POLICY VISION
"The National Environmental Policy aims at improving the quality of life of Pakistan by conserving, protecting and improving the Pakistan's environment and cooperation among the civil society, government agencies, private sectors and other stakeholders."
OBJECTIVES
- Maintain clean and healthy environment for the people of Pakistan.
- Achieve sustainable economic development by conserving and protecting the resources.
- Effective management of Pakistan's environment by involvement of stakeholders.
SECTORAL ISSUES
1. Water Supply and Management
To promote the clean and improve water supply and effective management of water resources the government shall:
- develop legal and policy frameworks
- increase water supply and water treatment facilities
- do water quality monitoring
- install water treatment plants
- promote metering of water consumption
- promote technologies for rain water harvesting
- enact Water Conservation Act
2. Energy Efficiency and Renewables
To promote energy efficiency and renewable resource use government shall:
- implement National Energy Policy
- enact energy conservation legislation
- strengthen financial mechanisms, institutions, policies and regulations
- promote energy efficiency imports
- implement a plan for shift of public transport to CNG
- promote renewable forms of energy
- institute National Energy Conservation Award
3. Agriculture and Livestock
To achieve sustainable agriculture and livestock government shall:
- promote organic farming
- launch programs to prevent soil degradation
- promote integrated pest management, safe use of insecticides, weedicide, fungicide and herbicide
- develop National Desertification Control Fund
- enhance compatible ecological cropping system
- increase livestock production
- promote recycling of agricultural products
- promote high productivity varieties of livestock
4. Forestry and Plantations
For better management of forests and enhance plantations government shall:
- finalize National Forest Policy
- set up institutions and legal frameworks to promote forest governance
- promote social forestry
- promote farm forestry and irrigated plantation
- sustainably manage riverine forest
- Develop a strategy and plan for managing mangrove forests
- strengthen forestry research and training institutions
- promote sustainable management of rangelands and pastures
5. Biodiversity and Protected Areas
To promote sustainable use of sustainable biodiversity and management of protected areas government shall:
- implement Biodiversity Action Plan
- create new national parks and protected areas
- make a strategy to combat invasive species
- make wise use of wetland resources
- promote ex situ conservation of biodiversity
- implement national wetland policy
- protect fish habitat and harvest fisheries in sustainable way
6. Air Quality and Noise
To prevent air pollution and noise government shall:
- enforce ambient and indoor air quality standards
- enact National Clean Air Act
- enforce National Environmental Quality Standards
- use catalytic converters in vehicles
- promote cleaner production technologies
- phase out two stroke vehicles
- establish and enforce ambient noise standards
- implant the Pakistan Clean Air Program
7. Climate Change and Ozone Depletion
To address the challenges faced by climate change and ozone depletion government shall:
- implement national climate change action plan
- develop National Clean Development Authority
- phase out ozone depleting substances
8. Pollution and Waste Management
To prevent pollution and waste management government shall:
- enforce National Environmental Quality Standards
- introduce discharge licensing system for country
- develop and implement National Sanitation Policy
- promote reuse, recycle and reduce mechanism for waste handling
- promote ISO 14000 certification
- implement strategies to manage municipal, industrial and hospital waste at national, local and regional levels
CROSS SECTORAL ISSUES
1. Population and Environment
To address population environment nexus government shall:
- incorporate environmental considerations into population policies, projects and programs
- increase public awareness of problems of population
- ensure equal access of land and resources to population
2. Gender and Environment
Environmental policies programs and projects are gender sensitive. For this government shall:
- ensure women active participation in all environmental projects and programs
- mainstream gender in all policies and programs
3. Health and Environment
To reduce health hazards due to environmental degradation government shall:
- develop and implement Occupational Health and Safety Rules
- include effective waste management system in all health care facilities
4. Trade and Environment
In this case government shall:
- certify the public and private sector environmental laboratories
- provide financial and other incentives
5. Poverty and Environment
- Government shall integrate poverty environment issues in economic policies and plans.
- It shall enhance community level environmental management.
6. Environment and Local Governance
- Government shall establish nationwide district environment offices and district environment committees.
- establish district development funds
7. Natural Disaster Management
- Government shall develop a national disaster management strategy.
- It shall also establish national disaster management centers at federal and provincial level.
POLICY INSTRUMENTS
The key instruments for implementation of policies are listed as:
- Integration of environment into development planning
- Legislation and regulatory framework
- Capacity Development
- Economic and Market based instruments
- Public Awareness and Education
- Public Private Partnership
