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 Missing Links in Sustainable Development (SD): South Asian Perspectives
 This anthology aims at identifying the missing links in Sustainable Development for South Asia and proposes fillers for these. Questions addressed in this anthology include why benefits of globalization have failed to trickle down to the region's vast population and calls for a process of global economic integration that benefits the marginalized.
Based on seventeen chapters and three sub-themes: Gender and Human Security, the Economics of Globalization, and People's Rights and Livelihoods, the research papers look at channels that exclude women from access to resources, such as land, decent work, and human security, and suggest how these structures can be changed. Many sound ideas about tackling deforestation, compliance, sustainability and livelihoods problems in the fisheries sector have been proposed. This anthology digs below the surface of issues such as the connections between conflict in the public sphere and its intensification in the private sphere, of how globalization can benefit gender equality and women's empowerment in South Asia, and the role of trade and aid in peace and progress, and suggests steps towards change.
The Quest for Sustainable Forest Management: Exploring Public-Private Partnerships in the Forestry Sector in Pakistan
Working Paper Series # 107
Shaheen Rafi Khan, Ali Shahrukh Pracha, Nazima Shaheen, and Riaz Ahmed
Abstract
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a fast growing trend in Pakistan.
Large private corporations feel that their customers and clients must see
them as socially and environmentally responsible. This in itself is a means
of increasing market share, expanding client base, and remaining competitive.
However, the gap between rhetoric and reality is very much in evidence. Case
studies in forestry public-private partnerships (PPPs) show that weak
institutional checks allow firms with a CSR mandate to default on their
social and environmental obligations.
In light of the fact that certain local populations have rights over
forestland in Pakistan, we have devised a set of criteria for forestry PPPs
that cover three fundamental themes:
- Economic (domestic and international sales of timber and forest
products)
- Environmental (sustainable harvesting and tree plantation)
- Social (assured livelihoods)
In addition, we reiterate that forestry PPPs cannot be successful in Pakistan
without the complete participation of all concerned parties, namely, the
forest communities, the Government of Pakistan (public), private
organizations (private financiers and managers), and local NGOs (as
intermediaries and liaisons between all parties).
The History of Private Power in Pakistan
Working Paper Series # 106
Fahd Ali and Fatima Beg
The 1994 power policy was highly successful in that it attracted substantial
foreign direct investment to Pakistan's power sector. However, the policy
also generated a great deal of controversy in which the independent power
producers were accused of using illegal means to secure lucrative contracts.
This paper attempts to present the controversies and issues that surrounded
the policy. We conclude that like most policy-making processes in Pakistan,
the power policies are designed with little or no input from relevant
stakeholders. We suggest that the way forward lies in strengthening
electricity regulation in the country, empowering civil society, and
restructuring WAPDA, but not necessarily privatizing it in the process.
Study of Contamination of Soil in Surrounding of Abandoned Persistent Organic Pollutant (DDT) Nowshera Factory in North West Frontier Province (NWFP) Pakistan
Executive Summary
Like other chemicals of persistent organic pollutant (POPs) group, DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrochloroethane), a pesticide, is also persistent in nature and does not degrade in the environment by biological, physical or chemical processes. Being non-degradable, DDT can travel to long distances and can accumulate in animal and human bodies due to its solubility in fats. Humans and Wildlife can come in contact with DDT through contaminated air, water, soil and food. Even in extremely small amounts DDT can injure human health and health of other organisms. It is harmful to stomach, intestines, liver, kidneys, can affect nervous system can cause reproductive, development defects & cancer and tumors. Women, children and infants are especially vulnerable to certain effects of DDT.
In 2005 – 6, Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) & Institute of Chemical Sciences (ICS), Peshawar University, in collaboration with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), NWFP and with support from IPEP (international POPs elimination project), South Asia, carried out a study to examine the adverse environmental and health impacts of residual DDT in and around DDT manufacturing factory, Amman Gharh, Nowshera, NWFP. During site survey and field-visits several composite samples of soil, sediments and water were collected in and around the factory area and chemically analyzed, The residual DDT levels in the studied soil samples were found to be alarmingly higher, despite the closure of the factory for many years, than the DDT standard minimum risk limit (MRL) for soil.
In view of known toxicity, accumulative characteristics and adverse environmental and health impacts of DDT, its exposure in and around DDT factory in Amman Gharh may cause most serious consequences for ecosystem function, food safety and other aspects of human health. There is a dire need to carry out an extensive survey of the Amman Gharh area to examine DDT levels in different segments of its environment and likely impacts of DDT exposure on the general public, specially health of infants, children, women and other vulnerable groups.
For the present study, eighty-one (81) soil samples were collected within half kilo meter distance from the gate of the factory in eight different directions. These directions, as indicated by the field-compass from the rubles of construction material, were north (N), north-west (NW), west (W), south-west (SW), south (S), south-east (SE), east (E) and north-east (NE) Soil samples were collected on clear dry days during three field-visits undertaken on December 2 (26 samples) &16 (25 samples), 2006 and January 11, 2007 (30samples). Soil samples were also collected from the soil surface, 0.15, 0.30, 0.45 & 0.60 meter depths from a single sampling point in each of the six directions.
Data obtained and described in the foregoing pages indicates that 90.91% of the soil samples studied were contaminated with DDT, with 66.6% of the samples indicating residual DDT levels higher than DDT minimum risk level in soil (0.05 ug/g). It is evident from the data that in a very large area soil could be highly contaminated with DDT, despite the closure of the factory and no more production of DDT for many years.
During field-visits, highly contaminated sites South West, South and South East were observed to be mostly residential areas with houses less than 200 meters away from the gate of the factory. It was also observed that the demolished factory compound had already become playing grounds for children and grazing/feeding place for stray cattle and free-range chickens.
