ABSTRACT
Prevailing environmental conditions are deteriorating day by day in Pakistan. The country is subjected to both natural and anthropogenic sources of pollution. Mainly, environmental issues in Pakistan are directly related to improper management and handling of different environmental scenarios. Determination of the environmental status of Pakistan leads to development of a very complex situation, due to interlinked environmental factors, featuring unknown impacts of different sources of pollution. Intensive research is still required on a priority basis for the proper understanding of the share of the different environmental factors. Nevertheless, based on the available resources and data, it can be clearly observed that various interlinked sources of contamination are posing a severe threat to human health and the environment in Pakistan. Environmental and natural resources are facing a situation of intense stress. Water resources, once available in surplus, are now at an alarming level due to unfair usage and improper management, particularly considering groundwater exploitation in the Province Punjab. Here, the highest rate of deforestation in Pakistan has resulted in an intact forest land cover as low as 4% of the total area. This high level of loss of forests ultimately leads to different other environmental issues such as soil erosion, land sliding, uncontrolled floods, and the most important, changing impacts on climate and altering ecosystems. The associated effects of climate change in the country have increased durations of droughts, thus resulting in less water released to the sea, and an increased salt intrusion into groundwater from the sea [1]. All these environmental factors can be more appropriately termed as “environmental stressors” and do have great socioeconomic impacts in Pakistan. For example drought, water supplies along the Indus, water availability for power generation, agricultural production—particularly in drought affected areas, all are interlinked and once the balance of the system is disturbed, its impact is highlighted on all other associated factors as well. Haphazard industrialization is the major source of environmental degradation of natural resources, leading to severe environmental pollution. Today, one million individual chemicals are manufactured. The number of chemical products is about 90,000 to which 2000 substances are added annually. Half of the chemicals are injurious to health. Consequently, an estimated quantity of 20,000 million tons of industrial waste is generated, 10% of which is hazardous. The growth rate of industrial waste is 10% per annum [2]. Thus, industrialization has a crucial effect on the deterioration of environmental systems in Pakistan.
