic slow down on the one hand and the structural changes in
government and governance enshrined in the 18th Constitutional Amendment.
2.7. Pakistan in the 21st Century: Vision 2030, 20078
In 2007, the National Economic Council (NEC) approved a document titled “Vision 2030”
formulated by the Planning Commission (PC) based on an Approach Paper titled “Strategic
Directions to Achieve Vision 2030” prepared by the PC and approved by the NEC in
February 2006.
The Vision 2030 envisages a “a developed, industrialised, just and prosperous Pakistan
through rapid and sustainable development in a resource constrained economy by deploying
knowledge inputs”
The 118-page document comprises an introductory chapter and ten substantive chapters
which are listed below.
• Global Imperatives: Challenges and Opportunities
• The Basic Goal: A Just and Sustainable Society
• The Institutions of State and Government
• Realizing Vision 2030: The Macroeconomic Framework
• Agriculture Growth: Food, Water and Land
• Manufacturing and Industry
• Building the Innovative Society: Knowledge, Technology and Competition
• Energy for Growth
• Rural and Urban Development
• The State and Security
The Vision 2030 was evolved through an extensive substantive process lasting 18 months in
which all relevant stakeholders participated.
The then President of Pakistan described Vision 2030 as “an important milestone” and
commended it for presenting “a clear picture of emerging and expected challenges”
pertaining to water, energy, infrastructure, climate change and world trade and markets.
As noted by the then Prime Minister, Vision 2030 was aimed at sustaining GDP growth at
“around 7-8% per annum, which will enable Pakistan to join the ranks of middle-income
countries by 2030, with a per capita income of around USD 4000 at 2007 prices”.
In sectoral terms, although “agriculture will be an efficient provider of food and nutrition, the
economy is expected to be dominated by high-end manufacturing and services”, with
8
18
knowledge, technology and skills serving as the tools for achieving the change. Emphasis
was placed on development of human resources to yield demographic dividends and
enhanced role of cities as engines of growth.
Significantly from the angle of sustainability, the chapter on energy stressed the development
of energy efficiency and a mix of a variety of sources of energy, including clean sources such
as hydropower with a view to limiting the increase in the country’s greenhouse gas
emissions.
Vision 2030 was to be implemented through the five-year development framework. The
Vision document was slated to be reviewed in 2015.
2.8. Framework for Economic Growth – Pakistan (2011)9
The National Economic Council on 28th May 2011 approved a document titled “Framework
for Economic Growth – Pakistan” prepared by the Planning Commission (PC) with the help
of a team of Pakistani officials and experts led by the Deputy Chairman of the PC and on the
basis of extensive consultations with external experts, Pakistani academia, civil society
organisations, development partners, including the UN agencies, funds and programmes,
provincial governments and parliamentarians.
The 147-page document including charts and an appendix, apart from an Executive Summary
and implementation charts, 9 substantive chapters dealing with:
• Breaking out of our past (containing a critique of past policies).
• Rethinking our growth paradigm (offering the rationale of a new approach based on the
“software” of growth including institutions, incentives, markets, cities and
communities)
• Spotlight: productivity and innovation (highlighting the role of innovation for
enhancing productivity of key sectors)
• Building a government for the 21st century (suggesting a redefinition of the role of the
state including its exit from markets, deregulation of the economy served by a talented
civil service, better resource mobilisation and management)
• Deepening and maintaining openness (stressing the importance of exports and increased
trade with some countries including India)
• Vibrant and competitive markets rectifying market-related distortions and encouraging
savings and investments)
• Creative cities (enabling cities to serve as agents of growth and achieving urban
developments)
• Connecting to compete (blue print for enhanced ICT connectivity; reforming the
Railway)
• Youth and community engagement (improved education; empowerment of
communities and women)
The Framework document includes Action Matrices comprising timelines of implementation

of objectives and identifying federal and provincial ministries/departments/statutory bodies
assigned to guide and oversee the implementation process.
9
19
The last matrix titled “Environment and Climate Change Sector”, which was not included in
the copies printed earlier, is most significant in the context of the grave negative
consequences of climate change for Pakistan and urgent imperative of integration of policies
and programmes for reducing to the extent possible those consequences into development
policy formulation and implementation.
The matrix’s subtitled “Ensuring economic growth is sustainable climate resilient” is apt and
encouraging, this being the first instance of the recognition of the importance of development
that is climate resilient and therefore sustainable!
The themes of the matrix mention protecting growth from the risk and costs of climate
change-induced disasters through integration of risk reduction and management concerns
within the planning process and for this purpose promises adequate financial and other
resources to implement the National Disaster Management Framework and related Action
Plan prepared by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
The second theme relates to climate proofing economic growth from the impacts of climate
change in particular on the agricultural, water and energy sectors. Provision of adequate
resources for the Government’s climate change policy and related action plans has been
promised.
The third objective relates to the promotion of “green growth” through investment in low-
carbon technologies. The framework once more promises the provision of financial and other
resources.
Progress toward the implementation of the climate change-related objectives would require
their programmatic integration with the substantive chapters of the Framework. Since the
elaboration and follow up of the Framework is expected to be undertaken by the provincial
governments through their development plans and projects, it would be necessary to enhance
their competence to understand the impacts of climate change and the mitigation and
adaptation measures that would be needed to “climate proof” development by promoting
green growth” and reducing the economic costs and human suffering caused by climate-
induced disasters (droughts, floods, etc) whose frequency, duration and intensity have
increased in the recent years.
The Framework document has received eloquent praises from leading Pakistani experts with
impeccable qualifications and practical experience. It has been applauded for addressing long
term structural issues and recommending policies and reforms that would enhance
productivity, promote better urban management, increase connectivity and youth engagement
and outlining a vital role for the government. It has been praised for creating a “national
conversation around the growth strategy”, “a brilliant answer to a most difficult situation”
and for suggesting policies leading to over 7% growth rate per annum.
The Deputy Chairman of the PC believes that the new growth framework breaks fresh ground
and represents a departure from the Vision 2030 by stressing the role of markets. He regards
the reform of the civil service as being indispensable for addressing the new challenges10.
10
Interview with deputy chairman Planning Commission (August 2011)
20
In view of the 18th Amendment which, inter alia, assigns the responsibility of national
development planning and coordination to the federal and provincial governments acting
jointly through the Council of Common Interests, the Planning Commission has evidently
shelved the nearly complete 10th Five Year Plan. The provincial governments are said to have
prepared their own five year plans. Presumably the CCI will determine how to follow up on
the Framework for Economic Growth.
Concluding Remarks
A review of the various frameworks, blueprints and plans for integrated economic/sustainable
development related policy and decision making reveals that with the exception of the second
and third Five Year Plans, none of the subsequent five year plans and other policy reform
packages evolved by the Pakistan Government on its own initiatives or in pursuance of
conditionalities imposed by external donors have been fully and effectively implemented.
Further, the energies and resources of the Planning Commission and the Ministry of Finance
have been expended mainly on the formulation of grandiose, optimistic frameworks with
impressive targets and timelines. However, less attention has evidently been paid to carrying
out regular technically sound monitoring and evaluation of the extent and quality of their
implementation by using reliable statistics and facts and figures.
3. Assessment of progress achieved, remaining gaps and needs
3.1. Economic
At present, Pakistan is facing multiple challenges. The economic scene is characterized by

macroeconomic instability, double-digit inflation, sluggish growth rate, a growing perception
of poor economic and fiscal management, widespread corruption, energy crisis highlighted
by prolonged periods of power outages, growing unemployment (especially among the
youth), deepening poverty, declining foreign investment and unsustainable debt. Pakistan is
today “the sick man of South Asia”.
Some officials understate the gravity of the situation, citing positive factors such as an
improvement in the balance of payments, foreign exchange reserves of $18 billion, an
unexpected 24% increase in exports and worker remittances. The importance and
sustainability of those “windfall” factors is questioned by most media analysts11.
Viewed in a broad historical perspective, Pakistan’s economic performance until recently has
been quite remarkable, although marked by periods of impressive growth preceded or
followed by tardy development. Failure to carry out basic reforms to address structural flaws
and ensure sound economic policy and management has remained constant for decades but
seems to have hit an alarming level.
Pakistan’s average growth during the six decades since independence is quite impressive. The
living standards of the majority of the population have improved markedly, despite a nearly
six fold increase in population, from 32 million at the time of independence to over 180
million today. Where there was no state apparatus, no infrastructure, only a few small
industrial units, meager school enrollment, “Pakistan today is the 46th largest economy in the
11
Dr. Maleeha Lodhai article ‘ Brewing Economic Crisis’ The News, 24 August 2011.
21
world with per capita income in current US dollars of 1000 (compared to less than $100 in
1948), having achieved an average growth rate of 50% over the first (six) decades”.
Highlights of Pakistan’s economic achievements include:

• In addition to self-sufficiency in food despite the population explosion, at a higher
consumption level, Pakistan exports large quantities of rice and occasionally wheat and
maize.
• Pakistan is one of the world’s leading exporters of textiles
• There are more than 13,000 manufacturing units, producing a wide range of items
including steel, cement, automobiles, sugar, fertilizers, cloth, vegetable ghee, industrial
chemicals, refined petroleum products etc.
• Electricity generation capacity in 2011 was approximately 20,000 MW compared to
57MW in 1947.
• Area under cultivation has been increased by 40% to reach 22 million hectares, irrigated
partly by groundwater pumped out through tube-wells running on electricity.
• Road and railway network spans 260,000 km, more than five times the length in 1947.
• Almost 50% of the energy needs have been met from domestically produced natural gas
totaling 32 billion cubic feet. (The availability of natural gas is rapidly declining.)
• High personal consumption levels in terms of ownership of personal cars, telephone
connections, TV and other electronic gadgets12.
However, experts refer to deep-rooted structural imbalances, policy and governance failures
and mismanagement which must be remedied in order to address the current, medium and
long-term economic challenges in an increasingly daunting external context.
The balance-sheet of economic performance comprises impressive growth achieved despite
political instability, wars, division of the country, unfavorable weather conditions and natural
disasters.
The successes are ascribed to:

• A major increase in levels of investment in the 1960’s due largely to flow of external
resources, both bilateral and multilateral, to fund projects related to the Indus Water
Treaty and industrial and agricultural development.
• Low initial level of industrial development which enabled quick productivity gains from
structural changes.
• Robust agricultural growth after 1960’s (the Green Revolution) due to investments in
water resources, technology and chemical inputs. The agricultural sector accounts for
over 21% of the GDP, produces the bulk of raw material for exports dominated by agro-
products, provides 25% of all jobs and sustains livelihoods of over 54% of the
population living in rural areas.
• Sound, professional management of policy formulation and key financial institutions
until the dawn of the new millennium.
• Large amounts of grants and loans in return for (now controversial) support for the
Western alliance’s Afghan policies in the 1980’s and since the 9/11 events.
Weaknesses and failures include poor rate of development of physical and human capital,
lack of sustainable energy resources, transport, urban infrastructure, stagnating investments,
export sector weaknesses, excessive dependence on external capital flows, inadequate
12
Dr. Ishrat Husain’s article ‘Pakistan Economy at 64’, The News, August 15, 2011
22
attention to mobilize action of domestic savings and increase in tax revenues, and serious
lapses in decision-making and implementation.
From mid-1980’s onwards the gap between domestic revenues and the Government’s current
expenditure grew unabatedly. Soon the defense and debt repayment obligations claimed the
bulk of budgetary expenditure. Governments continued to rely on external loans and grants to
finance expenditure and even consumption. In 1989, the Government introduced some fiscal
reforms under the IMF program but its implementation followed a start-stop-start pattern.
Subsequently, the Government while adhering to the reform measures prescribed by the IMF
simultaneously embarked on grand schemes (motorways, new airports, yellow cabs etc.)
funded from non-concessional foreign loans, increasing the debt-repayment woes. In 2002
GDP growth plummeted to 2.46%.
In 2001, the military Government agreed to a reform package contained in the Interim
Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (IPRSP) under the 3-year Poverty Reduction Growth
Facility (PRGF) program funded by the IMF. Related developments not only brought debt
relief from the Paris club but also increased flow of external aid. Upon the completion of the
PRGF, the Government launched a consumption-centered growth policy, neglecting much
needed structural reforms. The impressive economic growth of over 8% during 2004 and
2005 and 6% in the two subsequent years was largely led by consumption and exports, not
investment and exports. The Government continued to rely on borrowing from the State Bank
and other commercial banks, which fuelled inflationary trends. The food and energy crisis
since 2007 and the recent hike in the price of oil and other commodities and prolonged and
severe global financial crisis have put unusual strains on the country’s resources while
reducing demand for its exports.
The democratically elected Government “inherited an economy in growing disarray” and has
tried to improve the situation through reforms under an IMF assistance package. However,
domestic savings and investment, and state revenues through taxes have remained abysmally
low. External investment is inadequate and loans at concessional rates are becoming scarce.
Meanwhile, inflation has continued to escalate. In 2009, growth rate (1.4%) was the lowest in
the country’s history. Just as the reform measures under the IMF package began to show a
positive trend, the country was struck by unprecedented flood.
The 2010 ‘Great Flood’ inflicted widespread damage to the economy; it left 1,600 people
dead, devastated infrastructure and thousands of villages, destroyed standing crops, and
adversely affected some 20 million people. The massive damage caused by the floods
(estimated at over $10 billion or a third of the country’s annual budget) has yet to be rectified.
In 2010 the economy grew by a meager 2.4%.
Analysis of the economic situation by experts reveals a broad-based consensus on a number

of measures. These include:
i. A comprehensive package of measures to significantly increase tax revenues, through
the early introduction of Reformed General Sales Tax (RGST), re-introduction of
wealth tax, abolishing tax exemptions; strengthening the tax collection machinery at the
Federal, Provincial and district levels.
ii. Overcoming the energy crisis through resolution of the ‘circular debt’ problem
impeding electricity generation from existing capacity, and increasing the supply of
electricity through greater investments in hydropower generation.
23
iii. Reducing and rationalizing Govt. expenditure and restructuring of bankrupt Public
Sector Enterprises (PSE’s).
iv. Granting full autonomy and authority to the State Bank to reduce inflation and freeing it
from the burden of meeting the Government’s fiscal deficits.
v. Strengthening capacity for economic and financial management as well as carrying out
sound analysis and producing reliable statistics, at the Federal and Provincial levels,
with special focus on capacity development of the provincial authorities in the wake of
the 7th NFC and 18th Amendment. Provincial Govt. must be held accountable for
prudent utilization of increased allocation of resources, and raise revenues in order to
handle the subjects devolved upon them under the 18th Constitutional Amendment.
vi. Strengthening of social safety networks for the most vulnerable segments of the
population.
vii. A renewed focus on human resource development and enhancement of skills, on the
one hand, and reduce the rate of population growth, on the other.
viii. Strengthened efforts to diversify and increase exports of goods and services.
ix. Improvement in governance and an active role by the state in creating and sustaining an
enabling environment for economic growth and job creation.
x. A coherent strategy to revive the agricultural sector, including investment in related
infrastructure, prices and incentives, land reclamation, application of modern
technology and efficient irrigation methods.13
3.2. Environment
Pakistan’s environment is both rich and varied. The country’s territories comprise some of
the world’s highest mountain peaks and thousands of glaciers in the Himalaya and
Karakoram regions overlooking verdant but inaccessible valleys, and the Indus and Kabul
rivers which irrigate millions of hectares of land through a complex network of barrages,
dams and canals. The country has dozens of lakes and wetlands but also large swathes of
deserts and barren plateaux. Pakistan has a 1,046 km long coastline along the Arabian Sea
and the Gulf of Oman.
Pakistan’s rich and diverse fauna and flora includes globally significant wildlife, mammals
and plant species, some of them gravely threatened by loss of habitat and human excesses.
Forests and rangelands which once covered just a little over 5% of the land have been
subjected to wanton destruction over the past six decades. Agricultural land has been lost to
human settlements needed by the rapidly increasing population and degraded by excessive
utilisation, soil pollution caused by fertilisers and pesticides as well as rising sea level in the
southern region. Although feeding, clothing and sheltering the burgeoning population, the
possibility of augmenting cultivable land is ruled out for several reasons.
Pakistan is truly a gift of the Indus. The Indus River system is Pakistan’s blood life. Fed by
the high altitude HKH glaciers and replenished by the monsoon rains, the irrigation water
supplied by the Indus River system has sustained lives and livelihoods of the majority of the
population which has soared from a little over 30 million at the time of independence in 1947
to almost 180 million today. The health of the glaciers and the punctuality of the monsoons
are under threat from climate change.
13
See article by Meekal Ahmed ‘An Economic Crisis State’ in Pakistan Beyond Crisis State, Maleeha Lodhi,
ED, Oxford University Press Pakistan. (ISN 978-0-19-906322-2)
24
Like most developing countries, Pakistan’s efforts to achieve socio-economic development

through rapid industrial and agricultural growth were pursued without direct, explicit
reference to the protection and conservation of the country’s natural resources such as forests,
wetlands and rangelands, water, land and soil. Scant attention was paid to environmental
issues arising from industrialisation and urbanisation and generation of growing quantities of
waste and the resultant pollution.
Until the mid-1970’s Pakistan did not have a ministry or department at federal or provincial
level for protecting its natural resources and addressing the issues of waste and pollution. The
“incidental” natural resource-related laws, some of them dating back to pre-colonial time, on
forests, wildlife, water, fisheries etc, focused mainly on preserving the ability of the
ecosystems to generate revenues through levies on their commercial exploitation rather than
prudent use, conservation and protection of the valuable but vulnerable ecological assets.
Pakistan’s participation in the UN Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm in

1972 marked the beginning of attention being paid to environmental issues. An Urban and
Environment Affairs Division was established within the Federal Ministry of Works in 1975.
The Division’s meagre human and financial resources limited its ability to undertake
meaningful environmental initiatives.
The 1973 Constitution placed the subject of “Environmental Pollution and Environment” in
the concurrent list of subjects, thus allowing both the Federal and Provincial Governments to
pass legislation on environment-related matters. However, the Federal Government has
refrained from legislating on matters related to natural resources leaving this function largely
to the provinces.
The 1980s saw a significant growth in citizens’ concern over the degradation of the
environment, especially deforestation at the hands of the “timber mafia” and growing urban
pollution, in the wake of increasing attention to environmental issues by the international
community, efforts by the country offices of IUCN and WWF and the spirited activities of a
small but dedicated group of environmental activists. The credit for creating awareness of
environmental deterioration must go to the environmental activities of a group of lawyers,
foresters, social scientists and some enlightened businessmen.
The promulgation of the Pakistan Environmental Protection Ordinance (PEPO) in 1983

represents a watershed in the history of environmental protection in Pakistan. PEPO provided
for a high-level policy forum, the Pakistan Environment Protection Council (PEPC) and the
setting up of Environment Protection Agencies at the Federal and Provincial level. The
implementation of the law was slow but the process of building of an environmental
protection architecture had begun.
In 1989-1991, a remarkable project actively supported by the Federal Government and

funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) brought together scores
of senior Government officials and sectoral experts to assess the state of the environment and
suggest immediate and medium term remedial and preventive measures. The project led to
the formulation of the ‘Pakistan National Conservation Strategy’ (NCS) - 1991. The NCS
recommended 14 programme areas for priority implementation based on a comprehensive
assessment of the spectrum of environmental challenges facing Pakistan.
These are:
• Maintaining soils in croplands
25
• Increasing irrigation efficiency