It is most strongly recommended that with immediate effect, the factory area may be declared as dangerous area and “Danger” signs in local languages be installed around it & the area be banned for any human activities. A fence/wall may be constructed, at the earliest, around the factory area, to avoid entrance of children, animals, cattle, and chickens.
Advocacy campaigns for the above and awareness raising activities may be carried out at the earliest for the residents in the immediate surroundings of the factory area, especially for children/teachers in the schools of Amman Gargh.
Now that the factory has been demolished, the likely sale of the land of the factory and surrounding areas for use as commercial/residential purposes, or for school, playground, park etc., is of grave concerns. The area/soil may remain contaminated with DDT for quite some time. It is most important that the land of the factory and the surrounding areas may not be sold or put to any use without prior approval of its environmental impact assessment (EIA) report by NWFP environmental protection agency, as required under section 12 of Pak Environmental Protection Act, 1997(34).
High levels of DDT have been observed in soil samples from West, South West and south directions even at 550 meters from the gate of the factory and at 0.6meter depth which necessitates further examination of soil in thee area beyond 550 meters and 0.6meter depths
This study has indicated most alarming situation of DDT residues in soil samples. There is a need to look into the feasibility of employing the reported processes for decontamination of DDT from the soil in and around the factory area.
Pakistan needs to ratify Stockholm Convention at the earliest, so that with the in-coming financial/technical support from the developed countries, as agreed under article 12(3) & 13(2) of the Convention, the activities (including rational management of POPs contaminated sites) as outlined in the National Implementation Plan (obligatory under section 7 (a) of the Convention), may be started.
Details of the above investigations carried out, results achieved and recommendations for most urgent actions required to be undertaken to safeguard pubic health, specially children, are discussed and described in this report.
(Download paper  1.18 mb)
Pakistan Forest Digest (PFD)
Introduction
The Pakistan Forest Digest (PFD) is a monthly series of digests focused on the forest related issues, government and non-government endeavors, community concerns and rights reported by the leading Pakistani newspapers and periodicals.
The Digest covers news and views on legislation, rights and disputes, conservation and rehabilitation projects, conferences, workshops and all other events and endeavors related to the forests. The digest also includes research articles by the experts and academia and the voices of the general public and stakeholders.
It is a compilation of the selected news items and articles appearing in the local newspapers & periodicals. The monthly PFD covers The English dailies, The News Rawalpindi/Islamabad, The Nation Islamabad, Dawn Islamabad, Business Recorder Islamabad, weekly  Pakistan & Gulf Economist Karachi, monthly The Herald Karachi, Newsline Karachi- Urdu dailies Jang Rawalpidi, Nawa-Waqt Islamabad, Newspapers from Abbotabad, Aaj, Shamal, Shamla, Mohasib and Weekly Nashaman.
The PFD is supported by a bibliographic reference database of news items and articles, namely Development Monitor (DM). The database has over eight hundred thousand records dating back to 1993. It covers a wide range of subject including sustainable development, governance, gender issues and other issues of research value. The Development Monitor can be accessed at www.sdpi.org Clippings requested can be delivered both by ordinary and electronic mail.
Views and comments to improve the digest are appreciated.
Sustainable Livelihoods, Environmental Security and Conflict Mitigation (pdf 1.02 mb)
(Download paper 1.02 mb)
Remittances in crises: a case study from Pakistan
Abid Qaiyum Suleri and Kevin Savage
Executive summary
International remittances have played a significant role in livelihoods in the wake of the earthquake that hit northern Pakistan in October 2005. A large number of people from the earthquake-affected areas of the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) and Kashmir live abroad and, although remittance flows were severely disrupted by the earthquake, they recovered relatively quickly. The widespread destruction and damage inflicted on the economy means that external sources of income such as remittances will be vital to recovery, both for individual households and for the country as a whole.
Background and rationale
Rural livelihoods in the earthquake-affected area are generally assumed to depend on agriculture and livestock. However, early assessments showed that a large number of wage-earners who normally work in distant cities in Pakistan had immediately returned to their families after the earthquake, often giving up their jobs in the process. The loss of domestic remittances this caused was quickly highlighted as a significant problem, and brought remittances to the forefront of aid agencies’ thinking.
However, the role of domestic or international remittances in livelihoods in emergencies is little understood, and agencies found it difficult to understand the implications of remittances for assistance programming. This research project is intended to meet this need.
Remittances and livelihoods: key findings
Remittances have played a major role in the economy of Azad Kashmir and NWFP for many years. For most recipients, remittances are the primary – and, in many cases, the only – source of income. Remittance households are generally better off than non-remittance ones, owning better houses and more valuables and assets. The earthquake severely disrupted remittance flows.
Communication systems were damaged, delivery outlets (banks, post offices, Hundi money-changing agents) destroyed and identification documents lost. As a result, in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake, most people were in need of humanitarian assistance, regardless of whether they had formerly received remittances or not.
However, households whose livelihoods included remittances appeared less vulnerable to the effects of the earthquake, and their livelihoods proved considerably more resilient once remittance flows were re-established. Remittances enabled households to repair and reconstruct their homes much more easily than non-recipient households, and meant that they had money to pay for private health care. By contrast, many non-recipient households were compelled to rely in the first instance on public healthcare, and in some cases had to sell assets to pay for further treatment. Remittance money made it easier for families to reach distribution points for relief aid. The revival of remittance systems after the earthquake helped restore local markets, and the spending of remittances on housing repairs has provided crucial wages for local labourers.
Implications
The implications of the findings of this report relate to immediate relief programming, disaster recovery and longer-term risk reduction. Immediate relief targeting should be careful not to assume that those families who received remittances in the past will not need initial assistance. The crucial role that remittances play within recipient households, and their multiplier effects through sharing and local expenditure, mean that restoring remittances is very important, and aid actors and governments should consider ways to assist with this through family tracing, communications provision and emergency support to financial infrastructures. By providing increased income, remittances have had a positive impact on households and their communities, reducing overall levels of risk and vulnerability. This must be considered by macro-economic actors when determining policies that affect international financial flows through formal and informal remittance transfers.
