“Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts.” Rachel Carson, The Sense of Wonder
THE impact of humans on the planet Earth has been devastatingly negative. Climate change, pollution, deforestation and biodiversity loss are no longer distant threats but a reality staring us in the face. World Earth Day is a call to protect Mother Earth’s future and a reminder that Earth is the only home of humanity in this vast limitless universe.
22 April is dedicated to environmental protection and raising awareness regarding the challenges facing our planet. It’s a reminder of our shared responsibility to keep the planet healthy and safe for future generations. Earth Day is a call to action for individuals, organizations and governments alike and acts as a catalyst for a shift in perspective, prompting us to see ourselves not as separate from nature but intricately connected to it.
This year’s Earth Day theme, “Planet vs. Plastics,” brings attention to the serious issue of plastic pollution and how it damages nature. But Earth Day is not just about one problem, it is about understanding how everything in nature is connected. As we observed the Earth Day on 22 April, one could not but wonder how and why we have reached the stage of criminal neglect of our environment in Pakistan. Forest cover has depleted to dangerously low levels, waters ways, rivers and the sea is glutted with litter, fresh water sources are polluted with industrial and household waste, streets and even main roads in most cities are littered with harmful waste with the garbage collection system having literally collapsed even in the capital city of Islamabad, water borne diseases are rampant and drainage clogged and the list goes on.
We have now reached a point where simply observing Earth Day every year with symbolic tree planting in the glare of the media by ministers is not enough. It is the need of the hour to reflect on the beauty and fragility of our planet. It is not just the government’s task, we are all responsible for ensuring safety and security of mother earth. By making small changes in our daily lives and supporting environmental initiatives, we can all contribute to a more sustainable future. “The earth is what we all have in common.” (Wendell Berry) and it is our shared responsibility to keep it safe and thriving so it can continue to sustain humanity.
Pakistan declared its commitment to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by adopting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as its own national development agenda through a unanimous National Assembly Resolution in 2016. We also incorporated them in national policies and strategies, including the Five-Year Plan, provincial growth strategies and Pakistan’s long-term development perspective and made specific budget allocations. The government established institutional mechanisms in line with the 2030 Agenda and propagated a firm stance on strengthening institutions, ensuring meritocracy and introducing transparency at all levels, elements essential for translating political vision into reality through efficient and effective management of available resources and improving quality of service delivery. Pakistan set up national monitoring of 46 indicators and stakeholder engagements in the country and regularly submits the Voluntary National Review (VNR) , the last one being in 2021.
Pakistan is struggling to meet the SDGs requiring targeted action and financial assistance to deliver on its SDG commitments despite declaring the fulfilment of SDGs by 2030 a national priority. Progress on the ground is modest. Pakistan faces many hurdles, and its progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals is stagnating. It remains to be seen how the positive policy initiatives will be implemented at a time of extreme political divisions, deep economic difficulties with slow growth and rising inflation and worst floods inundating one third of the country in 2022. Two years on and we are still struggling to repair the damage and lives destroyed by the floods.
Unless there is a major shift in approach, Pakistan may find the fulfilment of SDGs an uphill task. Limited budgetary allocations with a trickling of small financial streams alone are not sufficient to effectively attain the SDGs by 2030. There is a need for Pakistan to find innovative ways and locate alternate and untapped streams of financing for projects related to socio-economic development and SDGs.
People often believe that it is up to only governments to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), but in fact, cooperation between the public and private sectors is of utmost importance. Governments alone will not be able to achieve the SDGs by 2030. Instead, the responsibility for working towards sustainable development is also shared by corporations, civil society, and many other actors that are related to economic and development activities worldwide. The role of the private sector in achieving the SDGs and in sustainable development generally is defined by the ability of businesses and other organizations to be drivers of change. If a company decides to stop using single-use plastic, it will generate less waste and provide consumers with a sustainable choice.
Climate change affects all of us. It’s been proven that individual action towards climate change can lead to greater collective impact in the future. What you do today as individuals at the grass root level will help to build a better world for tomorrow. Our resolve for the 2024 World Earth Day should be to make small changes in our production and consumption habits to contribute towards sustainable development and healthy Planet Earth as every little helps.
According to the UN Campaign for Individual Action, “Around two-thirds of global greenhouse gas emissions are linked to private households…From the electricity we use, to the food we eat and the way we travel, we can make a difference.” Make a pledge to do something different for mother earth together with a group of friends, family, or wider community. Whether it’s planting trees in your neighbourhood, upping your recycling, or carpooling to lower your gas emissions, small commitments can lead to gradually larger impacts.
President Xi of China said that, “Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets”. A good ecological environment is the fairest public product and the most accessible welfare for the people. This philosophy for green development proposed ecological development as a major task in the country’s overall development plan. The positive impact of the policy initiative is a testament to the efficacy of such conscious policy initiatives.
Eco-civilization was also included in the Constitution as a principle for development during. It was the first time in the world a ruling party had highlighted green development in its guidelines. China’s efforts to promote green development have earned global recognition. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) decided to promote China’s philosophy of ecological progress in February 2013 and released a report on China’s strategies and practices in the field two years later. Green development is not an empty idea. Authorities IN China have introduced enforcement systems to ensure local governments “walk the talk.” China introduced action plans to fight air, water and soil pollution and rolled out its harshest-ever environmental protection law. The country also decided to draw red lines declaring certain regions under mandatory and rigorous protection.
We need to emulate China’s model of developing an eco-civilization. For this we must strengthen and then implement a national policy of conserving resources and protecting the environment, and cherish the environment as we cherish our own lives. Pakistan needs to adopt a holistic approach to conserving our mountains, rivers, forests, farmlands, lakes, and grasslands by implementing the strictest possible systems for environmental protection, and develop eco-friendly growth models and ways of life. We must pursue a model of sustainable development featuring increased production, higher living standards and healthy ecosystems.
We should consider green development an important part of development philosophy, in order to promote spatial patterns, industrial structures, modes of production, and lifestyles that save resources and protect the environment. We should establish a strict system of controls covering important ecological spaces so that these spaces do not change in character, become smaller, or lose their ecological functions.
We must optimize the development and protection of territorial space and create a system of nature reserves composed mainly of national parks. We should put in place large-scale land greening programs across the country and strengthen protection and management of ecosystems of major rivers and important lakes, wetlands, and coastal zones. Last but not the least, there is an urgent need to step up protection and restoration of ecosystems and conservation of biodiversity. We must, therefore, work hard to revive the beauty of our country by creating and implementing initiatives to create good working and living environments for our people and play our part in ensuring global ecological security.