• Protecting watersheds
• Supporting forestry and plantations
• Restoring rangelands and improving livestock
• Protecting water bodies and sustaining fisheries
• Conserving biodiversity
• Increasing energy efficiency
• Developing and deploying renewables
• Preventing/abating pollution
• Managing urban waste
• Supporting institutions for common resources
• Integrating population and environment programmes
• Preserving the cultural heritage
The NCS was not only approved by the Federal Government in March 1992; it also set up a
ministerial-level implementation committee to oversee its systematic follow-up. The
Committee prepared a Plan of Action (1993-98) for which the Government provided some
funds and began seeking donor support.14
Pakistan’s participation in the UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED)

in Rio in 1992 was active and high profile, with Pakistan serving as chair of the G.77 in the
run up to the Conference and the participation of a high profile delegation headed by the
Prime Minister. Pakistan signed the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC) and the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (UNCBD) at the Rio Summit.
Significant milestones pertaining to the environment and sustainable development since
1990s are briefly recalled here.
• Steps towards implementation of the NCS (mentioned above).
• Enactment of the Pakistan Environment Protection Act (PEPA), 1993, which enlarged
the scope and institutional arrangements contained in the Pakistan Environmental
Protection Ordinance (PEPO) and provided for the establishment of Environment
Protection Agencies (EPA) at the federal and provincial levels and a plethora of
environmental bodies including tribunals (courts). PEPA also listed a number of
environmental offences such as pollution levels and prescribed penalties.
• Setting up of an Environment section in the Planning and Development Division.
• Setting up of an NCS section in the Environment and Urban Affairs Division to
function as secretariat for the implementation of the NCS.
• Setting up and/or strengthening of environment-related technical institutions such as the
Forest Institute in Peshawar and the Institute of Oceanography in Karachi to facilitate
implementation of the NCS.
• Mass awareness and educational campaigns on environment and sustainable
development issues.
• The titled Environment Protection and Resource Conservation Project (EPRCP) funded
by the World Bank helped in strengthening the institutional capacity of PEPA and the
Environment and Urban Affairs Division.
14
This section draws on policy paper series # 3 titled “The Pakistan National Conservation Strategy: A Plan of
Action for the 1990’s” and policy paper series # 9 titled “Pakistan’s Annual Report to the Commission on
Sustainable Development: National Implementation of Agenda 21”, prepared by the Sustainable
Development Policy Institute, Islamabad, in 1993. (www.sdpi.org)
26
• Formulation and implementation of the National Environment Action Plan (NEAP) in

2001 described as “an umbrella programme to address … environmental issues in a
holistic manner”, funded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
during phase I (2001-2006).
• Under NEAP Phase I, a number of environmental policies and strategies were
formulated, including the National Environment Policy (2005); Sanitation Policy
(2005); Clean Development Mechanism Strategy (2006), Draft Forest Policy, etc.
• Actions to implement the goal of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
pertaining to environmental sustainability and MDG 7 and its related targets calling for
the integration of the principles of sustainable development into country’s development
policies and programmes and reversing the loss of environmental resources, including
the establishment of indicators for reporting progress.
• The Mid-term Development Framework (MDF) 2005-10 was developed “in line with
the National Environment Action Plan (NEAP) objectives…” The four core areas of the
Framework are: clean air, clean water, solid waste management and ecosystem
management.
• Vision 2030, long term blueprint for development published by the Planning
Commission in 2007 envisioned the transformation of Pakistan into a “developed,
industrialised, just and prosperous Pakistan through rapid and sustainable development
in a resource constrained economy by deploying knowledge inputs” and perhaps for the
first time spoke of sustainable development. The Vision integrated the achievement of
MDG’s in the plan’s framework; included the management of natural resources in its
chapter on agriculture; promised investment in hydropower generation and alternative
energy resources as well as efforts to reduce the country’s emissions of greenhouse
gases (GHG), including through carbon capture and sequestration. To date Vision 2030
remains the sole sustainable development-oriented policy framework.
27
Pakistan has ratified 14 MEAs. Information on the implementation of and compliance with
Pakistan’s obligations under the MEAs is summarised below:15
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)
Implementation
• The export and import of listed species is regularized by National Council for Conservation of
Wildlife (NCCW) through a system of permits / NOCs
• NCCW act as CITES management and scientific authority
• Developed Pakistan Trade Control of Fauna & Flora Act-2010
• CITES bill 2010 to implement CITES in Pakistan was passed by the NA after the 18th
amendment
Ramsar Convention on Wetlands
Implementation
• Wetland Action Plan and National Rangeland Policy, 2010
• 19 sites have been declared/registered as Ramsar sites (Coverage: 13.436 Million hectares)
• Developed National Wetlands Policy (approval has been held back after 18th amendment)
• Awareness raising and capacity building of key stakeholders and development of
management plans for wetlands throughout Pakistan Wetlands project
Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS)

Implementation
• All migratory species of concern (endangered) are protected under Provincial Wildlife Acts
• Developed Pakistan trade control of Fauna and Flora Act 2010
• Pakistan is signatory to Convention
Vienna Convention and Montreal Protocol
Implementation
• First generation of Ozone Depleting Substances (Choloro-fluorocarbons, carbon-
tetracholride) have been completely phased-out as of 1 January 2010 and there is a complete
ban on their import.
• Ban imposed on import of Methyl Chloroform
• Hydro-Chlorofluorocarbon (2nd generation of Ozone Depleting Substances) Phase-out
Management Plan (HPMP) launched; to be completed by 2030.
15
Based on a note (unpublished) prepared by the former Ministry of Environment (2011)
28
According to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (UNCBD)

Implementation
• Developed Biodiversity Action Plan
• Establishment of Protected Area System (National Parks, Wild life Sanctuaries, Game
reserves).
Basel Convention on the Control of Trans-boundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their
Disposal
Implementation
• Restrictions imposed on export/transit and import for final disposal and recovery under the
PEPA 1997
UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)
Implementation
• National Action Plan (NAP) to Combat Desertification in Pakistan prepared
• A Sustainable Land Management Project launched
• Policy documents such as Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRSP) has integrated NAP’s
programme areas of sustainable use of natural resources as means towards poverty alleviation
United Nations Convention Law of Seas (UNCLOS)
Implementation
• Development of National Institute of Oceanography
Kyoto Protocol to UNFCCC
Implementation
• Serves as the designated National Authority for Clean Development Mechanisms
Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) Procedure for Certain Hazardous
Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade
Implementation
• All pesticides and chemicals under Rotterdam Convention, subject to Prior Informed Consent
(PIC), are either banned, deregistered or restricted in Pakistan
• National Advisory Committees established for advice on pesticides and chemicals which may
fall under this convention in future
Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)
Implementation
• All the POPs pesticides are either banned or deregistered registered in Pakistan
• National Implementation Plan (NIP) prepared and submitted to Stockholm Convention
Secretariat
• NEQS for Ambient Air, 2010
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
Implementation
• Developed comprehensive inventory of greenhouse gases emission sources and sinks
• Submitted initial national communication (GHG emission report) to UNFCCC
• Participation in COPs/MOPs meetings under UNFCCC Kyoto Protocol
• Prepared final draft of the National Climate Change Policy based on the findings of the Task
Force on Climate Change.
• NEQS for Industrial Gaseous Emission, 2000
NEQS for Motor Vehicle Exhaust & Noise (Amended), 2010
In addition to the various policies and action plans prepared as part of implementation of
MEAs Pakistan has also developed a National Energy Conservation Policy (2005), National
Safe Drinking Water Policy and a number of other similar documents, during the part few
years, most of them with the support of UN and other multilateral agencies.
29
Legal and institutional arrangements for environment protection
The Pakistan Environmental Protection Act (PEPA) 1997
PEPA has thus far served as the essential legal framework for environmental protection in
Pakistan. Building up on the Pakistan Environmental Protection Ordinance (PEPO)
promulgated in 1983, this comprehensive legislation whose remit extended to the whole
country comprises 34 sections encompassing the bulk of the spectrum of the country’s
environmental problems and establishing an elaborate institutional architecture at the federal
and provincial levels.
The key provisions of PEPA are:

• Section 2 contains precise working definitions of nearly forty-five key concepts
including “adverse environmental effect”, “agricultural waste”, “air pollution”;
“biodiversity” or “biological diversity”, “discharge”, “effluent”, “emission standards”,
“environment”, “environmental impact assessment”, environmental “magistrate” and
“tribunal”, “factory”, hazardous “substance” and “waste”, “historic waters”, “industrial
activity”, “industrial waste”, “motor vehicle”, “municipal waste”, “nuclear waste”,
“sewage”, “sustainable development”, etc.
• Sections 3 and 4 establishes the Pakistan Environment Protection Agency (PEPA),
prescribes its composition and defines its functions as the apex body for coordinating
the enforcement of PEPA., approving national environmental policies and National
Environmental Quality Standards, providing guidelines for protection and conservation
of species, habitats and biodiversity as well as reducing all binds of pollution.
• Section 5 and 6 prescribe the composition of the Federal EPA and list its twenty-one
functions as the chief custodian, facilitator and promoter of the country’s environmental
assets.
• Section 7 defines the powers of the EPA in preventing offences against the environment
• Sections 8 and 9, establish Provincial Environmental Protection Agencies, defining
their power and functions, as well as, establish Provincial Sustainable Development
Funds and prescribe how the funds received from various sources are to be expended.
Section 10 prescribes the composition and powers of the Provincial Sustainable Funds.
• Initial Environmental Examination and Environmental Impact Assessment are defined
by Section 12
• Sections 13 and 14 define the prohibition of hazardous waste and handling of hazardous
substances. Section 15 deals with anti pollution measures for motor vehicles
• Section 16 proclaims Environment Protection Order aimed at undoing environmental
damage by empowering the federal and provincial EPAs to issue orders for stopping
violations of laws and regulations
• Section 17 prescribes penalties to be imposed by environmental magistrates and
tribunals
• Section 18 defines offences committed by corporate bodies; Section 19 defines offences
committed by agencies of the government at various levels
• Section 20 establishes Environmental Tribunals and prescribes their composition; their
jurisdiction and powers are defined by Section 21. Provisions related to appeals to and
against the Environmental Tribunals are contained in Sections 22 and 23
• Section 24-27 relate to the jurisdiction of Environmental Magistrates and appeals to and
against them
30
• The power to give directions by the federal and provincial EPAs are defined by Section
27
• Indemnity and the overriding effect of PEPA over all other existing law are defined by
Sections 28 and 30
• The power of the Federal EPA to make rules and regulations is defined by section 31
• The Schedule contained in PEPA lists the international conventions, and agreements
ratified by the Government of Pakistan with reference to Section 31.
Other important environmental legislation include laws for delegating powers to provincial
governments enacted in December 1998, the Certification of Environmental Laboratories
Regulations (2000), the Revised Environmental Quality Standards (2000), the Pollution
Charge for Industry Rules (2001), the Pakistan Biosafety Rules (2005), etc.
PEPA and several other laws which defined the competence, role and functions of the federal
and provincial governments are likely to be amended in the wake of the abolition of the
Concurrent list by the 18th Constitutional Amendment.
State of the Environment – An overview
The Government of Pakistan does not issue documents containing review of the state of the
country’s environment. However, the multilateral agencies and local and foreign research
centres and think tanks have carried out extensive research on the subject. Recent issues of
the Economic Survey also included chapters on environment.
In 2006 the World Bank issued an assessment of Pakistan’s environmental challenges titled
“Pakistan: Strategic Country Environmental Assessment” (SCEA). This oft-quoted report
attempted for the first time ever to calculate the costs of environment-related challenges to
the attainment of accelerated growth, focusing on the health costs of pollution and
degradation of natural resources. The SCEA contains a comprehensive assessment of the
government’s responses to the growing environmental challenges and proposes measures for
priority interventions, especially for capacity building. It also examined the various existing
institutions for environmental management, including the legal and policy framework, the
role of Judiciary in protecting the environment, the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA)
Framework, including as applied to public sector investments and made a number of
recommendations for making the existing regulatory system more effective.
The SCEA comprehensively reviewed urban air quality including the regulatory framework
devised by the government and suggested areas of support by development partners to
improve the regulatory regime. Similarly the SCEA addressed water pollution related issues
including the effectiveness of and improvement of the regulatory system.
The SCEA noted that the “conservative estimates presented in the report suggest that
environmental degradation costs the country at least 6% of the GDP or about Rs. 365 billion
per year”, adding that “these costs fall disproportionately upon the poor”. This finding is
frequently cited in studies by various research centres and mentioned by Pakistani Ministers
and senior environment officials.
31
The various areas of environmental degradation cited by the SCEA include:

• Water pollution causing increase in overall health hazards. High infant and child
mortality rates due to childhood diarrhoea and acute respiratory infection.
• Open and indoor air pollution causing widespread ill health.
• Soil pollution and erosion caused by water-logging and salinity leading to pollution.
• Deforestation at rates 10% higher than the regional average and rangeland productivity
estimated to be one-third of its potential with up to 80% of rangelands degraded.
The SCEA concluded by stating: “A clear conclusion that emerges from this report is that
environmental degradation eventually translates into socio-economic problems which retard
development and growth.” It added: “...environmental governance must be integrated into the
macroeconomic, provincial and sectoral levels.”
According to the Asian Development Bank’s Country Environment Analysis Report, 2008,
pressing environmental concerns facing the country relate broadly to the management of
scarce natural resources, pollution, waste management, potential vulnerabilities and natural
hazards and climate change. Moreover the World Bank Report on country’s environmental
assessment 2006 revealed that collective estimated environmental degradation costs the
country at least 6% of GDP, and this cost falls disproportionately upon the poor.
Other environmental issues in Pakistan include:
Marine Resources
Threats to the country’s marine environment and coastal, mangrove and marine ecosystems
and smaller marine organisms due to land based sources of pollution and oil leaks. The laws
framed by the Balochistan and Sindh Government are poorly implemented.
Land degradation
Drought, desertification and land degradation especially in the arid and semi-arid regions of
Pakistan, are becoming increasing serious. Land degradation-related issues include
deforestation, desertification, solidity and salinity, water logging, soil erosion, and depletion
of soil fertility, degraded production levels in natural grazing areas etc.
Forests
The total area under forest cover in Pakistan is estimated at 4.21 million hectares. The
Government admits large-scale deforestation and degradation of natural forests in the
Northern provinces. The proposed forests-related legislation has not yet been enacted.
Climate Change
The negative effects of climate change will be experienced by “almost all sectors...
particularly water resources, energy, health, biodiversity, with a major impact on agricultural
productivity due to changes in temperature. More frequent and intense natural hazards such
as droughts and floods will pose extraordinary challenges to people and authorities”.
(For more details of impacts of climate changes see section 4.7)
Wildlife
Threats to wildlife which have not been adequately addressed through existing legal
frameworks and enforcement mechanisms set-up by provincial governments.
32
Concluding Remarks
As in the case of socio-economic development, Pakistan has over the years developed an
impressive body of environmental policy frameworks, action plans and enacted laws and
established an elaborate institutional structure, including judicial tribunals, aimed at
addressing the two facets of environmental challenges: excessive, imprudent, unsustainable
use of natural resources; and the growing dangers of air, water and land/soil pollution.
However, the situation on the ground is alarming.
The constraints impeding environmental protection include:
• Governance
Governance issues such as poor organisation, incompetent personnel assigned to
address complex challenges; insufficient coordination, lack of oversight, monitoring
and evaluation of the performance of environmental institutions are a major impediment
to environmental protection.
• Financial Resources
The financial resources provided to the ever-growing plethora of environment-related
institutions are inadequate and poorly managed.
• Technical
The technical and technological capacities of the relevant institutions especially those
dealing with climate change-related challenges would need to be significantly
augmented through domestic efforts supported by the international community.
• Limited regional and global cooperation

Pakistan has not been able to develop cooperation with neighbouring countries both
bilaterally and through regional cooperation agreements such as the South Asian
Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). SAARC member states adopted a 3-
year Action Plan (2009-11) on climate change in 2008. The SAARC Summit in
Thimphu (Bhutan) in April 2010 adopted the SAARC Convention on Cooperation on
Environment and the Thimphu Statement on climate change outlining an ambitious set
of recommendations on cooperation for addressing the multifaceted challenges of
climate change. These agreements need to be followed up.
Pakistan’s cooperation with the UN and other multilateral agencies, including the IFI’s,
as well as friendly countries is significant but does not match either the enormity of
environmental challenges facing Pakistan nor the potential of the partners.
3.3. Social
Progress made in achieving MDG targets
Over the last five years (2006 – 2011), Pakistan has faced a number of catastrophic events of
monumental significance, including socio-political turmoil; militancy, and the various
subsequent military operations; natural disasters, in particular the 2010 flood that affected the
lives of over 20 million people and damaged public infrastructure, private properties and vast
areas of agricultural land; the effects of the sharp increase in global food and oil prices; and
the worldwide economic recession. The combined effect of all of these events has caused a
major setback to the nationwide efforts towards achieving the Millennium Development
33
Goals by 2015, and has in some cases severely slowed down or even reversed the earlier
gains made towards achieving them. Nevertheless, the Government of Pakistan has expressed
a strong resolve and determination to attain the MDG’s by 2015 despite these untoward
circumstances, as articulated by the Prime Minister in his opening remarks to the Planning
Commission’s fourth “Pakistan Millennium Development Goals Report” issued in September
2010.
The following section summarizes the current status of the progress of Pakistan with regards
to the MDG’s, as also illustrated in Table 1.1.
Table 1.1 – MDG’s Progress in Pakistan (Source: PMDGR 2010, Planning Commission of Pakistan)
34
Goal 1: Eradication of extreme hunger and poverty
According to the Pakistan Millennium Development Goals Report (PMDGR) 2010 poverty in
Pakistan decreased over the period from 2002 – 2006. However income inequality (as
expressed by the Gini coefficient) has increased. Various domestic and international
developments from 2007 onwards, particularly the global financial crisis and the deteriorating
law and order situation in the country, are the major reasons cited by the Government for the
removal of a large number of subsidies, which in turn pushed a higher number of people to
fall into poverty levels. The Report concludes that the goal of eradicating extreme hunger and
poverty would therefore be unlikely to be achieved since the Medium Term Development
Framework (MTDF) 2009-10 targets for the three indicators for Goal 1 have not been met.
Although not expected, “high growth, low inflation, and job creation” could help Pakistan in
getting close to achieving this goal by 2015. Table 1.2 displays the national performance as
regards Goal 1.
Table 1.2 – Pakistan’s progress on Goal 1 of the MDG’s (Source: UNDP Pakistan)
Goal 2: Achievement of universal primary education
This goal is measured by three key indicators, (a) net primary enrolment ratio; (b)
completion/survival rate of students from grade 1 to 5; and (c) literacy rate.
The net primary enrolment ratio of 100% by 2015 appears very unlikely given that it
remained below 60% by 2008-09, and would need to be increased by over 40% by 2015
compared to a recorded increase of only 16% over the last ten years.
Secondly, the completion and survival rate of students enrolled for primary education is
roughly 50%, a figure far removed from the interim target of 80% set for 2009-10.
Finally, with a 2008-09 literacy rate of less than 60%, the literacy rate target of 88% for 2015
set out by the MDG’s also appears difficult to attain.
35
Table 1.3 provides information about the indicators, targets and progress for Goal 2 of the
MDG’s.
Table 1.3 - Pakistan’s progress on Goal 2 of the MDG’s (Source: UNDP Pakistan)
Goal 3: Women’s empowerment and promotion of gender equality