(Download paper 215 kb)
The Monthly Pakistan Environment Digest (PED): Afghanistan 2005 (Special Issue)
Introduction
Afghanistan’s geographical location makes it a strategically important country in the region of South East Asia. However, since, the invasion of Soviet Union in 1979, war has changed the socio-economic profile of the country. The creation and strength of Taliban and their involvement in the global politics paved way for significant changes across borders. The civil war led to the re-emergence of the Taliban as the leading power in Afghanistan.
After 9/11, the United States declared their mission of containing terrorism, curbing drug trafficking, and checking human rights violations in Afghanistan. For Pakistan, the mere location of Afghanistan is critical as it influences national security, domestic politics, ideology, and political identity. It is an enormous challenge for the international community to contain the dangerous spillover of Afghanistan's political, military, and social upheaval into neighboring states.
The SDPI Resource Center brings out a special issue of the Pakistan Environment Digest (PED) to document the developments in and around Afghanistan. It is a compilation of selected news, comments and articles. The special issue of PED strives to consolidate published information on Afghanistan in one volume. It would provide valuable information and assist research on issues related to Afghanistan.
The PED special issue contains press-clippings from January 2005 to December 2005 from national dailies. These include The Frontier Post Peshawar, The Nation Islamabad, Dawn Karachi, The News Rawalpindi/Islamabad, Business Recorder Islamabad, weekly Pakistan & Gulf Economist Karachi, monthly The Herald Karachi, and monthly Newsline Karachi. The developments/events during this period have been chaptered into categories: Women and Children, Health, Education, Refugees, Elections, Drugs and Governance. A chapter that covers miscellaneous issues and events has also been added.
Gender-Aware Policy Appraisal Health Sector
Shafqat Shehzad, prepared for the Gender Responsive Budget Initiative (GRBI) Project
Executive Summary
Gender-Aware Policy Appraisal for Health Sector 1
Introduction
Better health has welfare implications not only for the individual and the household they
form part of, but also for the country as a whole. The government undertakes health interventions because peoples’ health status plays a crucial role in determining the social and economic development of a country. The focus of the study is on health differences prevailing between males and females and differences in health losses and gains that make some groups of people worse off than others. The study covers the federal, provincial and district level with sub-national analysis confined to the Punjab province and two districts namely Gujrat and Rajanpur.
Situation Analysis
Overall, Pakistan performs poorly in terms of health indicators. Pakistanis have a lower expectation of life at birth than the average for South Asian countries. Further, UNDP’s
Human Development Report states that female life expectancy in Pakistan stands at 60.7, compared to 61.0 years for males. This, and the fact that the female:male ratio in Pakistan is 95:100, are unnatural patterns in that biologically one can expect females to outlive males by several years, and the female population to outnumber the male population. Probable causes for this unnatural pattern include a high maternal mortality rate and possible under-enumeration of females in some communities.
Other macro level indicators support the picture of overall poor health in Pakistan, with an added gender bias. For example, the infant mortality rate per 1000 live births was 83 in 2002, compared to 66 for other countries in the region. Gender is an issue here to the extent that the infant mortality rate is closely related to the health of mothers. Mortality statistics show that female in the early reproductive age group are more likely to die than their male counterparts. At least some of this pattern is explained by Pakistan’s high rate
of maternal mortality and the young age at which many women start bearing children.
More generally, statistics suggest that women are more likely than men to die from communicable diseases such as typhoid, diarrhea, tuberculosis, jaundice and pneumonia. In absolute terms, more women in Pakistan die as a result of tuberculosis than die from maternal mortality.
Pakistan has a very high maternal mortality rate, at 500 per 100,000 live births. A contributory factor is that in the period 1995-2002, only 43% of pregnant women received antenatal care and only 58% received tetanus toxoid vaccinations. During this same period, skilled birth attendants attended only 20% of pregnancies. Another cause of the high maternal mortality rate is that 34% of pregnant women are malnourished. Similarly, 48% of lactating mothers had a calorie intake less than 70% of the recommended level.
Gender-Aware Policy Appraisal for Health Sector 2
Policy Analysis
The National Health Policy of 2001 identifies ten key areas for achieving comprehensive progress in the health sector. The fourth of the ten areas is ‘promoting greater gender equity in the health sector’. The major physical targets of the policy include reduction in
the maternal mortality rate (MMR) to 250/100,000 live births by 2010. In Pakistan, delivery of health services is primarily a provincial or district matter. Ordinary citizens’ main interface with the public health system is through district-based first level care facilities (FLCFs). However, the federal Ministry designs and funds a range of vertical programmes which are implemented through the provinces and districts.
At the provincial level, there is a specific provincial unit responsible for maternal and child health (MCH). However, this is not the only unit in Pakistan that plays a role in promoting women’s health. Women’s issues are also addressed through several other programs such as LHWs, the national programme for family planning and primary health care (FP & PHC), and the Women’s Health Project.
Budget Analysis
The overall government budget allocation for the health sector increased from Rs 24.4 billion in 2001-02, to Rs 38.0 billion in 2004/05. The allocation nevertheless remains a small fraction of gross domestic product. More than 70% of the health allocation is through the recurrent budget. Alongside Population Welfare, the Ministry of Health was one of the two pilot ministries for the federal level Medium Term Budgetary Framework MTBF) initiative. The Ministry’s first MTBF, for the period 2005/06 – 2007/08, provides or a significant allocation in respect of promoting gender equity in the health sector. For 2005/06, Rs 291 million of the total of Rs 12.4 billion was allocated for promoting greater gender equity. The amount increases to 306m in 2006/07 and then decreases to in 2007/08. For 2005/06, this area receives the third biggest allocation of the eight. In 2007/08 it is the fourth biggest.
Punjab accounts for about 45% of the total of all provincial expenditure on health, and 18% of the federal allocation. Punjab’s share of the federal allocation is based on its population share and the actual needs of people relative to those in other provinces. The provincial health budget shows that almost 93% of expenditure is on curative services. This contradicts the policy thrust in favour of preventive and PHC. About 50% of total government health expenditure is accounted for in district budgets. At the district level, the overall responsibility lies with the District Health Officer (DHO). However, the DHO has limited control over national vertical programmes such as the LHW or FP & PHC programmes as the budget is allocated through the provinces. The vertical programmes often receive significant support from donors. Reliance on donors raises issues of sustainability. In addition, having vertical programmes in a devolved situation can hinder seamless service delivery to the women and men who need the services, as well as diminishing district ownership and commitment.
Analysis of Service Delivery
The Pakistan Integrated Household Survey of 2001/02 revealed that LHWs have better reach than all other types of health facility in Pakistan. In Punjab 80% of respondents said that there were LHWs in their village, and 64% nation-wide. A control study showed that for a range of selected health indicators such as use of antenatal care, tetanus injections for expecting mothers, and iron supplements, areas served by LHWs performed much better than those without this service. Similarly, the percentage of births attended by doctors or other healthcare professionals was far higher in areas served by the LHWs. In Pakistan, population per hospital bed is 1,536, a figure that is in line with other developing countries. However, dispensaries and basic health units are usually not equipped with beds or labor rooms. Mother and child health clinics sometimes have one or two beds to handle non-complicated deliveries but are unable to handle obstetric emergencies. Punjab has a total of three beds in these facilities across the whole province.
Yet provision of emergency obstetric care is recognized internationally as a crucial element if a country is to reduce the maternal mortality rate. 57% of people in Pakistan use private health centers as compared to 21% who use government facilities. Of the remainder, 14% used private dispensaries and 3% use private pharmacies. Factors promoting use of private health care facilities rather than public facilities include distance to the government facilities and unavailability of medicines at the outlets. Some of the other reported reasons are uncooperative staff (who probably are more uncooperative with women than men), lack of technical expertise to treat complications and unavailability of specialized doctors at the public health care centers.
Overall, the analysis reveals that while the reproductive needs of women are relatively well catered for, other gendered aspects of health are not adequately addressed in the health policies of the government.
(Download paper ) The Determinants of Child Health in Pakistan: An Economic Analysis
Shafqat Shahzad published in "Social Indicators Research'' Springer Netherlands Vol.78, No.3/Sept.2006
Abstract
This paper estimates linear structural models using LISREL and employs MIMIC models to find out factors determining child health in Pakistan. A distinction has been made in permanent and transitory health states that lend support to Grossman’s (1972) stock and flow concepts of health. The paper addresses the issue of health unobservability and finds out that latent variables using MIMIC models best represent underlying child health states. To overcome problems of poor income data, factor analysis is applied to extract measures of housing and durables as indicators of socio-economic well-being of children in Pakistan. The results of the study show that child health states, both permanent and transitory, are affected significantly by factors such as parental education, socio-economic conditions, and health care variables.
(Download paper )
A Critical Analysis of Forest Policies of Pakistan: Implications for Sustainable Livelihoods
Babar Shahbaz1 , Tanvir Ali1 and Abid Qaiyum Suleri2
(1) Department of Agricultural Extension, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan
(2) Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), Islamabad, Pakistan
Abstract
Pakistan has very low forest cover, but these forests are very diverse in nature and of significant importance for the livelihood security of millions of rural people who live in and around these forests. Policies, institutions and processes form the context within which individuals and households construct and adapt livelihood strategies, on the other hand these institutionally shaped livelihood strategies may have an impact on the sustainability of natural resource use. The present paper aims to critically analyse the forest policies of Pakistan. Implications for sustainable forest management and livelihood security of forest dependent people are also given. The first forest policy of Pakistan was announced in 1955 followed by the forest policies of 1962, 1975, 1980, 1988 as part of the National Agricultural Policy, 1991, and the latest in 2001. Most of the forest policies were associated with the change of government. There was much rhetoric in some recent policies regarding the concept of “participation” and “sustainable livelihoods” but in practice these policies are also replica of the previously top-down, autocratic and non-participatory forest policies. Pakistan needs to develop a sustainable, workable, research-based, and people-friendly forest policy enable to catering to the changing needs of stakeholders including government. (Download paper )
The Monthly Pakistan Environment Digest (PED): Wana Waziristan (Special Issue)
Introduction
Due to the strategic location, the region that includes the Pakistani tribal areas have been an arena of imperial, colonial and neo-colonial wars, rivalries, clash of interest and proxy wars for centuries. Alexander, Chengis Khan and the colonial powers like Britain and Russia tried to bring it under their control to further extend their writ to other areas or counter their rivals. The area that remains a hot spot since centuries, witnessed the 'Great Game', Cold War and now the 'New Great Game'.
 Since 9/11 and the launching of global war on terror by the US and its allies, Pakistani tribal areas have once again become a focus of immense international interest. Anybody interested in international and regional politics and the developments in this part of the world would undoubtedly be attracted to the developments in the tribal areas of Pakistan.
Print media is one of the main sources of information. Media monitoring is the cheapest and easiest way of gathering data and information. The Monthly Pakistan Environment Digest (PED) is a monthly compilation of newspaper items and articles on selected subjects. The Digest is aimed at facilitating the researchers by providing them the selected information in one collection.