There are four primary indicators for this goal, (a) Gender parity index for primary,
secondary and tertiary education; (b) Youth literacy GPI; (c) Share of women in wage
employment in the non-agricultural sector; and (d) Proportion of seats held by women in the
National Parliament.
Among the four indicators, the PMDGR 2010 describes the first two as being potentially
unachievable by 2015, presently, while “proper steps” needs to be taken to ensure the
fulfillment of the 14% target of women’s share in wage employment in the non-agricultural
sector for the third indicator. The fourth indicator has already been achieved with the share of
women’s seats in the Pakistani National Parliament being described as being among the
highest in the world. However, some critics have pointed out that this could be the result of
the creation of reserved seats for women based on political affiliations and does not
necessarily reflect the true essence of gender empowerment.
With only one indicator out of four on track, presently, it appears unlikely that Goal 3 related
to women’s empowerment and gender equality will be completely achieved by 2015.
Table 1.4 gives a more detailed view of Pakistan’s progress on Goal 3.
36
Goal 4: Reduction of child mortality
There are 6 indicators by which this Goal is measured: (a) under-five mortality rate; (b) infant
mortality rate; (c) proportion of fully immunized children of 12 – 23 months of age; (d)
proportion of 1 year-old children immunized against measles; (e) proportion of children
under five who have suffered from diarrhea; and (f) Lady Health Workers’ coverage of target
population.
Of the six indicators, Pakistan has made good progress on the last three, with the target for
the ‘proportion of children under five who have suffered from diarrhea’ having been achieved
ahead of time in 2007-08, and the ‘proportion of 1 year children immunized against measles’
and ‘Lady Health Workers coverage of target population’ on track. However as illustrated in
Table 1.5, the progress on the other three indicators, especially the under-five mortality rate
and infant mortality rate, is unsatisfactory and currently the achievement of their targets
appears improbable thus undermining the possibility of fulfillment of Goal 4.
Despite being highly challenging, some recent developments including the Seventh National
Finance Commission Award and the 18th Amendment provide some hope for better progress
in reaching the targets through increased government spending activities.
37
Goal 5: Improvement of maternal health
This goal is measured by 6 indicators, which can be broadly classified into; (a) Reduction of
the maternal mortality ratio, between 1990 and 2015, by two thirds; and (b) Achievement of
universal access to reproductive health by 2015.
While the maternal mortality ratio has declined over the past ten years, it further needs to be
halved to meet the MDG’s 2015 target. The indicator that measures the ‘share of deliveries
attended by skilled personnel’ actually went down to 41% in 2008-09 compared to the
previous figure of 48% in 2004-05. The 2015 target for this indicator requires that the
proportion of deliveries carried out by skilled attendants be over twice of the current value.
Other indicators such as ‘contraceptive prevalence rate’ and ‘antenatal care’ also show low
progress and remain considerably short of the MDG’s targets.
As displayed in Table 1.1, Pakistan is lagging behind in progress on all 6 indicators that are
being used to measure the ‘improvement of maternal health’. It is thus quite clear that
Pakistan will most probably not be able to meet most of the target specifics for Goal 5 by
2015, unless a tremendous amount of effort is made into their accomplishment.
Goal 6: Combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
Of all the eight goals laid out in the MDG’s, Goal 6 has the highest degree of
accomplishment. It is also the only Goal that the UN’s MDG progress tracking website,
“MDG Monitor” (http://www.mdgmonitor.org) has listed as “very likely to be achieved” and
“on track”.
38
Despite the fact that recent trends show an increase in the spread of HIV/AIDS, Pakistan is
still classified as a “low prevalence country”. Owing to the special attention by the
Government, it is considered likely that Pakistan will achieve the target of having halted and
begun to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS by 2015.
The percentage of tuberculosis cases detected and cured have increased from 79% in 2001-02
to 85% in 2008-09, enabling Pakistan to achieve the 2015 target (of 85%) ahead of time.
However it is necessary that attention is paid to the number of incidents of tuberculosis since
the numbers of cases have remained the same since 2001-02.
Serious attention needs to be paid to the cases of malaria and their effective prevention and
treatment mechanisms in order to fulfill the MDG requirement of 75% for the ‘proportion of
population in malaria risk areas using effective malaria prevention and treatment measures’.
The proportion of population using effective malaria prevention and treatment measures has
only risen by 10% (from 20%, to 30%, over 2001-02 to 2008-09), and needs to be more than
doubled to achieve the target.
Goal 7: Ensuring environmental sustainability
The indicators related to Goal 7, ‘ensuring environmental sustainability’, include the extent of
forest cover, protected land area reserved for conservation of wild life, GDP per unit of
energy use, no. of vehicles using CNG, access to safe drinking water sources, among others
as shown in Table 1.7.
Latest estimates show that forest cover in Pakistan has improved slightly in recent years from
4.92% in 2004-05, to 5.02% in 2008-09. However, the trend rates have remained largely
39
unchanged since then and great efforts would be required to meet the MDG target of 6%
forest cover by 2015.
The indicator related to extent of CNG use in vehicles has already been achieved and
Pakistan has been described as one of the largest users of CNG for transport.
Pakistan does face major challenges when it comes to reaching the MDG targets about
halving the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic
sanitation. The MDG’s require the proportion of people with sustainable sources of clean
drinking water to be 93%, which was 65% in 2008-09. Also, the proportion of people with
access to basic sanitation was at 63% by 2008-09, a long way from the 90% MDG target.
Lagging behind in progress on at least five of the total eight indicators for ‘Ensuring
environmental sustainability’, substantive and dedicated efforts are needed on an urgent basis
for the fulfillment of Goal 7.
Goal 8: Developing a global partnership for development
The final goal is related to ‘cooperation at the bilateral and multilateral level for realizing the
MDGs’. This is a very important Goal for a country with severe fiscal resource constraints,
since foreign assistance, in both monetary and non-monetary forms can help achieve all seven
of the other MDG’s. Recently, international assistance has increased and organizations
related to development are strengthening their presence in the country. Pakistan needs to
develop and make full use of strong and sustainable global partnerships to take advantage of
the global economy, new markets and thus help improve the living standards of its people.
40
Other social sector aspects16
In terms of Human Development Index (HDI) Pakistan ranks 142nd out of 182 countries; it
ranks 101st in terms of the Human Poverty Index (HPI), below Maldives, Sri Lanka, Bhutan
and India. The HPI concentrates on deprivation three essential elements of human life;
longevity, knowledge, and a decent standard of living. HDI focuses on education, health, life
expectancy at birth, child mortality, longevity, income, etc.
Over the years, Pakistan has adopted a number of poverty reduction strategies; the latest
being the Poverty Reduction Strategy Annual Plan 2010-11. The 2010-11 Plan entails pro-
poor expenditure amounting to Rs. 1,049 billion compared to Rs. 860 billion in the previous
year. The sectors for Government interventions include provision of productive assets (such
as distribution of state land, livestock and dairy development, support of small and medium
size business, microfinance etc.); human development and gender mainstreaming, including
education, health, water and sanitation; and provision of safety nets, including the Benazir
Income Support Programme (BISP).
Employment
Pakistan occupies 142nd position out of 200 countries; it has the third highest unemployment
rate in South Asia, after Nepal and Maldives. The gender dimension is highlighted by the fact
that women constitute 48% of the population but have only 22% of the jobs. Women
unemployment is greater in urban areas.
Government efforts to boost employment are pursued through implementation of PRSP II.
Education
The National Education Policy 2009 seeks to address a number of challenges other than
universal primary education, such as improvement in the quality of education generally and
that imparted by public sector educational centers at all levels, promote research in higher-
level institutions.
Health
Whilst committed to MDG Goals 5 and 6 related to improved child mortality and combating
HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, the objectives of the National Health Policy 2009
include provision of improved healthcare services, enhance competence and commitment of
healthcare providers, better health-related information and advice, adoption of appropriate
health technology, pay for the basic health needs of all citizens and reform the health
administration, including making accountable to the public.
According to the State Bank Annual Report 2010 (Volume I), Pakistan is unlikely to achieve
its goals under the MDG’s and the Medium-Term Development Framework despite the
increased allocation for health in 2010.
The abolition of several social sector federal ministries as a result of the 18th Amendment, the
situation regarding the implementation of the health, education and other policies in 2009 has
become uncertain.
16
Chapter 8 of State Bank of Pakistan Annual Report 2010 (Vol.I)
41
3.4. Contribution by the UN system to sustainable development in Pakistan
During the preparation of this Stocktaking Report, concise notes of activities undertaken by
the UN agencies were received. A summary of the inputs is set out below.
The UN has been supporting the government and people of Pakistan with policy support
since the late 1950s. Since then, the many UN Agencies (UNDP, UNIDO, FAO, UNICEF,
UNESCO and the UN Entity for Gender Equity have all participated in policy support and
capacity building.
The World Summit on Sustainable Development gave lead responsibility of carrying out its
mandate to the UNESCO (the United Nations Education and Scientific Society). Other than
its work in protecting world cultural sites in Pakistan, UNESCO is also contributing to the
Friends of Democratic Pakistan Task Force on Water.
UNICEF has been working in various water and sanitation, child care, nutrition and
education, child protection and social policy, research and evaluation. It has supported the
formulation of the Sanitation and Clean Drinking Water for All policies.
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has supported policy development in the
agriculture sector as well as capacity building. It leads in implementation of pilot and key
demonstration projects in the agriculture sector and has contributed to the formulation of the
Pest Management and Pesticide policies of Pakistan.
The UNIDO has worked, amongst other things, in strengthening Pakistan Clean Development
Mechanism capacity. The CDM cell of the former Ministry of Environment worked hard in
guiding applicants seeking “Carbon Credits” through investment in Pakistan.
The UNDP supported the Ministry of Finance with its Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper and
has assisted in the 2010 Millennium Development Goals Report. It has supported the
National Climate Change Policy as well as the development of others, such as the National
Forest Policy.
An overview of the UN’s experience in Pakistan, especially in policy development and

implementation, suggests that the UN is capable of assisting Pakistan in transitioning to a
green economy. The UN agencies have ability to reach out to Pakistani policy makers in all
sectors and to initiate a dialogue with them about their responsibility as stewards the
conutry’s economy and natural resources.
4. New and emerging challenges to sustainable development
4.1. Security
Restoration of internal security has become Pakistan’s No. 1 national priority in view of the
rapid increase in incidents of terror and violence throughout the country during the recent
past, especially since the tragic assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in
December 2007.
Although the country has held elections and faced myriad crises ranging from the food and
energy shortages in 2007 to the Great Flood last year, the escalating terrorist incidents all
over the country and ethnic-centred urban violence in Karachi and Balochistan, in addition to
terrorist attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the adjoining FATA region have caused untold
42
human and material losses and generated widespread fear, anguish and dismay. Sensitive
state institutions, police stations, city centres, mosques and shrines and schools have been
targets of terrorist attacks. Excepting the successful military action in Swat, by and large, the
terrorists have held sway, expressing the weaknesses of the security apparatus.
The origins of the violence enveloping Pakistan lie in a mix of internal failures and
inadequacies and external factors linked to the “war on terror” carried out by the US-led
Western alliance in the wake of 9/11. The costs of terrorism for the economy, the polity and
the society are enormous and cannot be calculated. While estimates prepared by various
organisations vary between 2500 and 3816 terrorists attacks are said to have take place in
different part of Pakistan in 2009-10, the majority in KP and FATA. Over 1275 lives were
claimed by 53 suicide bombing incidents. The direct and indirect costs of the “war on terror”
to Pakistan in 2008-9 are estimated at $ 6 billion. According to the Lahore-based Institute of
Public Policy (IPP), Beaconhouse National University (Annual Report) the cost of the war on
terror was $ 8.4 billion or equivalent to over 5% of the GDP for the year. The aggregate cost
of war since 2004-5, according to the IPS, was $31.43 billion, much greater than the amounts
provided by the donors in recognition of Pakistan’s position as the frontline state in the war
against terrorism and extremist elements.17
The 2009-2010 Annual Review published by the Karachi-based Social Policy and
Development Centre (SPDC) titled “Social Impact of the Security Crisis”18 comprehensively
addresses several aspects of the profound adverse effects of the deteriorating security
conditions on Pakistan on a range of social issues. Some key findings of the report are
reproduced below:
• “… The changing trend seen in the emergence of militancy, extremism, violence and
intolerance…also has its roots imbedded in the systemic failure both of institutions and
social development policies initiated by the Government.”
• “… Failure of the respective Governments in strengthening institutions, creating
employment, strengthening industrialization, addressing socio-economic disparity
mainly by controlling inflation, poverty and food insecurity, and ensuring quality
education and health-care, guaranteeing rule of law, have all created despondency,
violence and lawlessness. Some other factors impeding socio-economic development
are population explosion, sluggish economic development process, low human
development and inequality in resource distribution.”
• “Higher spending on security during war on terror has reduced public spending on
social services and caused a slowdown in the pace of social development.”
• Security crises have had widespread and huge adverse impacts on the key economic
sector of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), the worst affected province of Pakistan.
• The sectors showing declining rated of growth include agriculture, livestock, industry,
tourism, revenue collection as well as all the social sector areas including employment
• Socio-economic welfare at household level (poverty, employment, incomes, daily
wages, school enrolment and attendance, out-migration for extended periods) declined
markedly in KP and the adjoining Federally and Provincially Administered Territories
(FATA and PATA).
17
See IPS ‘Annual Report 2011, State of the Economy: Devolution in Pakistan
18
See executive summary of the report
43
4.2. Governance19
Recognition of the vital role of governance (or good governance) in ensuring the effective
functioning of democracy, in policy making on economic, social and environmental issues, in
the provision of justice, maintenance of law and order and overall security and the protection
of human and civil rights has featured prominently in the spirited public discourse on
Pakistan’s ever-growing spectrum of challenges.
There is consensus among analysts and the civil society that the state of governance, never
perfect, has witnessed unabated, indeed rapid, erosion during the recent past. It fails the tests
of responsiveness, deliverability and accountability. The fact that Pakistan now ranks among
the most corrupt countries of the world testifies to the seriousness of the situation and the
urgency of efforts to improve the state of affairs.
Whilst the country’s burgeoning bureaucracy is singled out for the most severe condemnation
on account of incompetence and corruption, the consensus among concerned citizens and
experts alike speak of the decay of all the three key organs of the state – the Legislature,
Executive and the Judiciary – along with various inadequacies in the fourth pillar, the large
and proliferating print and electronic media.
19
Dr. Ishrat Hussain article ‘ Retooling Institutions’, in Pakistan Beyond Crisis State, Maleeha Lodhi, ED,
Oxford University Press Pakistan. (ISN 978-0-19-906322-2)
44
Sector-centred analysis of governance focus on the nexus between governance and the
relevant area. Economists stress the role of competent and accountable management of policy
formulation, implementation and monitoring of the economy. They recall the heyday of the
Planning Commission during the Ayub era (1958-69) as the kingpin of economic decision
making and bemoan the steady decline of the institution in subsequent decades. Social sector
activists assert that the achievement of the goals and targets pertaining to education, health
and civil rights decisively depends on good governance. The poverty governance nexus is
constantly emphasized. Political workers and institutions seeking to promote parliamentary
institutions have produced incontrovertible evidence of the poor performance of members of
parliament such as absence from important debates, lack of contact with voters and proclivity
to indulge in unfair practices whilst seeking protection from legal processes, forging of
academic degrees to meet eligibility criteria for election, etc. The inadequacies and
malpractices of lower level judicial institutions are frequently identified as a serious public
issue. A variety of governance such as incompetence, poor framing, lack of equipped
absence of resources are mentioned in discussions on the inability of low enforcement
agencies to curb terrorism and other forms of violence.
Discussion on governance has led to thoughtful attempts to remedy the situation. The key
recommendations are noted below.
(A) Participation
• Uninterrupted democratic dispensation
• Devolution of authority to provinces, districts and local government units.
(B) Transparency
• Public hearing of readings of parliamentary committees; question and answer hours in
Federal and Provincial assemblies
• Freedom of Access to information (This has been promised under the 18th
Constitutional Amendment)
• Amendment of the Official Secret Act
• Introduction of e-government
• Investigations by competent and honest media
(C) Efficiency
• Civil service reform promoting merit, honesty and performance
(D) Accountability
• Better performance by Public Accounts Committee at Federal and Provincial levels
(E) Delivery and Basic Services

• Reform of institutions providing education, health, electricity, clean environment and
other amenities
• Strengthening of key institutions such as PIA, WAPDA, Pakistan Railways, Steel Mill,
PEPCO
• Review of the hundreds of statutory bodies that have mushroomed over the years
aiming at weeding out the failed ones and strengthening those with potential of better
performance
45
(F) Institutions of Restraint

Strengthening of key “institutions of restraint” such as
• Judiciary
• Ombudsman
• Anti-corruption institutions
• Auditor General
• Public Service Commission
• Securities and Exchange Commission
• NGOs, think tanks, civil rights organisations etc.
4.3. Demography
Pakistan is the world’s sixth most populous country. With an estimated population of 169.9
million (June 2009) and an annual growth rate of 2.05 percent, Pakistan will become the
fourth largest nation in terms of population by 2050.
With a median age of 20 years, Pakistan is a young country.20 An estimated 104 million
Pakistani are below the age of 30. This raises important questions regarding employment
opportunities, housing and sanitary habitat conditions.
Source: Pakistan Economic Survey 2010-2011.
In the 1980s, 52 percent of the population was “economically active” – that is, between the
ages of 15-64). As of 2004, there were 59 percent economically active Pakistani with this
20
Chapter on Population, Labour Force and Employment in Pakistan Economic Survey 2010-2011 (available
online at http://www.finance.gov.pk/survey/chapter_10/16_Population.pdf)
46
percentage set to rise to 68 percent by 2045 before beginning to decline. At current rates, the
young population of Pakistan will fall from 38 percent today to 23 percent by 2050.
As the proportion of the working population continues to decrease, that of the younger ages
(0-14 years of age) are decreasing. The proportion of elderly in the total population is
expected to show a substantial increase after 2045. In other words, Pakistan has declining
dependency ratio. The decline in the dependency ratio can affect per capital output as (i) the
number of producers surpasses the consumers; and (ii) there is an increase in savings that
make capital available for investment in both micro and macro levels.
The demographic trends in Pakistan also reveal a huge human potential. Vocational and
technical training can arm your Pakistanis with skills they can use both in the domestic and
foreign markets.
Pakistan is also an increasingly urbanizing population. Pakistan is the most urbanized city in
South Asia with urban populations comprising nearly 36 percent.21 The Planning
Commission’s Task Force Report on Urban Development22 highlights Pakistan’s urban
demography as under:
The urbanization in Pakistan is characterized by several distinguishing features. Firstly, the