In addition to twelve monthly issues, a few special theme based issues are brought out covering all relevant clippings during the year. The publication at hand is a special issue of PED on Waziristan. It contains news items/articles/editorials, filtered and collected from the leading national dailies on “Waziristan Operation” during the year 2005. It will facilitate the researcher, academia, policy-makers and those who are keenly following the developments in tribal areas to easily access the related newspaper clippings published during the year 2005. The selected clippings cover the following four areas:
1. Armed Operations in Waziristan
2. Law and Order in Waziristan
3. Human Conditions in Waziristan
4. Regional Politics in Waziristan
It is an attempt to cater to the needs of those who are interested in media monitoring in specific fields. The Resource Centre will appreciate any suggestions/comments from readers for improving the quality and contents of the digest.
What comes after the quota went? Effects of and responses to the ATC expiry
Policy Brief Series 21
Karin Astrid Siegmann and Atif Nasim
Abstract
The global environment after the expiry of the quota system in textiles and clothing (T&C) trade poses formidable challenges to human development in Pakistan . Increased quality and price competition in the post-ATC scenario provides an opportunity for some segments of the T&C sector – but a threat to the most labour-intensive ones. As quality and quantity of employment were largely ignored factors in the preparations for the Agreement on Textiles and Clothing's (ATC's) abolition in Pakistan , potential job and wage losses are feared, in garment manufacturing in particular. Unskilled and female workers are most vulnerable.
Challenges also provide the opportunity for change. The following recommendations are put forward in this policy brief:
- Skills improvement in both skilled and unskilled occupations in the T&C sector should be undertaken by government and industry. This would reduce the vulnerability of these occupations to adverse effects of structural change, and at the same time enhance the competitiveness of the T&C sector.
- Likewise, the implementation of core labour standards at the national, regional and global levels would protect, if not improve, working conditions for millions of workers and provide a more level playing field for competition in the post-quota era.
- Mitigation measures should be implemented as soon as possible for vulnerable workers who have - or might - become victims of structural change in the T&C industry.
- In these efforts, a focus on women workers in skill development and mitigation measures is required. As unskilled workers, women face more precarious working conditions and fewer job alternatives. Very few highly qualified and skilled women enter managerial positions, and this lack is another factor in depriving the country of development opportunities.
- Awareness should be raised amongst cultivators and pickers about the health hazards associated with pesticide application. Incentives to reduce cotton contamination should be provided to cotton growers in a manner that can be passed on to female pickers. Such measures would improve working conditions and product value-addition at the same time.
- Broadened and strengthened collaboration between workers, employers, and the Government is necessary to reach these objectives.
- Overall, social development in Pakistan needs to be emphasised. Investment in, for example, health and education, benefits human development directly, but is also a pre-requisite for more competitive and sustainable industrial development.
Study on Effluents from Selected Sugar Mills in Pakistan: Potential Environmental, Health and Economic Consequences of an Excessive Pollution Load
Nadia M Akbar and Dr.Mahmood Khawaja
Abstract
Pakistan’s 77 sugar mills comprise a major industrial sector in the country, with reported production of four million metric tons of sugar during 2003-2004. In the absence of adequate pollution control measures, such a large operation brings with it the potential for significant environmental and health concerns. In addition to releases of substantial levels of air and solid waste pollutants, a major environmental challenge posed by sugar production is the large amount of pollutant-laden wastewater produced.
Nearly all stages of sugar production - occurring at the mill house, process house, boiler house, cooling pond and distillery (for mills that also produce industrial alcohol from molasses) – are water intensive, discharging waste water containing high levels of oil, suspended solids, organic matter, and chemicals. A typical wastewater management practice employed by industrial management in the country is the improper use of unlined lagoons, a potential source of contamination of underground drinking water supplies.
For the present study, sampling of water effluents was conducted at a few sugar mills in the provinces of Punjab and Sindh and the effluent samples were examined for pH, total suspended solids (TSS), total dissolved solids (TDS), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), oil and grease content, and temperature. The analytical data revealed that the observed values of TSS, BOD, COD and oil and grease were higher than Pakistan’s National Environmental Quality Standards (NEQS).
This paper explores the health and environmental impacts of waste water releases from the sugar industry, particularly in terms of pollutant parameters that are found to exceed NEQS; the amount of pollution charge, as calculated under the notified government environmental rules and regulations, that the industry will have to bear over the years if it fails to comply with NEQS; and the international trade implications of not meeting environmental standards. It also appraises the technical and regulatory context in which the wastewater problem may be tackled, discussing existing environmental policies and legislation and available options including technologies for the reduction of wastewater volume and pollution load, end of pipe treatment, and recycling/reuse of waste water.
(Download report ) Regional Trade Agreements: Promoting Conflict or Building Peace?[1]
Working paper 104
Faisal Haq Shaheen, Oli Brown, Shaheen Rafi Khan and Moeed Yusuf
Abstract
Economic globalisation has witnessed the rise of Regional Trade Agreements (RTAs) as a means of mitigating economic and political shocks and the linkage of those shocks with conflict. A review of the economic literature reveals perspectives that largely support the positive correlation between peace building and economic integration. However, while internal and external factors have been seen to contribute to the growth of RTAs, some have also contributed to instability within and between nations. In fact, while the experience of the European Union has generated a plethora of research that supports the hypothesis that increased trade reduces conflict, the opposite has been found to be true in a variety of dyads surveyed across Latin America, Africa and Asia. The study concludes with cautionary encouragement, in the spirit of SAARC’s inception, that research continue across a wide range of both economic and non-economic drivers to ensure that conflict and trade linkages encompass all aspects of sustainable development and contribute to increasing peace and security for all segments of society.
[1] This paper is derived from research produced for a project funded by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Ottawa, Canada.