urban areas have become major contributors to the national economy, generating and
diffusing growth across country. Urban areas contribute 78 percent of the country’s gross
domestic production (GDP). The rising per capita income in the country is mainly due to
increasing productivity of the urban economy. Secondly, the pattern of urbanization across
provinces exhibits large variation. Thirdly, more than half of the total population of the
country is clustered in and around eight cities i.e., Karachi, Lahore, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi,
Multan, Hyderabad, Gujranwala and Peshawar.3 The fourth important feature of urbanization
is an expanding middle class comprising young generation seeking skills and a better
lifestyle. The number of employed women is also increasing.
Twenty per cent of the urban population of Pakistan is under 25 years of age. As such,
urbanization has to cater to the needs of a young population. The social indicators of the age
group 15–25 years in urban areas have changed considerably over time. Literacy in this age
group, of both males and females, has increased between the inter-census years. Major
changes have also taken place in marriage patterns for this age group. In 1981 Census, 16.07
per cent men and 41.54 per cent women were married as opposed to 11.15 per cent men and
29.86 per cent women (28 per cent for Karachi) in 1998. Urban policies related to education,
entertainment, culture and recreation are required to cater to this changing population needs.
Important changes are also taking place in settlement patterns. In 1981, 38.8 per cent of
Pakistan’s population lived in three cities with population of over one million. In 1998, 49.7
per cent of Pakistan’s urban population lived in eight cities of nearly one million people.
Populations living in the cities ranging between 500,000 and 999,999 declined from 14.5 per
cent to 4.9 per cent but there was an increase in the population of the cities between 200,000
and 499,999 from 4.5 per cent to 9.1 per cent. Most of these smaller towns are located in the
21
Though some commentators, most notably Mr. Arif Hasan on the URC in Karachi, are of the view that the
definition of “urban” does not take into account millions of the population and that, in fact, Pakistan is almost
50 percent urbanized as of 2011.
22
Available at http://www.planningcommission.gov.pk/publications/task_force_report-06-05-2011.pdf
47
neighbourhood of the one million plus towns and along the National Highway. This means
that the government will now have to plan for urban regions, agglomerations and clusters
rather than individual towns and cities.
Migration to the urban areas is also increasing and has to be taken into consideration in
economic and land use planning. According to the 1998 Census, 10.8 million Pakistanis, or 8
per cent of the total population, were migrants. Over 63.7 per cent of them have migrated to
urban areas and 25 per cent of total migrants migrated to large cities like Karachi, Lahore and
Rawalpindi, where job opportunities are available. Thirteen per cent of the total migrant
population migrated to Karachi alone.
Given the above statistics, planners will be dealing increasingly with large and mega cities in
the next decade, especially those of populations of 500,000 and above and containing a large
percentage of migrants. Job opportunities if generated in the smaller cities will spread out
migration more evenly. This can be done by supporting local level production (crafts, foods,
small industries) trade, commerce and tourism through infrastructure, credit, advice and
public-private partnership.
There are important repercussions of growing urbanization in the country: one is the poverty
issue which centers on unemployment, absence of housing, education, health, transport and
security. Secondly, the lack of an environmental, social and economic ambiance in the
medium and small urban centers has forced the better educated and enterprising individuals
and communities to migrate to the larger towns and cities. As a result, towns have lost their
political importance. Thirdly, local trade and commerce, which are the backbone of the
economy, have been neglected in small urban centers and town.
The growing urbanization has also placed enormous demands on financing of urban
development activities. The local governments continue to depend on fund transfers from the
provincial governments and have not attempted to mobilize their own resources or attract
private sector investment. The provincial governments’ transfers can only meet salary costs
and little is left for new development. The existing legal framework (a mixture of local
government and development authorities) is unable to cope with challenges of large cities and
growing urban areas.
4.4. Water23
Pakistan, a “water surplus” country a few decades ago, is fast becoming a water stressed
country. “Water shortages”, according to a 2007 study “present the greatest future threat to
the viability of Pakistan as a state and a society.”
A number of factors have caused a reduction in the per capita availability of water. These
include:
• Population explosion;
• Increasing per capita consumption, especially by people in the urban areas;
• Economic growth and its adverse consequences
23
‘Running on Dry: Pakistan’s Water Crisis, Woodrow Wilson Center Washington DC (2009) available on
www.wilsoncener.org
48
• Wasteful practices in agriculture, such as archaic irrigation methods, wastage,

evaporation, seepage into the ground, leakages from poorly lived canals and channels;
reagre water shortage
• Seasonal variation in supply linked to the monsoons;
• Sea water intrusion due to low flows below Rotri and rising sea level resulting in
increased salination and contamination of groundwater.
Reduced availability per capita of water from 5000 cubic meters in the 1950s to 1100 cubic
meters in 2006 will have far reaching economic and social consequences, including
curtailment of additional water for Pakistan’s fast growing urban population.
Ominously, the tow main sources of water – glacier melt in the HKH high altitude regions
and the monsoons – being highly vulnerable to climate change. The net effect will be
reduction in the flow of water flowing through the Indus and the ground water.
Poor governance, policy deficiencies and widespread water-related corruption mark

Pakistan’s water management.
Agriculture consumes over 95% of river and groundwater, leaving only 10% or so for other
sectors and human beings. Groundwater is threatened by chemical inputs such as fertilisers
and pesticides in farming, pollution caused by tanneries and industrial production lacking
wastewater treatment facilities, intensive farming and cultivation of water intensive crops
such as sugar add to the supply and safety of drinking water. The determination in the quality
of drinking water in most Pakistani cities has reached alarming levels due to the dumping of
household, industrial and hospital waste in water ways and polluting groundwater, poor
maintenance of water purification plants, poor treatment of sewage, etc.
The health-related financial costs and loss of human lives, especially children dying from
water-borne diseases are mounting. According to much-quoted, World Bank study (2006)
health bills amount to Rs. 144 billion, equalling 2% of the Pakistan’s annual GDP. According
to research carried out by UNICEF, 20-40% of the hospital beds are taken up by people
afflicted by water-borne diseases including typhoid, cholera, dysentery and hepatitis.
The multiple factors for exacerbating water shortage and unabated deterioration in its quality
include a poorly designed National Drinking Water Policy, non-implementation of other
sectoral policies (agriculture, health, environment) with profound linkages with water
availability and safety, insufficient water storage capacity (150 cubic meters by capita).
Recommendations
A paper, commissioned by WWF Pakistan identifies key “elements of Pakistan’s National

Water Policy which will help in formulating a succinct sound water policy that will allow for
its optimal development and management of Pakistan’s water resources and assets”24.
The WWF’s recommendations are summarised below:

1. Given the “dramatic impacts” of climate change on water resources water should figure
in actions to adapt to those impacts (this recommendation has also been made in
24
‘The paper was written by Khalid Mohtadullah, renowned Pakistan water expert.
49
Pakistan’s Climate Change policy prepared by the now defunct Ministry of

Environment.
2. Drinking water and sanitation needs: water-related policies should seek to achieve
availability of water as well as sanitation.
3. Irrigation water: protection of the Indus River Basin infrastructure; adjustments of
sectoral inefficiencies; changing cropping patterns based on ground realities, market
trends and trade opportunities; improved delivery systems, establishing benchmarks for
minimum crop requirements and conservation measures are suggested.
4. Revisiting institutional and legislative framework based on better inter-sectoral
coordination and removal of legislative anomalities.
5. Water pricing to reflect the true economic and environmental values.
6. Farmers’ participation in water-related decision-making marking a major paradigm
shift.
7. Monitoring of quality of groundwater for safety in view of contamination of water by
chemical inputs and waster run off should be prescribed by law along with a water
quality improvement programme.
8. Rationalization of water zoning to address diverse hydro features.
9. Conservation through enhanced awareness, regulations and incentives.
10. Integrated flood control and drought measures to respond to increase in these water-
related incidents already experienced and feared to get worse thanks to climate change.
11. Science and technology: promotion of research in following water-related disciplines:
• Telemetry and hydrometeorology
• Assessment of water resources and measurements
• High altitude glacier, snow and ice hydrology
• Groundwater hydrology and recharge
• Management of waterlogging and salinity
• Water – harvesting
• Multiple cropping systems under water scarcity regimes
• Sedimentation of reservoirs and the safety of water related structures
• Soil and materials research
• Recycling and re-use
• Use of sea water resources
• Social and economic engineering aspects
• Capturing advances in allocative and technical efficiency in water
• Utilization of indigenous water knowledge and systems
• Estimation of virtual water and minimum agriculture enterprise water
requirements.
12. Efforts, especially storage, to address the seasonal variability of water flows in the
Indus system. Storing water through local ponds, micro-irrigation, tradition systems and
recharge facilities should be encouraged.
13. Recognition of water-energy nexus (hydropower potential) should be mainstreamed in
integrated water management policies/actions
14. Strengthening of water-related institutions.
4.5. Energy
Since 2007 Pakistan has faced a mounting electricity crisis caused by the widening gap
between supply and demand estimated at between 5000 and 7000 MW. The installed capacity
50
for producing electricity from various sources is estimated at between 17500 MW and 21000
MW, but actual production and supply has seldom exceeded 7000 MW. The crisis was
triggered by the problem of circular debt resulting from rising prices of imported oil and
Government’s subsidy for supplying electricity at prices less that the payments due to the
private sector electricity producers.
Widespread resort to “load-shedding” (interruption of supply) to address the shortage of

electricity generation has undermined all kinds of economic activities and disrupted health,
educational and other sector services. Increasing prices of imported fossil fuel severely
drained the balance of payments, led to increased energy costs and exacerbated inflationary
trends. The current crisis is a telling proof of Pakistan’s inability to utilize its enormous
potential of cleaner energy, especially hydropower.
The Government has embraced the goal of developing alternative, low-carbon source of
energy. It established the Renewable Energy Development Board (REDB) nearly a decade
ago and provided it some financial resources. But thus far, it has shown negligible progress.
There is enormous potential for the wind energy in Sindh estimated at 13000 MW.
Technology advances and economies of scale have brought down the prices of wind turbines
as well as solar energy panels and other equipment at the global level. This has made
investments in wind and solar energy more attractive than in the past.
There is consensus among Pakistani experts that hydropower electricity generation is, by far,
the best option for Pakistan, although the investments needed are huge and the projects take a
long time to be come operational. The Water and Power Authority (WAPDA) has announced
that seven hydropower protects producing more than 450 MW are expected to be completed
during 2011-12. Four projects with total capacity of producing 2507 MW are under
construction. In addition to producing electricity the hydropower projects will also ameliorate
the acute shortage of water storage and help bring additional land under cultivation.
Approval of the Diamer Basha Dam project – the largest ever development project in the
country and the largest RCC dam structure in the world – by the Government in July 2010
has been acclaimed as a significant breakthrough in increasing clean electricity. The multi-
billion $ project is expected to generate 4500 MW of electricity and augment water storage
by 8.1 MAF. The Government has provided Rs. 3.9 billion for land acquisition. The US and
the Asian Development Bank are expected to provide funding.
Meanwhile, the Government needs to resolve the circular debt problem in order to bring to an
end the economic costs and human hardships caused by “load-shedding”. Simultaneously,
efforts to enhance energy use efficiency through better transmission and delivery systems,
installation of smart meters, etc., as well as addressing of demand side issues need to be
redoubled.
A PowerPoint presentation made by Chairman, WAPD, to the National Assemnby Sub-

committee on Water and Power on 23rd June 2011 is attached as Annex II.
51
4.6. Food Security25
Food insecurity may cause unrest or even political instability. Persistent food insecurity may
cause conflicts, civil wars and can threaten the overall peace of a community, society, or
world depending on the extent and spectrum of hunger and poverty. Food (in)security is one
of the important manifestation of sustainable development in a society.
The term reflects the desire to eliminate hunger and malnutrition. The World Food Summit in
1996 defined food security as, 'when all people at all times have physical and economic
access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food to meet the dietary needs and food preferences
for active and healthy life'. This definition implies that food security has three pillars or
prerequisites i.e., physical availability, socio-economic access, and food absorption. Various
research studies reveal that in Pakistan the above mentioned three prerequisites are not met
for a significant percentage
In a report jointly released by UN’s World Food Programme and Sustainable Development
Policy Institute entitled, 'Food Insecurity in Pakistan 2009', it is observed that state of food
security in Pakistan has deteriorated since 2003 (SDPI 2010; SDPI 2004). The report reveal
that the conditions for food security were inadequate in 61 percent districts (80 out of
131districts ) of Pakistan. This is a sharp increase from 2003, when conditions for food
security were inadequate in 45 percent districts (54 out of 120 districts) of Pakistan. In terms
of population almost half of the population of Pakistan (48.6 percent) was without access to
sufficient food for active and healthy life at all times. Here it is pertinent to mention that
SDPI-WFP report was launched immediately before floods of 2010. The floods of 2010
might have turned another 4-5 percent population food insecure which means that more than
half of Pakistan is food insecure.
The report came up with substantial evidences that inter and intra provincial disparities
existed in terms of food security. FATA had the highest percentage of food insecure
population (67.7 percent) followed by Balochistan (61.2 percent), and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
(KPK) (56.2 percent). The lowest percentage of food insecure population (23.6 percent) is in
Islamabad. Among the districts, Dera Bugti which is otherwise known for Pakistan’s first
natural gas reservoirs and home town of Balochistan’s influential nationalist family the
Bugtis, had the highest percentage of food insecure people (82.4 percent) in 2010.
Balochistan has the maximum number of districts with worst conditions for food security.
The 20 districts of Pakistan with worst conditions for food security include 10 districts from
Balochistan, 5 from FATA; 3 from KPK; and 1 from Gilgit-Baltistan and Sindh each. The
number of districts from Balochistan in this category has doubled since 2003.
Dear Bugti, Musa Khel, Upper Dir, North Waziristan, Kohistan, Mohmand, Dalbidin, South
Waziristan, Orakzai, and Panjgur are the 10 districts with worst conditions for food security
in Pakistan.
Islamabad Capital Territory is the most food secure district of Pakistan. Among the top
twenty districts with best conditions for food security besides Islamabad, 14 districts from
Punjab and 5 districts from Sindh are included.
25
This section is based on a note written by Dr. Abid Suleri, Executive Director, SDPI.
52
There are two major sources of food; one is crop based while other one is animal based.
Physical availability of food is determined on the basis of 'consumption versus production' of
both animal as well as plant based food. The percentage of surplus food (aggregate of both
animal and crop based food) producing districts declined from 28.3 percent in 2003 to 17.5
percent in 2009.
This means that majority of districts in Pakistan are either relying on external food supply
either from domestic or international sources. This reliance occasionally creates disparity of
prices in food surplus and food deficient regions. At times, this also results in hoarding of
food leading to food price hike, thus taking food beyond the economic access of many. This
phenomenon is also supported by the observation that consumption of wheat in Pakistan
declined by 10 percent in 2009-10 due to lack of purchasing power. It can be safely assumed
that ensuring food security is much beyond increased wheat production.
Access to food was determined by Food Consumption Score (FCS), household income, child
dependency ratio, living conditions, food expenditures, market prices of food commodities,
and coping strategies. The percentage of districts with adequate conditions for reasonable
access to food was not very promising in 2003. Only 13.3 percent i.e., 16 out of 120 districts
had adequate conditions for reasonable access to food. However, this situation seems to be
further aggravated in 2009 when only 7.6 percent districts (10 out of 131) fell in the category
of having reasonable conditions for access to food.
Conditions of access to food in Balochistan have gone worst since 2003. In 2003, the 20
districts in Pakistan with worst conditions for access to food included 8 districts from KPK, 4
from FATA, 3 each from GB and Balochistan, and 1 each from Sindh and Punjab each. In
2010, this category included 16 districts from Balochistan, 3 from KPK and 1 from Sindh.
Provision of adequate conditions for reasonable access to food merits immediate attention of
policy makers and international community as 25 out of 29 districts in Balochistan, 5 out of 7
agencies of FATA, 12 out of 24 districts in KPK, 8 out of 23 districts in Sindh, and 5 out of
34 districts in Punjab has extremely poor conditions for access to food. It is pertinent to note
that 4 out of 5 districts with extremely low conditions for access to food in Punjab fall in
Southern Punjab.
With the increase in poverty, people spend more on food as compared to non-food items.
Within the poorest group, the average household's expenditure share on food has gone up to
61.6 percent in 2009 against 55.6 percent in 2005-06. The most common coping strategy both
in urban as well as rural areas is to rely on less preferred and less expensive food. The second
most adopted strategy is limiting the size of meals. Negative coping strategies lead to chronic
food insecurity.
The third pillar of food security i.e., food absorption was measured through state of
sanitation, drinking water, and female literacy rate. Only 9 percent districts (11 out of 120)
met prerequisites for reasonable food absorption in 2003, this situation got further
deteriorated in 2010 when only 7.6 percent (10 out of 131) districts in Pakistan met these
prerequisites.
One quarter of the total districts in Pakistan had extremely poor sanitation facilities where
more than 50 percent of houses were without toilet. Similarly, one quarter of the total districts
53
had extremely poor state of drinking water where more than 50 percent households had no
access to clean potable water.
All of the above-mentioned figures reveal that individual security in Pakistan has deteriorated
from 2003 to 2010. There are four levels of security, individual, national, regional, and
global. All four are interconnected and ignoring any one of them may threaten rest of the
three levels of securities. One can try to understand the insurgency and militancy in
Balochistan, FATA, KPK and 4 remote districts of Southern Punjab from food security angle.
Although there is no empirical evidence to prove that food insecurity is the only cause of
militancy in the above mentioned parts of Pakistan, yet it is an established fact that food
insecurity leads to violence and conflict, whereas violence and conflict leads to food
insecurity and poverty and this vicious cycles keeps on challenging the transition to
sustainable development.
Based on a similar report of 2003 SDPI has warned that KPK and FATA would be the
hotspots due to food insecurity-militancy nexus. In 2010 they warned that Balochistan and
Southern Punjab are also slipping out of our hands, individual security in these districts is
threatening state and regional security.
Coping with growing food insecurity is a daunting challenge for the government of Pakistan
that has to prioritize its limited resources amongst defense related expenditures (to curb
militancy); debt retirement; day to day administration; and public sector development
However, the potential militancy-food insecurity nexus cannot be ignored in Pakistan and
requires a change in paradigm where food insecurity should not be treated merely as a
humanitarian issue, but a national, regional and global security issue.
It is about time that a National Food Security Strategy must be evolved. The primary focus of
such a strategy should be ensuring food security in extremely food insecure districts.
Resources channelised to improve the food security situation at the local level are critical to
improve development and security at provincial, national and regional level. It looks like that
the country is paying its price for having neglected food security.
SDPI 2004: State of Rural Food Insecurity in Pakistan 2003, SDPI-WFP, Pakistan
SDPI 2010: Food Insecurity in Pakistan 2009, SDPI-WFP, Pakistan
The section is derived from Suleri Abid, Food for survival,

http://jang.com.pk/thenews/aug2010-weekly/nos-01-08-2010/pol1.htm#2
4.7. Disaster Management26
Climate change-induced disasters pose a major threat to sustainable development in Pakistan

in the wake of the Great Flood of 2010 and the recent flash floods in the coastal regions of
Sindh. The Great Flood which caused colossal destruction and human suffering affecting 20
million people were seen as confirmation of the dire warning of more frequent, longer
duration and more intense clime-related extreme events in South Asia in the future.
26
Based on information obtained from NDMA
54
Pakistan handled, with the active participation of Pakistanis within the country and the
diaspora as well as generous assistance of the international community, the challenges of
providing immediate relief for the victims of the flood. However, the phase of recovery and
reconstruction is likely to be more daunting and will test the Government’s will and capacity.
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) of Pakistan has formulated an

elaborate National Disaster Risk Management Framework in order “to guide the work of the
entire system in the area of disaster management”. It has been prepared through wide
consultation with all stakeholders in the country. The Framework has identified nine priority
areas for establishing and strengthening policies and institutions as well as capacities over the
next 5 years.
These are:
• Institutional and legal arrangements for DRM
• Hazard and vulnerability assessment,
• Training, education and awareness,
• Disaster risk management planning,
• Community and local level programming,
• Multi-hazard early warning system,
• Mainstreaming disaster risk reduction into development,
• Emergency response system, and
• Capacity development for post disaster recovery.
The roles of key national, provincial and local stakeholders defined in the Framework are:
• Integrate risk assessment in the planning and design stages of all new
infrastructure/projects,
• Assess vulnerability of people, infrastructure, assets and services related to their sector,
• Develop disaster risk management plans,
• Integrate vulnerability reduction measures in their programmes,
• Develop technical capacities of their departments/sectors to implement
• Disaster risk management strategies, and
• Allocate funds for disaster risk management in annual development budgets.
Additional tasks to be performed by the stakeholders include:

• Conduct post disaster damage and loss assessments,
• Organize emergency response as per the mandate of the department; and
• Organize recovery and rehabilitation as per the mandate;
The principles governing the framework are:

• Promoting multi-stakeholder, multi-sectoral and multi-disciplinary approaches,
• Reducing vulnerability of most vulnerable social groups,
• Strengthening community and local level risk reduction capacities,
• Combining scientific and people’s knowledge,
• Developing culturally, socially, economically and environmentally relevant
technologies,
• Strengthening sustainable livelihood practices,
• Acquiring specific capacities in view of the hazard-risk profile of the area and
country, and
55
• Working with other countries, and the international community to promote disaster risk
reduction.
The nine priority areas are to be addressed through a series of specific and costed activities
integrated in the Framework document. The total cost of the dozens of actions and activities
and the setting up of disaster management-related institutions over a 5-year (2011-15) is
estimated at $60.563 billion.
The Framework for Economic Growth Pakistan prepared by the Planning Commission and
approved by the NEC promises to “allocate adequate financial and other resources” for
implementing the NDMA Framework and the Medium Term Plan.
The National Climate Change Policy document includes a section on Disaster Preparedness
in its chapter 5 on Adaptation (to climate change) which lists over twenty “policy measures”
such as better coordination mechanisms among relevant parts of the government, better storm
draining capacity in cities, strengthening of early warning systems, disaster resilient
buildings, early warning and forecasting systems, compensation for victims, more disaster
resilient infrastructure, enhanced flood management etc.
4.8. Climate Change Challenges27
I. Pakistan’s Vulnerability to Climate Change
Pakistan is particularly vulnerable to climate change because it has generally a warm climate;
it lies in a world region where the temperature increases are expected to be higher than the
global averages; its land area is mostly arid and semi-arid (about 60 per cent of the area
receives less than 250 mm of rainfall per year and 24 per cent receives between 250-500
mm); its rivers are predominantly fed by the Hindu Kush-Karakoram-Himalayan glaciers
which are reported to be receding rapidly due to global warming; its economy is largely
agrarian and hence highly climate sensitive; and because the country faces increasingly larger
risks of variability in monsoon rains, large floods and extended droughts. Under the influence
of all these factors the Water Security, the Food Security and the Energy Security of the
country are under serious threat. Compounding these problems are the expected increased
risks to the coastal areas (these include Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city and the hub of its
industrial activity and international trade) and the Indus deltaic region due to sea level rise
and increasing cyclonic activity; to the mountainous regions due to glacier lake outburst
floods (GLOFs) and land slides; to the country’s scanty forests (less than 5% of the land area
is under forest cover) due to forest fires as well as reduced regeneration under rapidly
changing climatic conditions; to human health due to heat strokes, diarrhea, cholera, vector
borne diseases, etc.; and to human settlements due to floods and cyclones.
II. Major Threats (arising from likely Impacts on Water, Food and Energy
Security, Disasters etc.)
The important climate change threats to Pakistan are:

1. Considerable increase in frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, coupled with
erratic monsoon rains causing frequent and intense floods and droughts;
27
This section draws upon material provided by the Global Change Impact Studies Centre Islamabad
56
2. Projected recession of Hindu Kush-Karakoram-Himalayan (HKH) glaciers due to global

warming and carbon soot deposits from trans-boundary pollution sources, threatening the
volume and seasonal pattern of water inflows into Indus River System (IRS) with
consequential implications for storage of irrigation water and its supply for Kharif and
Rabi crops and for power generation;
3. Increased siltation of major dams caused by more frequent and intense floods resulting in
reduced reservoir capacity and consequential increased stress between upper and lower
riparian regions on sharing of reducing water resources;
4. Increased temperature resulting in enhanced heat- and water-stressed conditions,
particularly in arid and semi-arid regions, leading to reduced agriculture productivity;
5. Further decrease in the already scanty forest cover from too rapid change in climatic
conditions to allow natural migration of adversely affected plant species;
6. Increased intrusion of saline water in the Indus delta, adversely affecting coastal
agriculture, mangroves and breeding grounds of fish;
7. Threat to coastal areas due to projected sea level rise and increased cyclonic activity due
to higher sea surface temperatures;
8. Risks to various other vulnerable ecosystems such as mountainous areas (e.g. through
GLOF), rangelands, degraded lands etc.;
9. Increased health risks, in particular increase in risks of heat strokes, pneumonia, malaria
and other vector-borne diseases; and
10. Climate change induced migration caused by increased incidences of floods, droughts,
cyclonic activity etc.
The above threats are the cause of major survival concerns for Pakistan, particularly in terms
of the country’s Water Security, Food Security and Energy Security considerations.
III. Recent Climate Change related Extreme Events

(including the 2010 Flood)
A particularly worrisome impact of Climate Change is an increase in frequency and intensity

of extreme climatic events. Indeed there has been a significant increase worldwide in the
occurrence of such events and the devastation caused by them. Pakistan has been a major
victim of such events over the last two decades e.g. history’s worst drought during 1998-
2001; intense heat waves during 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2010; severe cyclonic storms in 2007
and 2010; heavy localized monsoonal rain spells causing urban flooding of Lahore (1996,
2011), Islamabad (2001, 2011) and Karachi (2009); heavy monsoon rains causing large scale
flooding in 1992, 2003, 2006 and 2010. The flood experienced during July/August 2010 has
been extremely devastating, resulting in about 2000 deaths, 10 million people made homeless
and damages to infrastructure, farms and houses estimated as about U.S. $ 10 Billion (ADB
& World Bank estimates).
IV. Pakistan’s Response (GCISC; PC-TFCC; CC Policy)
Since late 1980s the Pakistan Ministry of Environment and Ministry of Foreign affairs have
been actively participating in various international fora like IPCC, UNFCCC, Kyoto Protocol,
as is obvious from the fact that Pakistan served as Chairman of the Group of 77 plus China
during the negotiations at the 1992 Earth Summit and the 2007 Bali Conference. Some
relevant institutions in the country also participated actively in the Asian Development Bank
sponsored study: “Asia Least Cost Abatement Strategy (ALGAS)”, conducted during the
1990s (see report issued by ADB in 1998)” and in the preparation of the UNEP sponsored
57
1998 report “Climate Change and Impact Assessment & Adaptation Strategy for Pakistan”.
However, by and large, climate change related issues (e.g. relevant research, adaptation and
mitigation measures, awareness raising, incorporation of climate change considerations into
national development planning etc.) did not receive much attention until the turn of the
century. The situation has changed significantly over the last ten years:
a. In 2002 a research centre called the Global Change Impact Studies Centre (GCISC) was
initiated as a dedicated institution for climate change research and for providing
assistance to the national planners and policy makers for strategic planning in the wake
of climate change. This Centre has since developed a corps of climate change scientists
which, besides conducting relevant research and policy analysis, is also helping in the
capacity building of other relevant organizations.
b. In 2005 a high level body called the Prime Minister’s Committee on Climate Change
(PMCCC) was established as an overarching body for guidance on climate change
issues at the national level.
c. In 2008 the Planning Commission set up a Task Force on Climate Change (PC-TFCC)
to take stock of the national situation and make recommendations for a national climate
change strategy. The PC-TFCC released its final report in February 2010.
d. In September 2010 work was initiated on formulation of a National Climate Change
Policy (NCCP) and a National Climate Change Plan of Action (NCCPA) in the light of
the TFCC recommendations. The draft of NCCP has been finalized and is in the process
of formal governmental approval, while the work on drafting of NCCPA is in the final
stages.
e. In June 2011, while a number of federal ministries including the Ministry of
Environment were devolved to Provinces as a result of a constitutional amendment, the
climate change related functions of the Ministry of Environment and GCISC were
transferred to the Pakistan Planning Commission, thereby paving the way for better
assimilation of climate change considerations into national development plans.
V. Main Recommendations related to Mitigation and Adaptation
A number of measures have been recommended in the Final Report of the Planning
Commission’s Task Force on Climate Change and the Draft National Climate Change Policy
for addressing the required Mitigation and Adaptation effort in various sectors. Salient among
these are:
Water Sector:
ADAPTATION MEASURES: Increasing reservoir capacity to safeguard against floods and
droughts; improving efficiency of water supply and use in all sectors, most importantly in the
irrigation sector.
Agriculture and Livestock Sector:

MITIGATION MEASURES: Development and adoption of: (i) new methods of rice
cultivation that have lower methane emissions, (ii) new methods for reducing Nitrous oxide
releases from agricultural soils, and (iii) new economical feeds that reduce methane
production activity of cattle besides providing them with better nutrition. ADAPTATION
MEASURES: Development and introduction of new high yielding varieties of crops which
are drought tolerant, resistant to heat stress, less vulnerable to heavy spells of rain, and less
prone to insects and pests; development and introduction of better varieties of livestock
which would have higher productivity of milk and are less prone to heat stress and more
drought tolerant.
58
Energy:
MITIGATION MEASURES: Energy efficiency improvement at all levels in the energy
system chain; Implementation of energy conservation measures and use of energy-efficient
devices; adoption of modern more energy efficient industrial processes; reduction of
Transmission & Distributions losses; shift to Low Carbon Economy to the extent consistent
with the energy security considerations and provision of adequate energy to meet the
country’s socio-economic development needs; large scale use of various renewable energy
technologies; rapid development of hydropower resources; expansion of nuclear power
generation; acquisition and adoption of clean coal technologies such as Coal Bed Methane
Capture (CBMC), Integrated Coal Gasification cum Combined Cycle power generation
(IGCC), and CO2 Capture and Storage (CCS); development of mass transit systems in large
cities; greater use of CNG as fuel for urban transportation. (A number of these measures will
require major changes in the lifestyles of both urban and rural population.)
Forestry:
MITIGATION MEASURES: Aggressive afforestation and reforestation programmes with
plantation suited to the expected climatic changes. ADAPTATION MEASURES: Use of
gene banks, seed banks, zoos and botanical gardens for preserving genetic diversity and
conserving species out of their natural environment; preservation of rangelands through
proper rangeland management; increase of grasslands using appropriate varieties of grass in
saline and waterlogged zones to prevent their degradation.
Coastal Areas and Indus Deltaic Region:

ADAPTATION MEASURES: Provision of regulated flows down Kotri to conform to
minimum necessary environmental flows; restoration and protection of mangroves;
construction of proper engineering structures (like dikes and seawalls) to protect beaches and
other facilities along the coast.
VI. Major Constraints Impeding Implementation
Being a low-income developing country, Pakistan lacks technical capacity as well as

financial resources to undertake necessary climate change research and adequately address
related adaptation and mitigation issues. Following are the salient areas where these
weaknesses are appearing as major constraints:
Capacity for Research and Monitoring: Development of a cohort of professionals in

the field of climate change by getting a group of young scientists trained with the help of
reputable foreign institutions in fields such as regional climate modeling, watershed modeling
and crop growth simulation modeling; forecasting of seasonal and inter-annual climatic
changes and extreme events; monitoring of temporal changes in glacier volumes and land
cover using satellite imagery and GIS techniques; Expansion of meteorological monitoring
stations in various parts of the country, in particular in the northern mountainous areas and
over the Arabian sea adjoining Pakistan’s coastline, to the level recommended by the World
Meteorological Organization.
Mitigation Effort: Extensive use of renewable energy technologies (windmills, solar cells
etc.); introduction and use of Clean Coal Technologies (e.g. CCS, IGCC, CBMC); Use of
advanced nuclear power technology; Introduction and use of Mass Transit Systems in large
cities; Infrastructure development for large scale import of natural gas; Increase in
hydropower generation capacity; Large scale afforestation and reforestation activities.
59
Adaptation Effort: Sufficient expansion of large reservoir capacity; improving efficiency

of water supply and distribution in the irrigation system; development of capacity to deal with
disasters like floods, droughts and cyclones; construction of structures like dikes and seawalls
at strategic points on the coast.
VII. Recommendations for Way Ahead
• Increase public awareness on all aspects of climate change related issues; inform all
strata of the society how they, at their respective levels, may usefully contribute to
address various mitigation and adaptation issues.
• Sensitize national planners and policymakers on the likely national and regional level
climate change impacts and desirable medium to long term adaptation measures as
well as on the required national level mitigation efforts in order to win recognition as
a responsible member of the international community, thereby qualifying for large
scale international support.
• Allocate sufficient funds to the extent feasible within the country’s own limited
resources, to address climate change related capacity building, mitigation and
adaptation issues.
• On the basis of the above policies, effort and performance, seek international support
through various available options such as CDM, REDD+, GEF funding, International
Adaptation Fund etc., to undertake the required effort on capacity enhancement for
research and monitoring and implementation of various mitigation and adaptation
measures, as outlined in Section VI.
5. Green economy
5.1. The context
The concept of a “green” economy has become the center of global policy debate in recent
years. This increasing currency owes itself, “to a large extent”,28 because the concept of a
green economy provides a strong and plausible response to multiple global crises – climate,
food and economic.
There is no unique definition of “green economy”. It is “loosely” defined in Wikipedia as

“any theory of economics by which an economy is considered an component of the
ecosystem in which it resides.” UNEP however, has a good working definition; it defines a
green economy as one that results in “improved human well-being and social equity, while
significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities.”29
According to Karl Burkat,30 a green economy is based on six main sectors:

- Renewable energy (solar, wind, geothermal, marine including wave, biogas, and fuel
cell);
28
“The Transition to a Green Economy: Benefits, Challenges and Risks from a Sustainable Development
Perspective”, a Report by a Panel of Experts to Second Preparatory Committee Meeting for United Nations
Conference on Sustainable Development. A copy of this Report is available online at
http://www.uncsd2012.org/rio20/content/documents/Green%20Economy_full%20report%20final%20for%20
posting%20clean.pdf
29
UNEP (2010)
30
See http://www.mnn.com/green-tech/research-innovations/blogs/how-do-you-define-the-green-economy
60
- Green buildings (green retrofits for energy and water efficiency, residential and
commercial assessment; green produces and materials);
- Clean transportation (alternative fuels, public transport);
- Water management (water reclamation, greywater and rainwater systems, low-water
landscaping, water purification and stormwater management);
- Waste management (recycling, municipal solid waste salvage, brownfield land
remediation and sustainable packaging);and
- Land management (better agricultural practices, habitat conservation and restoration,
urban forestry and parks, reforestation and afforestation).
Nevertheless, there is still no widespread acceptance or international agreement on this term.

As a result, there are also common misunderstandings of what this term means. This section
is an attempt to review some of the literature on the subject and to describe the basic concept
of a green economy.
Martin Khor, Executive Director of the South Center, in his Preliminary Notes on the Green
Economy in the Context of Sustainable Development delivered at the Inter-sessional session
on Rio +20, 10-11 January 2010, stressed on the importance of not letting the phrase “green
economy” lose focus. Instead, he stresses that the concept of the green economy be “derived
from and rooted in the spirit, principles and operationality of [United Nations Conference on
Environment and Development] 1992” (the “Rio Conference” or “Earth Summit”).
The framework of the Rio Conference recognized and built upon, inter alia, the following
complexities:
- It recognized the global crisis presented by climate change and the necessity of deep
reform in global consumption and production patterns.
- It recognized the “sustainability principle” that sustainable development is
“development that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising
the ability of future generations to meet their needs”.31
- It recognized that developing countries had a “right to development” but, at the same
time, recognized the “precautionary principle” that development must be assessed
against the potential economic impacts it would have.
- It recognized that difference countries played a different role in the emission of green
houses gases and that the effect of climate change would be directly proportionate to
each countries contribution to global green house gas emissions. From this, the Rio
Conference also recognized that each country had “shared by differentiated
responsibilities” in adapting to and mitigating the effects of climate change.
The concept of green economy must be understood within this context and framework. It is
not a nebulous idea which idealistically suggests that development be environmentally
friendly or that it conserve natural resources, minimize pollution. However, it does recognize
that economic growth in the past decades has been accomplished mainly through drawing
down natural resources without allowing stocks to generate, and by allowing widespread
31
Section 2(xlii) of the Pakistan Environment Protection Act, 1997. This is the definition as employed in the
Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development (1987) and as approved by the United
Nations General Assembly Resolution 48/187.
61
ecosystem degradation and loss.32 The concept of a green economy very much understands
“ground realities”.
5.2. From environment to economics
UNEP (2011) suggests that the causes of concurrent global crisis in climate, biodiversity,
fuel, food, water and the global financial system all share a common feature: “the gross
misallocation of resources. During the law two decades, much capital was poured into
property, fossil fuels and structured financial assets with embedded derivatives. However,
relatively little in comparison was invested in renewable energy, energy efficiency, public
transportation, sustainable agriculture, ecosystem and biodiversity protection, and land and
water conservation.”
According to UNEP, an investment of $1.3 trillion a year, coupled with proactive national
and international policies, would also make big gains towards the eradication of poverty on a
global scale.33 Since a majority of the populations of developing countries depend directly on
natural resources, their livelihoods are linked to the fragile environment, lands prone to
degradation and water stress. By providing a means of adapting to and mitigating against
climate change; by making available solutions that fight against land degradation and which
promote rational water-use, the livelihoods of the world’s poor and vulnerable will not only
be protected, they can be important areas of global economic investment.
The Stern Review (2006)34 launched an international debate on the costs of adapting to and
mitigating the affects of climate change. The report postulated that the annual costs of
stabilization of CO2 emissions would be approximately 1% of global GDP. The Stern
Review thus moved climate change from the realm of science and into the realm of finance
and economics. Its findings made global economic managers look at the challenge of climate
change as something that could be invested in.
The World Bank is of the opinion that “A low carbon, resource efficient global economy is
possible and can be achieved by investing 2% of global GDP in ten sectors.”35 These sectors
include agriculture, buildings, energy, fisheries, manufacturing, tourism, transport, water and
waste management. Current modes of production and consumption in these sectors are
environmentally unsustainable and contribute to global green house gas emissions. To
respond to the challenge of climate change by transforming current modes of consumption
and production would involve, therefore, no less than a change in economic paradigm. In the
Summary of the Report by a Panel of Experts on the Transition to a Green Economy to the
Second Preparatory Committee meeting for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable
Development, it is recognized that “economic growth is always a process of structural
change”. The Report goes on to point out that any change in the pattern of production and
32
For example, global water supplies are growing scarce with water supply satisfying only 60% of world
demand in 20 years. Agricultural productions have increased due to use of chemical fertilizers, yet has
resulted in geclining soil quality and land degradation.
33
“Green Economy Developing Countries Success Stories”, UNEP (2010). An copy can be viewed online at
http://www.unep.org/pdf/GreenEconomy_SuccessStories.pdf
34
The Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change can be viewed online at
http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/+/http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/sternreview_index.htm
35
“The Green Economy: A Sustainable World is Possible” at
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/TOPICS/EXTSDNET/0,,contentMDK:22878100~menuPK:64
885113~pagePK:7278667~piPK:64911824~theSitePK:5929282,00.html
62
consumption “that must be put in place in the transition to the green economy” would be “no
less than a technological or industrial revolution.”
Jose Antonio Ocampo has pointed out that the technical revolution surrounding a green
economy is likely to differ from previous processes in the following ways: (1) Government
policy is likely to play a more central role as compared to industrial revolutions; (ii) given the
integration of the world economy, technological change will be a global process; and (iii) it
will take place under global intellectual property rights regimes such as TRIPS and the WTO.
Renewable energy is a good example of the opportunities in investments in the green

economy. Since $1.5 trillion of the projected total US$ 7 trillion global infrastructure
investment needed by 2020 will need to be energy, the Briefing Paper prepared by Project
Catalyst36 titled “From Climate Finance to Financing Green Growth” is quoted to give a
representative sample of initiatives in green economy taken by other countries is set out
below:
- India has put into place its National Solar Mission to expand solar generation to
20GW by 2022;
- Morocco plans to increase its renewable power generation from 1.5GW to 6GW by
2020; and
- South Africa has introduced its South Africa Renewables Initiative, which seeks to
benefit from tax revenue inflows that are expected to follow an ambitious scaling up
of renewable energy resources.
National economies are responding to the opportunities available in investments in green

economies. In the sections below, some examples of opportunities, risks and challenges
towards a green economy in Pakistan will be set out.
5.3. Debate/national consensus
Pakistan’s Initiation National Communication on Climate Change (2003)37 states, in its