Study of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPSs) in Different Samples of Hospital Waste Incineration and Brick Kiln Residues in Pakistan
Jindrich Petrlik, Arnika, Czech Republic and Mahmood A. Khwaja, SDPI, Pakistan
Executive Summary
Persistent organic pollutants due to their most hazardous nature harm the environment and human health. These chemicals, often called “Dirty Dozen” do not degrade readily and can travel thousands of miles away from their source. Even in extremely small amounts POPs can injure human health and health of other organisms. To-day persistent organic pollutants are widely present as contaminants in the environment and food in all region of the world.For the protection of human health and environment, Stockholm convention on POPs was done on May 22, 2001. So far, 151 countries have signed the convention and 122 countries have ratified it. Pakistan signed the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants on December 6, 2001 and it’s ratification is under consideration by the government of Pakistan. The convention entered into force on May 17, 2004.
Stockholm global convention deals with the twelve most hazardous persistent organic pollutants, more commonlu known as POPs, which pose major and increasing threats to health and environment. Some of these 12 black-listed chemicals are produced for use as pesticides and industrial chemicals, whereas others as un-wanted by-products (U-POPs) of incomplete combustion or chemical processes involving organic mattar and chlorine. U-POPs include polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs),polychorinated biphenyls(PCBs) and hexachlorobenzene(HCB). Waste incinerators, including muncipal waste incinerators are considered among the most significant U-POPs sources. In the present Arnika, Czech Republic & SDPI joint study carried out in Pakistan, U-POPs releases in ash samples from hospital waste incinerators and brick kiln has been examined and the data has been compared with U-POPs releases from incinerators in Czech Republic and other countries.
Samples of bottom ash were collected between February – March, 2005 from incinerators in operation at Lady Reading hospital, Peshawar, Children hospital, Quetta, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMs), Islamabad, Al-Shifa Hospital, Islamabad and brick kiln near village Ahmed Khel in the outskirts of Peshawar. Analyses of all collected ash samples for U-POPs: PCDD/Fs, PCBs and organocholorine pesticides (OCPs) were done in August 2005, in a certified laboratory, Ecochem, Czech Republic.The samples were analyzed for PCDD/Fs and PCBs by HRGC/HRMS on Agilent 6890N/Finnigan MAT 95XP. The ash samples were also analyzed for 27 compounds of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and their metabolites according to EN ISO 6468 and DIN 51527 by methods GC-ECD and/or GC-MS.
In all ash samples studied, dioxins were detected at levels above LOD (level of detection) with exception of ash samples from PIMS, Islamabad, where four PCDD congeners and two PCDF congeners, among all normally measured 17 PCDD/Fs congeners, were not detected. Dioxins in ash from four medical waste incinerators were observed at levels ranging from 50.57 up to 2,290.30 pg I-TEQ/g d.m. Dioxin-like PCBs were observed in levels 0.12 up to 146.45 pg I-TEQ/g d.m. Seven PCB congener levels ranged from 1.07 up to 5.93 ng/g d.m. Levels of dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs in WHO-TEQ range from 50.56 up to 2,659.46 WHO-TEQ with dioxin-like PCBs contribution from 0.01 to 5.80 %. Seven PCBs congeners (PCB 28, 52, 101, 118, 138, 153 and 180) were found in samples of ash with levels:LRD Hospital - 2.46 (5.04) ng/g d.m., PIMS - 3.73 (4.46) ng/g d.m., Queta Hospital - 1.07 (3.81) ng/g d.m., Al Shifa Hospital 5.93 (7.51) ng/g d.m. and brick kiln in Ahmad Khel 4.38 (5.07) ng/g d.m.(levels in brackets are maximum values).
With one exception all analyzed samples, including brick kiln ash and soot, did not indicate values above level of detection (LOD) for all 27 analyzed compounds in the OCPs group of chemicals. Only in sample from Queta Children Hospital waste incinerator, pentachlorobenzene was found in an amount of 0.018ng/g d.m.and hexachlorobenzene reached a level of 0.010 ng/g d.m.All other 25 tested compounds were found to be below LOD.
A comparison of dioxins levels in ash samples observed in the present study with samples from medical waste incinerators in Thailand indicated these levels to be almost the same and higher than those suggested for calculations in UNEP Dioxin Toolkit for medical waste incinerators designated as class 1 (without any air pollution control and with simple mode of operation). Dioxin levels in ash samples from Pakistan are lower than many observed in waste incineration fly ash but are much higher than those found in bottom ash, when not mixed with fly ashes. Some fly ash from municipal waste incinerators in Europe, and Turkey had lower levels of dioxins than the average levels in ash samples from medical waste incinerators in Pakistan.
Dioxin-like PCBs levels found in LRD Hospital and Al Shifa Hospital samples are within the range present in other studies, and are rather low relative to recorded levels for fly ashes. Concentration of 0.12 pg I-TEQ/g d.m. found in samples from PIMS and Quetta Hospital are lower than those recorded for Germany or Taiwan.The measurements of dioxin-like PCBs in the present study in Pakistan represent the first report of presence of dioxin-like PCBs in waste incineration residues from small scale medical waste incinerators (classified as class 1 by UNEP Toolkit) in a developing country.
U-POPs releases from medical waste incinerators are evident from the analytical data collected in the present study. Since the incineration residues are not properly disposed off and are mostly dumped in the open, the threats to human health and environment, due to most hazardous nature of U-POPs these chemicals, are very likely. To prevent further releases of POPs from waste incineration residues in Pakistan, their uncontrolled dumping at unsecured landfills should be prohibited. Medical waste incineration may be replaced by alternative non-combustion technologies which are seen as cost effective and environmentally sound solution to prevent U-POPs releases into environment. Chlorinated material especially PVC containing waste should not at all be burnt.
In order to evaluate the risk associated with POPs contaminated site, studies using bio indicators like eggs, adipose tissues, milk, fish, birds, endocrine disruption and cholinesterase levels etc should be initiated. In the present study, the large scales of releases as well as large scale of PCDD/Fs sources were not examined. Ash samples from Brick kiln showed significantly high levels of PCDD/Fs. It would be very useful to focus further studies within the country on other siginificant U-POPs sources (iron ore sintering plants, pulp and paper mills, production and use of wood preservatives etc.) and different modes of operation of brick kilns.
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International POPs Elimination Project (IPEP), South Asia "Physical Verification and Study of Contamination of Soil and Water in and Surrounding Areas of Abandoned Persistent Organic Pollutant (DDT) Factory in North West Frontier Province (NWFP) Pakistan"
Project Team
Dr. Mahmood A. Khwaja
Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI)
Dr. M. Rasul Jan and Kashif Gul
Institute Of Chemical Sciences, Peshawar University, Pakistan
Executive Summary
DDT (Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) is one of the most hazardous groups of chemicals called Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), also known as “ The Dirty Dozen.” These very toxic chemicals, including DDT are long lasting due to their non-degradability, can travel to distant places and being fat soluble accumulate in animals and human bodies. Even in extremely small amounts, POPs cause adverse impacts on human health and environment. To save public health, specially the health of the children, the manufacturing and use of POPs have been banned in the world under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), in-acted in 2001. A number of national governments including Pakistan have signed the Stockholm Convention and so far also ratified by over 120 countries.
Due to the persistent nature of DDT, a persistent organic pollutant and its adverse environmental and health impacts, the present study was undertaken to examine the residual DDT in and around DDT manufacturing factory in Amman Gharh, Nowshera, NWFP. The present study is one of many activities carried out under international POPs elimination project (IPEP) in eight regions of the world, including South Asia and supervised by international POPs elimination network (IPEN). The factory was established in 1963 and remained in operation till 1994. The project team visited the factory site several times to carry out survey, meetings with the ex-employees of the abandoned factory and other stakeholders and for taking soil and water samples for chemical examination. Composite samples of soil, sediments and water were collected in and around the factory area, nearby DDT stores, main factory drain leading to river Kabul river and nearby villages. Standard procedures were used for the collection, transportation and storage of samples for analyses. Physical parameters of the collected water samples measured were temperature, pH and conductance. Extraction of each sample for DDT analyses was carried out in triplicates using Soxhlet extraction apparatus. The extract was transferred to well washed, clean; dry glass vial, sealed and put in the refrigerator. Gas Chromatograph with electron capture detector and capillary column was used for analysis. DDT in the samples were identified on the basis of their retention time and quantified on the basis of peaks areas. Soil samples from within factory formulation unit showed residual DDT in the range 242.28+/- 0.81 to 573.02 +/- 0.94 ug/gm. DDT levels in the soil samples at different points outside the factory compound were found to be in the range 558.35+/-0.71 to 780.40+/-0.54 ug/gm. In the drain samples DDT levels were found in the range 388.57+/-0.48 to 1631.70+/-0.61 ug/gm. Highest DDT levels of 2822.08+/-0.88 and 2841.45+/-0.95 ug/gm were found in samples from the left-over old bags in the formulation unit and in the stores. Soil samples taken from five yards outside the stores showed 1631.70+/- 0.61 ug/gm residual DDT. However, DDT was not detected in the soil samples taken from Azakhel, ten kilometer away from DDT factory. Residual DDT levels in water samples from within the vicinity of DDT factory, nearby villages and drain leading to river Kabul showed little variation, most of the samples falling in the range 0.20+/-0.23 to 0.31+/-0.03 ug/ml. Highest and lowest DDT levels were found to be 0.40+/-0.14 (S.No.2) and 0.07+/-0.10, respectively. It is evident from the analytical data obtained in the present study that both water and soil in and around the factory area are still contaminated with DDT, despite the closure of the factory since last few years. In view of the well established and known persistency, transportation, accumulative characteristics, environmental and health impacts of DDT, its contamination in and around the factory area pose threat to public health and environment and may cause most serious consequences for ecosystem function, food safety and other aspects of human health, very specially in Amman Gharh/Nowshera.
The abandoned DDT factory was there for over 12 years and nobody interested either to use or sell or buy it. However, on the last field visit to the DDT factory site, the project team was most surprised to see the factory almost demolished. It seems that a quick deal was struck by the owner(s), following the IPEP project team frequent visits to the site and the on-going interview/meetings with the city officials/stakeholders and ex-employees of the factory. Whereas the health of the laborers working to demolish the factory and the spread of DDT contaminated bricks/construction material due to its transportation and further use in different near and far off localities are of grave concerns, even more so is the likely sale of the land of the factory (after all the construction material is sold and cleared away) and its further use (as commercial or residential area, housing, school, playground, park etc). The area/soil may remain contaminated with DDT for quite some time and it is strongly recommended that the land of the factory area may not be sold or put to any use without prior approval of the environmental impact assessment (EIA) of the DDT factory site by environmental protection agency (EPA).
It is also with immediate effect, the factory area may be declared as danger area and banned for any human activities. A barrier/wall may be constructed around the factory area to avoid entrance of children, astray animals, cattle, and chickens. Details of the above study, results achieved and recommendations made for control measures and remediation of the DDT contaminated land in and around DDT factory, Nowshera are described and discussed in the foregoing pages of this report.
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Anatomy of a Peoples’ Rights Movement: A Case Study of the Sarhad Awami Forestry Ittehad (SAFI)
Working paper 103
Shaheen Rafi Khan, Moeed Yusuf (SDPI) Riaz Ahmed (SUNGI)
Abstract
The Sarhad Awami Forestry Ittehad (SAFI), arguably, represents the only formal attempt to engage in forestry reform advocacy and political activism. Given the importance of developing an understanding of the factors that may lead to the success of peoples’ movements in Pakistan, we conduct a careful evaluation of SAFI’s impact on the forestry reform process and, in general, in terms of sustainable forest management.
SAFI is active in the Malakand and Hazara divisions of NWFP, and in the Southern District and Kurram Agency in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). The rapidly eroding capability of the State to manage its forests amicably and its consequent impact upon communities and the environment provided the backdrop for an organization like SAFI.