Chapter on Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation, “Pakistan’s status as a developing
country dependent mainly on agriculture makes it particularly susceptible to the effects of
Climate Change.” It summarizes Pakistan’s vulnerability in the areas of water security,
energy and food security and is another clear example that, regardless of whether developed
countries shoulder their “shared but differentiated responsibilities”, Pakistan’s economy faces
many climate challenges for which national economic policy must be prepared. The Prime
Minister of Pakistan has underscored the economic cost of climate change and environment
degradation in Pakistan, which is estimated to be Rs. 1billion per day. LEAD Pakistan lists38
the following major climate threats faced by Pakistan:
- Water stress: Throughout Asia one billion people could face water shortages leading
to drought and land degradation by 2050. Already a water deficit country, Pakistan is
expected to face permanent reductions in water supplies.
- Food shortage: A critical irrigation supply is expected to emerge in Pakistan
contributing to project millions of tons deficit in grain production. With just 1C rise in
temperature, wheat yield is estimated to decline by 6-9%.
36
www.project-catalyst.info
37
A soft copy of which is available at www.environment.gov.pk/pub-pdf/Pak-inccc2003.pdf
38
See “Climate Action: The challenge of our times” at http://www.lead.org.pk/cc/attachments/L-
CAP_brochure.pdf
63
- Energy crisis: Already deficient in energy generation, being wasteful, having urban
bias and inequitable will further damages the prospects of Pakistan’s economy,
industry as well as the quality of human lives.
- Epidemic diseases: The principal impacts of climate change on health will be in the
form of epidemics of malaria, dengue, typhoid and other water-borne diseases that are
already causes of high levels of mortality in Pakistan.
- Disaster risk: Extreme climatic events are expected to increase the frequency and
intensity of calamities such as GLOFs, flash floods, mud slides, avalanches etc. and
thereby amplify the scope and scale of natural disasters in Pakistan. At particular risk
from these events are populations in marginal zones, coastal/maritime, mountain and
arid areas.
- Ecosystem degradation: Climate change will have a profound effect on the future
productivity, health and safety of Pakistan’s ecosystems and the flora and fauna
existing within these. The most affected are going to be coastal and marine
ecosystems, forests and mountainous regions with temperature rise between 2-3%.
- Mass migration: Large movements of people in search of food, water, shelter and
employment will place additional stress on economic resources and will cause
economic slowdowns.
Other than a few academic papers including, notably, by Shakeel Ahmed Ramay of SDPI,39
there is a dearth of materials dealing directly with a green economy in Pakistan. However,
this is not to say that the concept of a green economy is unknown in Pakistan. There has been
amply work done and awareness created in the field of sustainable development. Many
industries’ have found, on their own initiative, that their priorities align, broadly, with those
of a green economy. Water conservation in agriculture (whether in the form of better water
management or through more efficient tubewells), for example, is practiced and promoted for
conservation purposes while it achieves exactly the same outcome as would be considered in
a green economy.
5.4. Opportunities, challenges and risks
5.4.1. Opportunity: Common and differentiated responsibilities.
The Rio Declaration clearly understood that different nations had different historical
contributions to global greenhouse gas emissions. It also understood that countries that had
little or no contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions would be disproportionately
affected by climate change than others. These understandings underpinned the concept of
shared but differentiated responsibilities undertaken by the signatories to the Rio Declaration
and subsequently put into effect through the Kyoto Protocol.
Pakistan’s carbon footprint is relatively small as compared to global polluters USA or

European countries. However, Pakistan is listed 15th in a list of countries most vulnerable to
the effects of climate change.
In order to leverage its strength at the global level, Pakistan has allied itself with the G77 in
global climate change negotiations. By harnessing its voice to that of other developing
39
“A Profile of Pakistan Development Status and Green Economy in Pakistan” Shakeel Ahmed Ramay, SDPI
Working Paper Series #118, May 2011.
64
countries, Pakistan has been successful in having its case heard at the highest levels of
international diplomacy. Similar leverage is possible to lobby for green economy reforms.
5.4.2. Challenge: The environment versus development debate
Although the environment versus development debate has moved forward significantly, in
Pakistan it is still being argued over and the idea of sustainable development only now
beginning to develop traction. It is a common misconception that environment concerns are
opposed to development imperatives. This attitude reveals two interesting aspects. The first
is a misunderstanding of the concept of sustainable development.40 The second is a failure to
appreciate that development in the past few decades has been very resource intensive and
unsustainable.
5.4.3. Challenge: Staying on the environment path
A transition to a green economy involves changes in methods of production. Most

developing economies must balance their development goals, especially their energy
requirements, with sustainable practices. The example in Pakistan in the opportunity and
potential offered by the Thar coal reserves is case in point. Pakistan must fit its need for
energy within the context of protecting against CO2 emissions. It will be a challenge for
Pakistan to remain on the environment path while exploiting its energy potential.
5.4.4. Challenge: Financing the structural transformation
With a change to a green economy involving a process of structural economic reform,

existing stakeholders pose a risk of employing rent-seeking as a means to resist structural
change. Such actors must be shown the opportunities and incentives to changing their
methods of production.
5.4.5. Risk: Falling into a one-dimensional approach
If the environment versus development debate is not properly argued, it is a risk that all
environmental initiatives will get labeled as “green” or that all environment remedies will be
pigeonholed applied in a “one-size-fits-all” approach. Both risks ignore that each country,
the environment challenges it faces and the opportunities it presents are unique.
5.4.6. Risk: Inability to compete technologically
The structural economic transformation that green economies has its own implications. Since
the new technologies that will be needed to for these transformations will most likely
originate from developed/industrial countries, there will be challenges as to how these
technologies are disseminated. Developing countries run the risk, if not able to induce
technology transfer, to become dependent on imports. The challenge is to guarantee a
process through which trade patterns benefit all countries.
40
Section 2(xlii) of the Pakistan Environment Protection Act, 1997 defines sustainable development as
“development that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their needs.”
65
5.4.7. Risk: International environmental standards
There are series of risks linked to trade regimes. For example, countries may use
environmental standards as means of trade protectionism. Some might try and gain market
access through the guise of environment. In developing countries, these risks include facing
environment subsidies in developed countries without the means of imposing corrective
measures and technical standards that make export impossible. For example, one can
question how competitive Pakistani industry in value added textile or leather exports can
remain if harsh environment standards required heavy investment in new machinery and
waste disposal methods.
6. Institutional framework for sustainable development in Pakistan; recent

changes
Pakistan has not so far established a formal institutional framework for sustainable
development. As noted earlier, the Planning Commission has so far been the pivot of the
institutional mechanism for the formulation of 5-year and annual development plans and
other policy frameworks as well as the annual development plans. The Commission’s core
functions included monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of the major projects,
evaluation of the economic situation and coordination of economic policies which addressed
the gamut of socio-economic and lately environmental-related subjects.41
The Planning Commission is headed by the Prime Minister and its ministerial tier includes
the Minister of Finance and recently designated Advisor on Climate Change and
Development. The Commission comprises eights members dealing with planning and
development/coordination, implementation and monitoring, infrastructure, science and
technology, food and agriculture, energy and social sector. The 8th member serves as chief
economist.
The two main institutions for taking decisions on economic and financial matters since the
1960’s are the National Economic Council (NEC) presided over by the head of state or
government and comprising several sectoral ministers, the Executive Committee of the
National Economic Council (ECNEC). These bodies are mandated to approve the annual and
five-year plans and other policy frameworks of major projects.
Alongside the federal institutions, the four provinces also set up planning and development
departments (PDD’s) which undertook preparation of annual development plans covering all
socio-economic sectors, infrastructure, security etc. and served as provincial focal points for
the NEC and ECNEC. The functions of the PDD’s in all the provinces were largely similar.
An apex body for addressing climate change related topics which was established nearly a
decade ago but has had limited impact is the Prime Minister’s Committee on Climate Change
with a membership including half a dozen ministers. Some statutory bodies such as WAPDA
have established climate change units.
The institutional structure at both the federal and provincial levels has been drastically altered
in the last three years. The two major changes in the structure of the Government are the 7th
41
66
National Finance Commission Award (NFC Award) in December 2009 which came into
effect in July 2010 and the 18th Amendment to the Constitution signed into law in April
2010.42
Prior to the 18th Amendment, the allocation of subjects between the federal and provincial
tiers was spelt out in the Fourth Schedule. The Fourth Schedule contained the Legislative List
(consisting of two parts, Part I and Part II) listing functions that were the exclusive
responsibility of the Federal Government. The Concurrent Legislative List, which was also
part of the Fourth schedule, listed a dozen or so functions that could be performed by either
level of Government. In practice, some of the functions were performed simultaneously, both
at both federal and provincial levels, including health, environment, and education.
The 18th Amendment has eliminated the Concurrent List and made changes in the Federal
List. As a result, twenty federal ministries, including those dealing with culture, education,
environment, food and agriculture, health; labor and manpower, livestock and dairy
development population welfare, social welfare and special education, tourism, women and
youth affairs were abolished and their functions devolved upon the provincial governments
and assemblies.
The 18th Amendment placed a number of functions, such as national planning and national
economic coordination, census, and some security-related functions under the joint
responsibility of the Federal and Provincial Governments to be performed through the
Council of Common Interests (CCI) comprised of high ranking officials according to its
amended composition. The role and functions of CCI have been redrawn. The Council’s
expanded functions will include, in addition to some of the subjects from the former
Concurrent List but also some of the subjects from the Federal list as well. The enlarged list
includes major ports, electricity, all regulatory authorities, national planning, public debt,
standards of higher education and inter-provincial matters and coordination.
The NEC has been strengthened, with enhanced top-level provincial representation.
The 18th Amendment protects the key features of the 7th NFC which preceded it by stating
that the share of the provinces in each Award of the National Finance Commission shall not
be less than the share given to them in the previous Award. The Federal Finance Minister and
the Provincial Finance Ministers will monitor the implementation of the Award.
The 7th National Finance Award43
Hitherto the federal government collected 92% of tax revenues; the provinces raising the
remaining 8%. The federal government had until the 7th Award claimed the bulk (72%) of
public expenditure funds.
The latest NFC Award drastically amended the allocation of the federal pool of tax revenues
between the federal and provincial governments. It increased the share of the provinces from
46.75 to 56% in the first year and 57.5% in the remaining three years of the Award.
In addition to the share of the tax revenues, the provincial governments had also received
grants and direct transfer of funds. These transfers will continue under revised formulae.
42
See IPS ‘Annual Report 2011, State of the Economy: Devolution in Pakistan’ www.ippnu.org
43
See IPS ‘Annual Report 2011, State of the Economy: Devolution in Pakistan’ www.ippnu.org
67
Unlike the past when population served as the sole basis of division of tax revenues among
the provinces, the 7th NFC allocations are calculated on the basis of multiple criteria,
including poverty/under-development, inverse population density and revenue
generation/collection.
The sharp reduction in the share of the federal government out of the tax revenues will have a
number of consequences, including the need for rationalizing/curtailing the federal public
sector development programme (PSDP) in order to adjust to the reduced resources and the
need for effective oversight of how the provinces spend the enhanced funds. The provinces
will have to make greater efforts to exercise financial discipline as well as mobilize resources
through provincial taxes and charges in order to pay for the additional functions accruing to
them from the devolution of the federal ministries.
The 18th Constitutional Amendment and the 7th NFC Award have been widely welcomed,
especially by the smaller provinces as heralding a new phase of democratic decentralization
and provincial autonomy. Given that the NFC Award preceded, and was not evolved on the
basis of the structural changes enshrined in the 18th Amendment, especially the transfer of a
large number of functions to the provinces, it is unclear whether the provinces will be able to
bear the financial burden of coping with a larger quantum of responsibilities.
The 18th Amendment has been criticized for undermining Pakistan’s ability to perform its
international obligations flowing from ratification of multilateral agreements and
participation in global summits. Citing the fact that in almost all countries with federal
dispensations there exist small but highly efficient federal offices dealing with coordinated
follow-up of the principles, norms and legally binding commitments adopted by multilateral
fora, demands have been made for similar arrangements in Pakistan.
The Implementation Committee charged with the implementation of the 18th Amendment is
cognizant of this and has taken a number of decisions for ensuring that Pakistan’s obligations
under multilateral agreements and arrangements are not jeopardized.
As regards global environmental issues, efforts are underway for maintaining consistency and
continuity in Pakistan’s active role in the conferences of parties of MEA’s, including the
climate change and Biodiversity Conventions, and participation in the ongoing crucial
negotiations on climate change.
It is necessary to note that during recent month’s suggestions for institutional arrangements
for dealing with climate change-related issues were formulated and in fact submitted to the
federal government for approval.
The report of the Planning Commission’s Task Force on Environment issued in February
2010 which described the serious adverse impacts of climate change on Pakistan’s water,
food and energy security, health and disaster management and recommended measures on
mitigation and adaptation measures also proposed an institutional mechanism for handling
climate change-related activities.44
44
Hard copy available copy available with author
68
Subsequently, the now abolished Ministry of Environment drafted a comprehensive National

Climate Change Policy in April 2011 which was approved by the Minister for Environment
and submitted to the federal cabinet for final approval. (The fate of that policy framework is
unclear.)45
The Climate Change Policy document included a section on “Policy Implementation

Mechanism” proposing the setting up of “Climate Change Policy Implementation
Committee’s” at the federal and provincial levels to coordinate the implementation of the
Climate Change Action Plan’s formulated by the federal and provincial governments. The
National Climate Change Policy Implementation Committee was to be chaired by the
minister of the ministry serving as the country’s focal point for climate change; other
members were the secretaries of ministries for climate change, planning and development,
foreign affairs, industries and production, finance, water and power, food and agriculture,
health and defense, senior planning and development and environment officials of the
provincial governments, chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority/Federal
Flood Commission, Secretaries of provincial governments and areas without provincial
governments, heads of the Meteorology Department, Chief Economist of the Planning
Commission as well as experts and civil society representations. Smaller but similar outfits
were suggested for implementation at the provincial level.
As suggested in the aforementioned document, the two tier implementation committees were
to meet bi-annually, with the National Committee reporting to the Prime Minister’s
Committee on Climate Change.
The Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), Islamabad, issued a policy paper on
“Institutional Arrangements for climate change in Pakistan” in July, 201146. The paper
recommended the “revival and revitalization” of the Prime Minister’s Committee on Climate
Change (PMCC) as the “primary actor” in the new institutional arrangement. The committee
members were chosen on the basis of the key sectors “likely to be severely impacted by
climate change” or capable of contributing to mitigating and adapting to those impacts.
Accordingly, the members were to be drawn from, in addition to the federal ministries of
water and power, food and agriculture, science and technology, environment, the Deputy
Chairman of the Planning Commission and Special Advisor to the Prime Minister, Ministries
of Foreign Affairs, finance and revenues, health, population welfare, the National Disaster
Authority and the Chief Minister’s of provinces. The Global Change Impact Study Centre
(GCSC) – the sole climate change-related scientific research institution in the country – was
slated to host the secretariat of the PMCC which was envisaged to meet biannually.
The SDPI paper defined the core functions of the PMCC as the apex mechanism to “direct
the country’s response to the climate change, including the identification of priority areas,
initiation of large-scale projects, articulation of the country’s position and overseeing the
work undertaken by other bodies in the institutional structure”, comparable to the NEC.
The SDPI paper also recommended the creation of a National Authority on Climate Change
(NACC) to serve as “the nerve centre in formulating and overseeing Pakistan’s response to
climate change functioning under the PMCCC. NACC, to be headed by a senior official with
the rank of a Minister of State will comprise separate units on mitigation, adaptation, energy,
45
Hard copy provided by former Ministry of Environment.
46
www.sdpi.org
69
REDD+, international negotiations and research and development. The paper lists the
functions of the units dealing with mitigation, adaption, REDD+ and technology.
The establishment of provincial Climate Change Cells to function according to national

guidelines and implementing activities on adaptation and mitigation was also suggested.
The third institutional mechanism proposed in the SDPI paper is the National Development
and Mitigation Council which will supplant the existing Clean Development Mechanisms
(CMD) cell and subsume its role for encouraging the development of, and giving the host
country approval for, projects submitted for approval to the Executive Board for the Clean
Development Mechanisms. The Council’s members will include Secretaries of ministries of
foreign affairs, industries, commerce, planning, agriculture, science and technology as well as
representatives of heads of all chambers of commerce and industry and the energy, transport,
agriculture, forest and industrial sectors.
The SDPI paper proposes a fourth climate change mechanism called the ‘National Climate
Change Fund’ to carry out crucial functions for ensuring Pakistan’s access to funds from the
financial arrangements agreed during the on-going climate change negotiations, including
oversight, resource utilization and mobilization of additional resources, standard setting for
climate change-related programmes and projects, ensuring accountability and monitoring and
evaluation.
Concluding Remarks
Consideration of, and decisions on, institutional arrangements for climate change must
necessarily await the crystallization of the situation following the profound, indeed
“cataclysmic” implications of the 18th Amendment. The Government will need to decide
whether it would be better to erect an institutional edifice exclusively for climate change or to
integrate climate change-related imperatives into a sustainable development architecture
given the nexus between climate change and development. This process is likely to be both
time-consuming and arduous.
70
Annex I
Background
Pakistan’s national preparatory process for the UN Conference on Sustainable

Development (UNCSD), also known as Rio + 20
The UN General Assembly decided (Res 64/236 adopted on 24 December 2009) to organize
the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) in Rio (Brazil) in 2012.(
Subsequently it was agreed that UNCSD will be held on June 4-6, 2012.) The Conference is
expected to be attended by heads of state senior Government officials and representatives of
the UN System and all relevant stakeholders within and outside member states, including the
international financial institutions (All relevant information on the conference is available on
http:// www.uncsd2012.org For information on the activities of non-state stakeholders visit
www.earthsummit2012.org).
The objective of the Conference is to secure renewed political commitments for sustainable
development, assess the progress to date and the remaining gaps in the implementation of the
outcomes of the major summits on sustainable development, and address new and emerging
challenges.
The UNCSD will focus on two themes: (a) green economy in the context of sustainable
development and poverty eradication, and (b) the institutional framework for sustainable
development.
The preparatory process for the UNCSD is being handled, at the UN HQ level, by a
secretariat led by Mr. Sha Zu Kang, Under Secretary General, UN Department of Economic
and Social Affairs (UNDESA), and driven by member states through a 16-member Bureau
representing all regions. The Preparatory Committee of the Conference (PrepCom) has held
two sessions in May 2010 and March 2011; the third, and last, PrepCom will be held just
prior to the Conference. The first intersessional preparatory meeting was held in January
2011; the second is scheduled to take place in January 2012; the third and last is slated for
March 2012.
A series of regional meetings addressing the two themes have been held or are being
organized. The Regional Preparatory Meeting for the Asia Pacific Region will be convened
by the Bangkok based Economic and Social Commission for Asia Pacific (UNESCAP) in
Seoul on 19-20 October 2011.
UN General Assembly Resolution 64/236 on the convening of the UNCSD encourages

“…the active participation of all major groups… at all stages of the preparatory process”
(Para 21).
Pakistan is one of the developing countries which is being supported by UNDESA (Division
of Sustainable Development), UN HQ, New York in undertaking their national preparations
and has, in consultation with the Government of Pakistan appointed Ambassador (R) Shafqat
Kakakhel, ex-UN Assistant Secretary General/Deputy Executive Director, UN Environment
Programme ,to assist in facilitating multi-stakeholder consultations on the objective and
themes of the UNCSD.
71
The preparatory process for which Ambassador (R) Shafqat Kakakhel is responsible
comprises three consecutive and interlinked phases noted below:
(1) The preparation of the stocktaking report on the policies adopted and actions taken by
Pakistan since the Rio Summit in 1992 to promote sustainable development, based on
desk research and interviews with key stakeholders, including Government and major
groups, the UN entities and other multilateral partners in Pakistan and review of
relevant documentation of national strategies, plans, policies, capacity needs
assessments, etc.
(2) Holding multi-stakeholder consultations on the objectives and themes of the UNCSD;
and preparing a report on their outcome; and
(3) Preparing a national report synthesising the contents of the stocktaking report and
outcome of the stakeholder consultations, to be submitted to UNDESA and the
Government of Pakistan as a contribution to the national delegation in their preparation
to attend the Rio+20 Conference.
The national report is meant to identify the key issues and barriers to addressing the objective
and themes of UNCSD from the perspective of government, major groups and donors;
propose institutional arrangements for sustainable development, in the context of the present
situation, experiences gained and the aspirations of the country. The national report should
aim at providing a number of recommendations for the UNCSD.
The Government of Pakistan has established an Advisory Group comprising senior officials
of the Federal Government and representatives of major groups, including non-governmental
organizations (NGOs) which have been engaged in activities aimed at promoting sustainable
development in Pakistan. The Advisory Group is envisaged to provide inputs and guidance
for the documentation being prepared as part of the national preparatory process.
The UN system in Pakistan established a Task Force for providing inputs on their
contributions to sustainable development in the country.
UNDP country office for Pakistan and the Sustainable Development Policy Institute(SDPI)
have agreed to jointly convene multi-stakeholder consultations in Karachi (6th September
2011 at the Institute of Business Administration (IBA), City Campus, Karachi), Lahore (9th
September 2011 at the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS)) and in
Islamabad through a national workshop on 12-13 September 2011 at Best Western Hotel. The
UNDP country office is providing funding whilst the SDPI has extended substantive and
institutional support for this phase of the preparatory process.
Objectives of the multi-stakeholder consultations
The objectives of the consultations are:

i) To help build national capacity to engage more fully in the Rio+20 process as well as to
ensure continuing efforts to implement the outcomes of the Conference.
ii) To facilitate discussions, among the stakeholders, aimed at a consensus on a national
assessment of progress in sustainable development to-date, the remaining gaps,
experiences and opportunities pertaining to the themes of the UNCSD in the context of
the present situation, experiences gained and the country’s aspirations.
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Annex II
Contributions provided by United Nations Agencies, Funds and Programs in

Pakistan
Concise Note on
Food and Agriculture Organization of United Nations

Support to Pakistan in area of Sustainable Agriculture Development
FAO has been working in Pakistan since September 7, 1947. The first agreement between
FAO and the Government of Pakistan (GOP) was signed on June 17, 1951 for the provision
of technical assistance in agricultural policy and planning. Since then FAO has supported the
Government of Pakistan through implementation of 573 projects providing support for policy
development, capacity building and implementation of pilot and key demonstration projects
to the value of USD 314 million. Within its mandate FAO has also been supporting
government of Pakistan in the sustainable development of agriculture, forestry and fisheries
sectors.
FAO's interventions reflect the country's priorities through the years. In the early 1950s, FAO
provided assistance in building and strengthening the national agricultural infrastructure,
particularly in irrigation, on which most of Pakistan's agriculture system relies. The following
decades saw a dynamic FAG-GoP collaboration for rural development, poverty reduction and
food security, especially in upgrading and strengthening of research, training and extension
services, and enhancement of staff capabilities in planning and policy making. In recent
years, FAO has expanded its focus on sustainable agriculture through efficient natural
resource management, bio diversity and gender mainstreaming.
The main areas of FAO support are described below.
1. Integrated Pest Management:
FAO Pakistan offered a unique opportunity to strengthen the concept of participatory Farmers
Field Schools (FFS) approach through “FAO-EU IPM Programme for Cotton in Asia”.
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) which changes pest management practices from routine
spraying to other management technique to try and reduce if not eliminate the use of harmful
pesticides, has been a beacon of light for farmers in the last decade and continues to be a
source of livelihood improvement.
The FAO-EU Programme had perhaps its greatest impact in Pakistan. The country did not
have previous experience with IPM field schools, and yet, as of 2004, the two main cotton
producing provinces, Sindh and Punjab, embraced IPM farmer field schools as the dominant
interface between government and farmers. Sindh Province also included FFS expertise in the
job description of its agricultural officers, and Punjab launched a major programme
expansion initiative to conduct 3,500 year-long FFS in cotton-wheat management.
The programme helped establish a strong National IPM Programme which not only became
the joint implementing unit for the EU and ADB funded projects, but also addressed pesticide
policy issues with ministerial decision-makers. Despite a powerful pesticide industry, the
country embarked upon its own 5-year National IPM Project.
73
2. Assistance in development of Pesticide Policy:
FAO assisted Government of Pakistan in the development of “Policy and Strategy for
Rational use of Pesticides in Pakistan”.
3. National Forest Programme Facility:
FAO through The National Forest Programme Facility (NFPF) assisted the forestay wing
of the Ministry of Environment in the development of the forest polices in line with the
national priorities and internationally agreed principles (country leadership, participation
and integration of cross sectoral issues).
Under the facility following studies were completed in Phase -1.
1. Raising awareness on forestry issues and the development of a communication

strategy on forestry and related issues.
2. Multi-sectoral Dialogue to Review National and Provincial Forest Laws toward legal
reforms for 21st Century.
3. Developing a Strategy for the Establishment of Public Private Partnership in the Forest
Sector of Pakistan
4. Development of Vision 2025 for Forest Biodiversity Conservation in Pakistan
5. Compensation Mechanism to owners, right holders and forest users in lieu of ban on
commercial harvesting
6. Development of Methodology for Valuation of Forest Products and Services in
Pakistan
7. Compensation Mechanism to owners, right holders and forest users in lieu of ban on
commercial harvesting
4. Pollinator-friendly Best Management Practices:
FAO through regional project “Conservation and Management of Pollinators for Sustainable
Agriculture through an Ecosystem Approach (EP/GLO/301/GEF)” has been promoting the
concept of Pollinator-friendly Best Management Practices through STEP (Study, Training,
Evaluation and Promotion) approach and also building the capacity of the farmers in
Conservation and management of pollination services. The project has so for catalogued 56
insect pollinators for various crops in Pakistan. STEP sites are established in Ghora Gali and
Mungawala. Training manual for facilitators in conservation and management of pollination
services are developed and also devised Pollination Information Management System for
Pakistan.
Concise Note On
United Nations Development Programme
Support to Pakistan
1. Pro-Poor Policy Support
National capacities to develop monitor and implement pro poor policies at the
national and sub-national levels contributing to the attainment of gender
equality and MDGs.
74
Policy Level Support: The Ministry of Finance was supported in the development of
Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper II and then monitoring its roll out at the provincial level.
The Government was also supported in the preparation of the 2010 National MDG Report.
At the community level, the livelihoods of more than 50,000 families were improved through
the creation of assets and enhancing capacities in Punjab and Balochistan. More than 30,000
hectares of saline lands were converted into productive lands making a significant dent on the
food security situation in the target areas. Livelihoods recovery support was also extended to
the conflict and floods affected areas of Pakistan. Strong partnerships were developed and
sustained at the federal and provincial level as evident from the quantum of cost sharing
contribution mobilized from the Government.
Capacity building Support: To develop, monitor and implement pro-poor policies at the
national and sub-national levels has resulted in the adoption of district-wise Indices of
Multiple Deprivations, which have been institutionalized by the Government of Punjab. This
led to a more evidence-based and results oriented strategic development planning and
assessment of effectiveness of social sector investment at the district level. The concept and
methodology are being replicated in other provinces (i.e. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa – KPK).
Partnerships with Private Sector & Local Communities: UNDP successfully

demonstrated partnerships with the private sector in Pakistan through two initiatives, one
with the dairy companies and the other with the textile industry. These initiatives were
nationally and internationally acknowledged as best models for replication and up-scaling.
The deterioration in law and order situation posed a serious challenge to the implementation
momentum of the projects especially in the rural areas of Balochistan and Punjab. However, a
community led approach relying on local capacities and communities’ involvement ensured
the uninterrupted implementation at the field level.
Gender Support: The Gender Equality initiatives realized significant gains in empowering
women and mainstreaming gender as a key development concern on national development
agenda. Key achievements include: (a) capacities of Government officials, civil society and
private sector partners strengthened to undertake gender sensitized development planning at
national and sub-national levels; (b) national and provincial level public sector training
organizations’ curricula sensitized on gender based planning, monitoring and evaluation
processes and techniques; (c) innovative practices introduced for women’s economic
empowerment through public-private partnerships in livestock and garment sector; and (d)
transparent, accessible and affordable justice system using an Alternate Dispute Resolution
mechanism, institutionalized at the local level for providing legal empowerment to women.
2. Disaster and Risk Management
Operationalization of National disaster and risk reduction response systems.
NDM Framework: The National Disaster Management Act 2010 reinforced the need for
establishment of the National Disaster Management System. Seven disaster management
authorities (four provincial, one state, one regional, and one agency level) are functional and
UNDP has provided capacity building support to the disaster management authorities. Policy
advocacy has resulted in the Planning Commission of Pakistan to mainstream the Disaster
Risk Reduction Check-lists (for the infrastructure, social and production sectors) into the
development planning process. Another landmark achievement is the adoption by the
75
Government of climate risk mitigation efforts, such as bio-engineering techniques for

stabilizing landslides.
Livelihood Support Programme: Livelihood opportunities for refugee affected as well

as crisis and flood-affected communities have been enhanced through skill development and
distribution of assets to create employment opportunities in the remotest and poverty stricken
areas of the country. An area-based approach has been adopted through ongoing programmes
where livelihood, governance, disaster reduction and community infrastructure have been
addressed for targeted villages. UNDP’s flexibility to respond to situational context and
changes, e.g. natural disasters or other crises remains a major comparative advantage.
UNDP’s practice of demonstrating effectiveness of interventions, results and impacts through
pilot projects has helped raise government ownership and mobilize resources for replication
and expansion of successful initiatives.
3. Integrated Environment Management for Sustainable Development

Comprehensive approach integrating environmentally sustainable
development.
Policy Level Support: Despite the challenging security situation and floods, the overall
progress on this outcome is on-track. The National Climate Change Policy is finalized
waiting formal approval from government after completing national and provincial
consultation process. This policy will also lay the foundation for National Plans of Actions
for Adaptation and Mitigation. UNDP’s support to the International Conference on Climate
Change helped to place Climate Change high on national agenda. Other key achievements
include: National Forest Policy; National Wetlands Policy; Environment Impact
Assessment Process and Tariff Determination of Wind Energy Projects; National
Strategy for Sustainable Development and, Energy Conservation Act.
Community Led Initiatives: Community based programmes resulted in the scaling-up of

market mechanisms to support nature conservation in line with the national policy regimes.
Energy Efficiency & Household Improvement (EE&HI) projects with the communities have
fed into the Energy Conservation Act adopted by the federal cabinet. Community based
organizations were engaged for the rehabilitation of globally significant and critically
damaged eco-systems of Pakistan. One Ramsar wetlands site has been rehabilitated by
applying community based co-management for natural systems. Grassroots initiatives address
the local environmental problems through community participation as part of One UN joint
programme on environment.
Working with civil society organizations at the grassroots has resulted in beneficial results,
particularly through the small grants programmes. However, the sustainability of initiatives
and the ability of Community Based Organizations (CBOs) to mobilize resources require
coherent institutional support from the government, donors and development organizations.
Continued stress on Pakistan through natural and other crises has shifted the focus from long
term sustainable development needs to those of immediate relief and reconstruction, which
hinders the promotion of the environment agenda among the government and the donor
community. As a consequence, replication and scaling up of successful pilots remains a
challenge.
76
4. Good Governance
a.) Strengthen governing institutions and public sector organizations for

effective, accountable and participatory governance.
With the passage of the 18th Amendment, the Parliament of Pakistan has demonstrated its
ability to deliver on long-pending and difficult issues through consensus among provinces
and political parties. UNDP’s main contribution has been in the area of strengthening
parliamentary and public sector development and accountability institutions. It
continued its support for the capacity building of parliamentarians and the staff of the
parliament secretariat for legislation and oversight through training, research, orientation
sessions and public consultations with parliamentary committee members; improved outreach
for public grievance redress by raising public awareness; enhancing capacity of selected
public sector organizations; and capacity building of the Economic Affairs Division (EAD) to
successfully manage and handle the National Implementation Modality (NIM) portfolio,
collect and analyze development assistance data and improve overall aid effectiveness.
b.) Local authorities and communities in rural and urban areas enabled and
involved in planning and management of activities including the provision
of public services.
Under an evolving policy environment, UNDP continued its support to the local government
system through capacity development, institutional strengthening, advocacy, and policy
support. This support led to increased participation of citizens in planning and management
of development activities and enhanced awareness of local governance issues among citizens,
local government officials and communities. Their ability to articulate and bring to fore
issues and influence decision making in their interest has increased. An Outcome
evaluation completed in 2010 concludes that as a result of UNDP assistance to the local
government system, the capacities of local authorities and local communities to plan have
increased through extensive and sustained training of elected representatives and government
officials.
5. Early Recovery Programme in 2010 Flood Affected Districts
Effective and efficient Early Recovery and Restoration of flood affected

communities Programme management.
In the immediate aftermath of the 2010 floods, UNDP engaged existing partners by re-
aligning eight projects to respond to flood affected communities’ needs beyond immediate
humanitarian needs and to deliver basic services to communities. The UNDP Early Recovery
and Restoration of Flood Affected Communities Program, amounting to USD 120 million,
mainly leverages existing national and UNDP programme capacities by engaging both
government agencies and non-governmental organizations, with some projects under the
Direct Implementation Modality (DIM). The major early recovery support initiatives include
Community Infrastructure Restoration, Livelihood Income Generation Support, and Support
for the recovery of legal documents like National Identity Cards and Land rights etc. UNDP
has also deployed an internal control and accountability mechanism with clear business
procedures for reviewing and allocating funds, with monitoring, evaluation and oversight at
various levels and stages.
77
The selection of NGO partners entailed a public call for project proposals, which is followed
by technical review and capacity assessment leading to the award of projects by UNDP. The
approach is designed to ensure a transparent and open selection process, encouraging
participation of a wide range of implementing partners with presence in outreach in the flood
affected areas. Reliance on existing capacities of national government and non-government
partners has helped expedite the delivery of the early recovery program, providing support to
at a time when they are needed the most.
Concise Note On
United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women
(UN Women)
Support to Pakistan
1. Pro-Poor Policy level support
Women who are subject to exclusion and/or discrimination are able to

effectively advocate for having their priorities incorporated in relevant policies,
programmes, budgets, and processes
UN Women worked with the Ministry of Labour to provide specific technical assistance in
the implementation of the National Employment Policy draft and Migration Policy in terms
of both piloting specific innovative interventions as well as strengthening the accountability
system around gendering the process and its outcomes. At the same time, the emphasis was
on informal markets, particularly on home based workers in terms of addressing their specific
issues, needs and concerns, and on identifying interventions and affirmative action. In this
regard, a draft policy on home based workers was developed.
UN Women has been working closely with Ministry of Women’s Development and Ministry
of Labour before devolution to develop and finalize the policy on home based workers. UN
Women partners are engaging with Departments of Labor at the provincial level to move this
forward for adoption in all provinces.
Building partnerships: HomeNet Pakistan is an umbrella organization of organizations

working for home based workers rights in the country and is supported by HomeNet South
Asia (HNSA). UN Women has strengthened HNP’s capacity to spearhead the policy
advocacy and networking around home based workers. One of the key results was the leading
role of HNP in having the resolution on C 177 passed by the Balochistan Assembly as well as
the Sindh Assembly on home-based workers rights in 2010. The HBW resolutions were
passed in Punjab and Balochistan in 2009 with HNP’s support.
Capacity development: Strengthen the positioning and leadership role of key national
and provincial women’s machineries such as the Ministry of Human Rights, Women
Development Departments, National Commission on the Status of Women, the
Parliamentarian and Senate Standing Committees as well as the recently established
Women’s Parliamentary Caucus, to take the lead on gender equality and women’s
empowerment and enhance implementation across sectors, institutions and processes. This
applies also to civil society organizations and women’s advocates in terms of enhanced
lobbying and advocacy around women issues.
78
Institutionalization of Gender Equality: Enhanced institutionalization of gender

equality and women’s empowerment in mainstream development processes across sectors
and line ministries/departments to ensure impact on women and girls, men and boys across
the country, and facilitating implementation of GE commitments such as the National Plan of
Action, the National Policy for Development of Women and implementation of CEDAW
through Inter-Provincial Ministerial Groups and CEDAW Provincial Committees. UN
Women is also working on specific gender mainstreaming programmes, such as Gender and
Education with UNICEF, and Women’s Economic Empowerment Programme with ILO.
Disaster and Risk Management
Advocate adoption of a gender approach in national and provincial

development initiatives integrating rights of women during crisis/disaster
UN Women strongly believes that development and disasters have an ‘extremely close and
complex relationship’ and vulnerability to disasters caused by natural hazards is
overwhelmingly a function of poverty, inequality and social exclusion and development is
therefore the best form of disaster preparedness. Since earthquake 2005, UN Women has
taken a lead in this regard and has undertaken various initiatives ranging from policy
sensitizations to the capacity enhancement at the grassroots.
Building Partnerships with CSOs, Government and UN Agencies
The Gender Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Network (GRRN) was launched following
the earthquake of 2005 to connect the voices of vulnerable groups especially women, men,
boys and girls from the earthquake affected areas to decision makers, policy makers, planners
and implementers.
Gender Task Force was initiated by UN Women to provide technical assistance to

humanitarian actors in addressing gender issues in humanitarian situations. The task force is
part of the overall humanitarian cluster system, and was operational in the IDP crisis of 2009
and floods 2010. Gender Marker was applied to 124 proposals for Pakistan Emergency
Response Fund and 9 proposals for Central Emergency Response Fund for KP and FATA.
Recent financing analysis vis a vis Gender Scoring have showed that the donors have
prioritized projects which were contributing significantly towards GE which is very positive
trend.
Capacity Development
Gender and Child Cell (GCC) has been established at the National Disaster Management
Authority (NDMA) to ensure the integration of gender and children rights in emergency
response, early recovery, reconstruction, rehabilitation & preparedness. The establishment of
GCC will facilitate gender mainstreaming both at policy level and technical level for
immediate, short and long term interventions. The GCC is also preparing a draft Gender and
Child Policy ensuring gender mainstreaming at the national level.
Currently UN Women, in collaboration with Gender and Disaster Network (GDN), is

working on a web-based tool-kit on gendered DRR/DRM tools. Housed with the National
Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), the toolkit will increase the availability of
79
gendered DRR/DRM tools to stakeholders who are providing services to women in various
humanitarian situations across Pakistan.
UN Coordination: UN Women is participating in three joint programmes including
Agriculture, Rural Development and Poverty Reduction, Disaster Risk Management and
Health and Population; and provides technical advice for integration of gender in the other
joint programmes on Environment and Education.
In supporting the UN’s work around the 4 cross cutting issues of the One UN Programme;
Gender equality, Human rights, Civil society participation and Refugees and IDPs, UN
Women is co-chair of the cross cutting issues group, which has recently carried out a gender
audit to assess One UN Programme performance regarding delivering on Gender Equality
and to determine the status of how and to what extent the One UN is ensuring
institutionalizing its Gender Equality commitments within its organizational set up and what
accountability measures are in place to verify that.
Women and Peace: Support to government around gender and peacekeeping in Pakistan
by responding to the immediate needs of women and girls in the emergency and technical
support for development and implementation of a pilot on gender and peacekeeping. At a
grassroots level – support to CSOs, NGOs and women’s rights groups through the
implementation of a Trust Fund, responding to the gender dimensions of humanitarian and
crisis contexts. Women’s Centres and Women’s Facilitative Spaces to be established in KP,
Punjab and other provinces providing psycho-social help, skill building activities and gender
sensitive rehabilitative support services to women and girls. At the implementation level –
through an active advocating policy and the capacity building of CSOs, parliamentarians,
especially by providing technical support to the Ministry of Women’s Development and other
key line ministries and Task Force in developing gender and peace-keeping training modules.
UNICEF PAKISTAN
Support to Government of Pakistan
UNICEF Pakistan has played an integral role in supporting sustainable development in