SAFI emerged with two broad objectives. The first was to mobilize community resistance against the excesses committed by the large forest owners, the contractors and the forest department. The second objective was to convert such mobilization into a critical mass for policy advocacy. SAFI’s successes can be assessed at three levels: policy advocacy, organized resistance and management interventions. In terms of policy advocacy, SAFI has created widespread awareness about the forestry reforms, engaging with communities and other relevant stakeholders in consultations and discussions. SAFI also conducted successful organized resistance in Hazara and Dir-Kohistan to support the cause of the disempowered communities. It has also made management interventions bringing the realization among public functionaries that partnership with communities offers prospects for sustainable management of forests.
SAFI’s experience provides valuable lessons for broader peoples’ movements in the country. The organization’s experience underscores the need for such movements to involve an extremely broad set of stakeholders in consultations. It further highlights the need for a sufficiently large, formally trained membership base, especially if a movement draws upon volunteers as SAFI does. Finally, given the nature of such efforts, the issue of financial sustainability must be addressed by diversifying income sources so that the movement is not solely dependant on donor support. Analysis of Myth and Realities of Deforestation in Northwest Pakistan: Implications for Forestry Extension
by Tanvir Ali, Babar Shahbaz and Abid Suleri published in the International Journal of Agriculture and Biology Vol. 8 No. 1.
Pakistan is among those countries, which have very high deforestation rate. The remaining forests are very diverse in nature and of significant importance for the country's economy and livelihoods of the local people. This present paper attempts to analyze myths and realities regarding deforestation in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) of Pakistan. It presents the perceptions of forest dependent people of the province regarding the forest use patterns, condition of forests, change in forest cover, factors responsible for the forest depletion and increase of illegal cutting. The intensive use of forest wood for household needs (cooking, heating, timber etc.) and ineffective forest management strategies by the forest department were some of the key reasons of deforestation in the study area. Policy guidelines (implications) are suggested for improving the effectiveness of forestry extension services.
(Download paper ) Compliance with InternationalStandards in the Marine Fisheries Sector: A Supply Chain Analysis from Pakistan
Dr.Shaheen Rafi Khan, Fahd Ali and Azka Tanveer
The study focuses on Pakistan’s marine fisheries, which span a 700-mile coastline and include the territorial waters of two provinces, Sindh and Balochistan. The analysis addresses the scope for compliance with international food safety (SPS) and sustainable harvesting (MSC) standards. Food safety standards cover both pre-processing and processing activities. Compliance with such standards is key to Pakistan’s fish exports and foreign exchange earnings and to ensuring livelihoods for the coastal fishing communities. A gap analysis illustrates that processing plants tend to comply with food safety standards, primarily due to the threat of loss of market share. However, exporters/processors have less control over pre-processing and harvesting activities further up the supply chain, even though these activities, ultimately, affect their ability to export. Pre-processing is the responsibility of the harbour authorities and entails food safety interventions at three stages: on board the fishing vessels; at the fishing docks; and in transit to the processing plants. Compliance lapses at the pre-processing stage are frequent.
Moving further back in the supply chain to fish harvesting highlights even more complex issues. The policy, social, economic and ecological dynamics are difficult and the perverse interplay of these variables has led to a sustained degradation of Pakistan’s coastal fisheries, extending well beyond its territorial waters with adverse consequences for the livelihoods of coastal fishing communities. Degradation, here, refers to stock reduction due to both over-fishing and to habitat destruction. The problems at this stage underscore the need for sustained remediation. A first attempt would entail harmonizing federal and provincial fishing policies through a consultative process involving all the important stakeholders; in particular, the representatives of the fishing communities who have first-hand knowledge of the problems and issues which affect their livelihoods.
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Troubled Times: Sustainable Development and Governance in the Age of Extremes
 SDPI and Sama Editorial and Publishing Services (SAMA) are pleased to announce the launching of a book on sustainable development titled Troubled Times: Sustainable Development and Governance in the Age of Extremes. The book was launched at the occasion of the SDPI’s Eighth Sustainable Development Conference on Dec. 7, 2005 in Islamabad.
This anthology springs from the Seventh Sustainable Development Conference (SDC) organized by SDPI in December 2004. The conference theme, sustainable development and globalization in the age of extremes, was selected as it captured the frustrations at achieving few improvements resulting from the ideas that SDPI has debated and worked on in different capacities as researchers, as activists, as policy-makers and above all as thinkers.
Defining moments in history are frequently symbolized by events that indicate a turn of tide. The defining moment for the 21st century appears to be what has become known as 9/11. While 9/11 has not taken place in isolation sans history and sans politics, it appears to have heralded a new era of viewing the world differently. In the present times, the troubling aspect (not that we in the Third World were not troubled before) is that our troubles appear to have undergone a change. This raises, for us in the global South, important questions of agency and choice. Do we have choices? And if we do, how can we best exercise them in the age of extremes ushered in by globalization, by globalized wars, and symbolized by the events of 9/11. The book results from the strong view that while various issues of concern for South Asia remain, they have taken on urgency in view of the deteriorating indices and post 9/11 realities.
Based on some 42 chapters and 5 sub-sections (economics; politics and sociology; health; history and culture; and, literature), the book highlights the crosscutting linkages between diverse themes and the increasingly complex demands upon the policy arena to respond to issues of sustainable development quickly and effectively.
It critically reassesses strategies for good governance and sustainable development and arrives at ways of making them more meaningful. It examines how much progress has been achieved in South Asia vis-à-vis governance. It questions whether government is more transparent today than it was a decade ago, and whether the governments have kept their promises to the marginalized, the poor, women or minorities. The book shares strategic lessons by researchers, theorists, activists, and creative thinkers from South Asia and other regions of the world. The authors also recommend policy interventions based on the prior experiences.
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