Pakistan with programmes encompassing various sectors including Water, Sanitation and
Hygiene, Maternal and Child Health and Nutrition, Education, Child Protection and Social
Policy, Research and Evaluation. This includes support for the development of an enabling
environment related to these programmes, supporting policy level initiatives, and support for
sustainable development in these Sectors. UNICEF, through its focus on children and
women, seeks to support sustainable development and achievement of the Millennium
Development Goals.
Strengthened policy, regulatory, institutional and coordination framework
Policy Level and Capacity Building Initiatives
In the WASH sector, UNICEF Pakistan supported the Government of Pakistan in formulating
the National Sanitation Policy and the National Drinking Water Policy, approved by the
Federal Cabinet in 2006 and 2009 respectively. Pakistan is committed to achieving the
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Specific to the current context, it is committed to
80
reducing by half the population without access to safe and sustainable water supply and
improved sanitation by 2015. The National Sanitation and Drinking Water Policies provide
an enabling framework to address the key issues and challenges facing people in sustainable
access to safe drinking water and sanitation. The formulation of these policies was part of
Pakistan’s Medium Term Development Framework (MTDF) 2005-10, hence UNICEF
support thereof.
The National Sanitation Policy highlights social mobilization and behavior change as a key
component in addressing sanitation issues at the household level especially in the rural areas.
The National Drinking Water Policy recognizes that access to safe drinking water is the basic
human right of every citizen and that it is the responsibility of the state to ensure its provision
to all citizens at an affordable cost and in an equitable, efficient and sustainable manner. The
Policies aim to provide a guiding framework to the Federal Government, Provincial
Governments, State of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Gilgit-Baltistan, Federally
Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), Local Governments, development authorities and other
organizations to address the key issues and challenges facing Pakistan in the provision of
sustainable access to safe drinking water and sanitation.
More recently, UNICEF supported all provincial governments in the formulation of draft
Provincial Sanitation and Drinking Water Policies and Strategies during 2010-2011. In this
regard all provinces/states are at various stages of development and approval with the Punjab
the first to approve the Provincial Drinking Water Policy in the year 2011. This integral
support, in particular in light of devolution, continues at the provincial level to support sector
wide gains.
While Pakistan is on-track to meet the MDG target related to water it is off-track in regards to
meeting the sanitation target, where it is estimated that 48 million people still defecate in the
open. In doing so, UNICEF and partners have supported the Government in defining a
Pakistan Specific Approach to Total Sanitation, namely the Pakistan Approach to Total
Sanitation (PATS). PATS works towards achieving and sustaining an open defecation free
environment both in rural and urban context with clear emphasis towards behavior change
and social mobilization enhancing the demand side of sanitation. The approach endorses the
use of a number of branded total sanitation models, having a key role of communities, which
include: Community Led Total Sanitation, School Led Total Sanitation, Disaster Response
Approach, Sanitation Marketing Approach and Component Sharing Approach, which may be
adopted by the provincial and local governments in accordance to what suits best in their
local context.
In Education, UNICEF's continuing advocacy has resulted in development and approval of

National Standards for Early Childhood Education, Child Friendly and Inclusive Education
(Islamabad Declaration – signed by all Provincial and Federal Education Authorities) and
Professional Development for Teachers which are being rolled out at province levels.
Government of Punjab has already issued notification to upscale CFS model to all 36
districts. In addition, UNGEI (UN Girls Education Initiative) Pakistan Chapter has been
established and advocacy on gender and education with Parliamentarians in the Punjab has
resulted in increase of budget allocations to the Schools and Education (from 9 billion to 14.5
billion PKR), Implementation of Geographic Information System (GIS) for Gender in
Education Policy Support Project (GEPSP) across the country has been extremely beneficial
for education planning and management for gender sensitive decision making at provincial
and district levels
81
In Child Protection, UNICEF Pakistan worked towards the draft National Child Protection
Policy (2009) and draft Child Protection Policy, Baluchistan (2011) and AJK Child
Protection Policy (2010). In Gilgit Baltistan, a Social and Child Protection Reform Unit was
established as the first step towards an integrated and comprehensive approach to child
protection and social services, which is working towards the promulgation of Child
Protection policy and legislation in Gilgit-Baltistan. On legislative front, major achievements
include: formation of Sindh Child Protection Authority stemming from Sindh Child
Protection Bill (2011); Child Welfare and Protection Act, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (2010); Draft
Child Protection Act, Baluchistan (2011); Azad Jamu and Kashmir Child Protection Act
(2010); review of Punjab Destitute and Neglected Children Act; review of Juvenile Justice
System Ordinance (JJSO) 2000, resulting in the draft amendments to JJSO 2000 and revision
of legislation on child labor and Birth Registration. In addition to these legislative
achievements, Child Complaint Offices were supported under the federal and Provincial
Ombudsman’s Office to strengthen governmental accountability in ensuring child rights and
service delivery at federal and provincial levels. Lastly, UNICEF supported Planning
Commission, government of Pakistan to produce Provincial/Regional Position Papers on
Social Protection Policy for Punjab, Baluchistan, Sindh, Gilgit-Baltistan, Khyber-
Pakhtunkhwa, FATA and FANA, guiding government of Pakistan and UNICEF on how child
protection issues can be taken further through the Provincial/Regional and National Social
Protection Policies.
Equity and Cross-cutting Issues
Inequity and social exclusion have strong bearings on social development programming and
must be understood and addressed in program design to have the maximum impact for the
most deserving that, because of pervasive inequality, are often excluded. To this end,
UNICEF Pakistan’s Programme follows an equity based approach aiming to accelerate
progress, reduce disparities, including urban/rural disparities and lower out-of-pocket
expenditure for poor. This equity focus ensures that programmes are designed to achieve
universality where relevant, reach the most vulnerable and those in need, in particular
children. This requires that UNICEF seek out new, innovative and efficient strategies to
reach the most vulnerable and hardest to reach, analyse those not being reached and why, and
strengthen institutional capacities at provincial and district levels in disadvantaged areas.
Currently UNICEF Pakistan is undertaking a Study on Social Exclusion and Children in
Pakistan. The proposed study will take both a macro view of broad aspects and areas of social
exclusion at national and sub-national levels as well as developing an in-depth picture of
exclusion at the micro (group/field) level. In particular, the ability to cope and deprivation
faced by these communities after a natural disaster, in this case, recent floods, shall be
studied. The result will be a comprehensive picture of social exclusion and its impacts on
child deprivation. The study, among others, shall inform equitable and socially just policies
of social inclusion such as social protection, child welfare and protection, child budgeting,
and disaster preparedness policies.
This also includes addressing related cross-cutting issues such as gender and refugees, among
others. UNICEFs programmes also address issues of climate change adaptation and disaster
risk reduction as and where appropriate. Significant efforts into improving emergency
preparedness and response for the WASH programming are also underway. As part of this
equity focus, UNICEF is working to on Making the Invisible Visible in Statistics - improve
ability to gather information disaggregated by gender, race and ethnicity, disability, age,
location associated with exclusion is a basic step to advocate with government in promoting
82
inclusion. In this regard, Out-Of-School Children (OOSC) Initiative - to improve data

collection and analysis on OOSC is on-going.
Communication for Development
UNICEF Pakistan Programmes follow a Communication for Development (C4D) Approach

which is defined as a systematic, planned and evidence-based process to promote positive and
measurable individual behavior and social changes that are integral to development
programmes. Drawing upon key human rights principles– participation, equality, non-
discrimination, indivisibility and inter-dependence, the Approach emphasizes that the
participation of stakeholders throughout the C4D strategic process allows for local and
cultural specificities and perspectives to be included in the design, testing and planning of
communication strategies. Guiding principles include:
• Sustainability of social change is more likely if the individuals and communities most
affected own the process and content of communication.
• Communication for social change should be empowering, give a voice to the previously
unheard members of the community, and be biased towards local content and
ownership.
• Communities should be the agents of their own change. Emphasis should shift from
persuasion and the transmission of information to dialogue, debate and negotiation with
members of the community.
• Emphasis on outcomes should go beyond individual behavior to social norms, policies,
culture and the supporting environment.
Early Recovery Programme in 2010 Flood Affected Districts
In follow up to UNICEF WASH humanitarian response programme that reached out over
five million flood affected people UNICEF is aligning early recovery programmes across all
sectors with development initiatives, in particular in water and sanitation. UNICEFs relief
and early recovery programme amounts to over USD 200 million with current focus on
aligning early recovery initiatives with long-term development strategies.
A particular example of this, with regards to sanitation, is to support structural framework for
development in particular related to sanitation and in operationalization of PATs, UNICEF
embarked the Scaling up of Rural Sanitation Programme. The Programme, currently
targeting approximately 7.6 million, takes into account the integrated total sanitation model
seeking to undertake a series of measures aiming at ensuring raising awareness through
appropriate means of communication, 100 % safe management of excreta and attaining open
defecation free status, and the use of secondary barriers. The program also promotes the use
of safe, hygiene latrines and other sanitation facilities and persuades improved hygiene
behaviours following the C4D approach and involves intensive involvement of communities
(men, women and children) at the center of planning process for collective action, behavior
change, application of triggers, follow ups, certification, and institutionalization of behavior
change process. Additionally the programme aims to target 3.5 million in the both flood and
polio affected population living in 17 districts. In order to achieve targets/ goals strong
mobilization along with effective coordination/ collaboration between stakeholders including
Government, communities and CSO's is required. Engaging provincial governments and
gaining government ownership supported a paradigm shift in rural sanitation providing a
working framework for sanitation in development for provinces to build upon.
83
Concise Note On
United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)

Support to Pakistan in Energy and Environment Sector
United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) is a specialized agency of the

United Nations system that works towards improving the quality of life of the world’s poor
by helping countries to achieve sustainable industrial development. UNIDO views industrial
development as a means of creating employment and income to overcome poverty. It helps
developing countries and economies in transition to produce goods they can trade on the
global market. It also helps provide the tools – training, technology, and investment – to
make them competitive. At the same time, it encourages production processes that will
neither harm the environment nor place too heavy burden on country’s limited energy
resources.
Since the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio in
1992, UNIDO has successfully implemented environment and energy projects and
programmes in developing and transition countries.
UNIDO country office, Pakistan established in 1968 has extensive and successful experience
in extending sustainable industrial development cooperation and supporting Government of
Pakistan (GoP) through following interventions for integrated environmental management
and energy production using renewable resources;
i) Preventive industrial environmental management (Cleaner Production, Clean
Development Mechanism (CDM) and Waste Management);
ii) Environmentally sound management of waste and chemicals, including substitution of
Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) and management and destruction of Persistent
Organic Pollutants (POPs) (Montreal Protocol Programme);
iii) Industrial energy efficiency and energy management systems; and
iv) Renewable energy for productive applications (Biomass to energy conversion through
gasification technology).
Support to Government at Policy Level and capacity building:
United Nations Industrial Development Organization is providing the following support to

Government of Pakistan through various projects either implemented or in progress;
• Improved the effectiveness of regulations with the Mid-Term Policy on Renewable

Energy (RE) that specifically aimed to assist in the development and dissemination of
gasification technology (for example, by offering feed-in tariffs that are based on the
characteristics of gasification, such as fluctuation in supply and price of the biomass
residue feedstock.
• Promoting the installation of small scale power plants running through biomass
feedstock in the midterm policy of AEDB.
• Development of suitable institutional mechanisms to deliver, operate and maintain the
gasifiers and associated systems
• Institutional Development support to AEDB for the implementation of Medium Term
Alternative and Renewable energy policy in Pakistan.
• Policy review for green industries is under process where active engagement and
partnerships between and among government, private sectors, research institutes and
84
civil society including strengthening capabilities of SMEs (Small & Medium

Enterprises) will be encouraged.
• Efforts are being made to integrate the Cleaner production policies into national
development plans, goals will be set and action plans formulated for the promotion of
low-carbon and resource efficient manufacturing industries.
• Following are the major workshops conducted so far:
Carbon Credit Opportunities in the Power Sector of Pakistan

Prospects of Energy Efficiency by the CDM in the Industrial Sector of Pakistan
Carbon Credit Opportunities in Renewable Energy and Waste Management
Sector of Pakistan
CDM and Sugar Sector Energy Generation Potential in Pakistan
Support to Government through Technology Transfer:
United Nations Industrial Development Organization is providing the following support to

Government of Pakistan through technology transfer under following projects;
• The Ministry of Environment Ozone Cell was supported under Montreal Protocol
Programme to phase-out a significant amount of the consumption of Ozone Depleting
Substances (ODS). Currently, two new projects are under implementation enabling
Pakistan to phase out 71.7 ODP tons thus achieving compliance with 10% reduction in
the ODS by 2015.
• Under “Institutional Capacity Enhancement for CDM in Pakistan” (project funded by

Royal Embassy of Norway) development of PDDs and POA-DD of the potential CDM
projects is being carried out in various sectors. The major objective is to identify and
select the potential CDM Projects in the various sectors to strengthen the CDM Project
pipeline.
• PIN (Project Identification Note) development of UNICOL Distillery, Mirpur

Khas, Sindh Province and Tandalianwala Distillery and Sugar Industries,
Faisalabad, Punjab
• PIN development for the Programme of Activities for Solar Water Heating
Systems in Pakistan
• PIN development for Waste Heat Recovery at Fecto Cement Industries, Islamabad
• POA-PDD development of MOFA Buildings for Energy Efficiency Improvement
• Public Private Partnership has been established between Environment Protection

Division, Government of Punjab and Kasur Tannery Waste Management Association
(KTWMA) for the management of tannery waste and pollution caused by fat extraction
of limed fleshing in Kasur in Punjab province under One UN JP Environment. UNIDO
funded the state of the art eco-friendly technology for extraction of fat from limed
fleshing which will not only reduce the pollution and overall burden on the
environment, but also minimized the health related hazards for workers and surrounding
communities together with the technical training of tannery workers.
• Similarly with GEF (Global Environment Facility) initial grant for project development
in November 2009 under Climate Change portfolio, a project “Promoting sustainable
85
energy production and use from biomass in Pakistan” is currently under implementation
with funding support from private sector and government partners. The overall
objective of the project is to promote market based adoption of modern biomass energy
conversion technologies for process heat and power generation in Small and Medium
Scale Enterprises (SMEs) and for rural communities in Pakistan.
UNIDO, Pakistan will continue its support to GoP in developing and implementation of
national plans towards green economy and industrial growth, with the support of the
international community, including the United Nations System, international financial
institutions and bilateral development partners through following overarching initiatives and
objectives;
UNIDO Forthcoming Initiatives
• “Sustainable Energy (RE/EE) initiative for Industries in Pakistan” another UNIDO

initiative with the support of GEF under GEF-5 program. Through this project
introduction of ISO 50001, energy standards and system optimization in the industrial
sectors of Pakistan and development of renewable energy enterprises in the country will
be supported. The project has been approved by National Steering Committee for GEF
in 2010 and received GEF Focal Point Endorsement in February 2011. The final PIF
has been developed for submission to the GEF SEC for PPG in the GEF Council
meeting in November 2011.
• National Climate Change mitigation technology promotion initiatives in Pakistan”,

focusing mainly the industrial sector including SMEs will provide support to Planning
Commission, ENERCON, AEDB and SMEDA. The Project is being under negotiations
with Donors for funding support.
UNIDO Views on “UNCSD thematic areas”
• UNIDO is convinced that Agenda 21 remains a valid roadmap towards sustainable

development globally. However, a renewed focus on implementation is necessary in
UNIDO’s view. UNIDO therefore wholeheartedly endorses the UNCSD themes; green
economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication and the
institutional framework for sustainable development. The green economy directs capital
and technology into investments for sustainable development, whilst enhanced
governance and institutional structure is required with strengthened commitment to
implement necessary reforms globally, regionally, nationally and locally.
• From UNIDO’s perspective, key drivers in promoting green economy and sustaining
growth include resource productivity and energy access. Resource productivity pertains
to the consumption of materials, energy and water per unit of economic output or
societal value created. There is an urgent need for rapid and substantive or radical
increases in resource productivity, to decouple economic growth from increased
resource consumption and environmental pollution, and achieve absolute reductions in
key global environmental pressure indicators (including for example greenhouse gas
emissions).
• Access to sustainable, modern, affordable, and reliable energy services is central to

addressing many of today’s global as well as local sustainability challenges, including
86
poverty, gender inequality, climate change, food security, health and education. Access
to energy services boosts economic development opportunities, as it enables
preservation of food, access to water and medication, education, information and
communication, to mention a few. Yet, today nearly one-third of humanity lacks access
to modern energy forms and services. In this regard, the universal energy access target
set out by Secretary General’s Advisory Group on Energy and Climate Change offers a
robust framework to sustain political commitment and international cooperation that is
needed for achieving this target.
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Annex III
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Unedited Draft September 07, 2011

Ambassador (R) Shafqat Kakakhel

UNDESA Consultant for Pakistan’s

National Preparatory Process

for UNCSD (Rio, June 2012)

3. Assessment of progress achieved, remaining gaps and needs......................... 21

4. New and emerging challenges to sustainable development .............................. 42

5. Green economy ...................................................................................................... 60

6. Institutional framework for sustainable development; recent changes ........... 66

Annex I: Background ...................................................................................................... 71

AnnexII: Contributions provided by United Nations Agencies, Funds

AnnexIII: PowerPoint presentation by Chairman, WAPDA to the National Assembly

Chapter 1 - Integrated Planning and Decision-Making for Sustainable

As noted in the report on Millennium Development Goals (MDG’s) progress in Pakistan

Contributions by the UN system to sustainable development in Pakistan

An overview of the UN’s experience in Pakistan, especially in policy development and

Chapter 3: Assessment of progress achieved, remaining gaps and needs

Chapter 4: New and emerging challenges for sustainable development

Population explosion, economic development, urbanization, wasteful irrigation and other

Institutional framework for sustainable development

2. Setting the Stage: Integrated Planning and Decision-making for

Centralized, integrated planning, goal-setting and decision-making have been a recurring

Since 2001, Pakistan embarked upon a new generation of medium-term development

2.1. The Pakistan National Conservation Strategy (PNCS) 19911

environmental progress. Part II comprises of chapters containing the objectives, principles

The strategy seeks to enlist support at seven levels, namely:

The Review made the following recommendations for future action:

The review of existing legislation, including the Pakistan Environmental Protection

2.2. Interim Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (I-PRSP), 20014

The social sectors issues addressed by the strategy included

2.3. The Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRSP) – Dec. 2003

(information and communications technology) infrastructure. It also included investing in

2.5. The Millennium Development Goals

Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger

Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education

Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women

Goal 4: Reduce child mortality

Goal 5: Improve maternal health

Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases

Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability

Goal 8: Develop a global partnership for development

2.6. Medium Term Development Frame work (MTDF), 2005-107

MTDF claimed to offer a framework based on a strategic thrust on manufacturing,

The Framework promised progress in promoting good governance, accelerated growth in

2.7. Pakistan in the 21st Century: Vision 2030, 20078

2.8. Framework for Economic Growth – Pakistan (2011)9

The Framework document includes Action Matrices comprising timelines of implementation

3. Assessment of progress achieved, remaining gaps and needs

At present, Pakistan is facing multiple challenges. The economic scene is characterized by

Highlights of Pakistan’s economic achievements include:

The successes are ascribed to:

Analysis of the economic situation by experts reveals a broad-based consensus on a number

Like most developing countries, Pakistan’s efforts to achieve socio-economic development

Pakistan’s participation in the UN Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm in

The promulgation of the Pakistan Environmental Protection Ordinance (PEPO) in 1983

In 1989-1991, a remarkable project actively supported by the Federal Government and

• Increasing irrigation efficiency

Pakistan’s participation in the UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED)

• Formulation and implementation of the National Environment Action Plan (NEAP) in

Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS)

According to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (UNCBD)

Legal and institutional arrangements for environment protection

The Pakistan Environmental Protection Act (PEPA) 1997