Problems and Prospects of Urban Environmental Management in Pakistan

Discussions on environmental conditions often assume that urbanisation contributes to the degradation of the environment. However, urbanisation per se is not detrimental to the environment. Concentrations of population and economic activities through urbanisation offer opportunities in providing environmental infrastructure and health services costeffectively, because of economies of scale. It also provides opportunities to effectively internalise environmental costs; because concentration of economic activities reduces user charges and costs of tax collection, enforcement, and wastes management, which are essential to environmental protection. Nevertheless, while providing opportunities the process of urbanisation also generates environmental pressures. A nation that is unable to utilise the opportunities and alleviate the pressures through integrated environmental, economic and physical planning finds that mismanaged urbanisation can pose enormous environmental and economic problems that become increasingly difficult to solve with time. Unfortunately, Pakistan is one of the countries which have not managed the process of urbanisation effectively. This paper, after tracing the urbanisation trends in Pakistan, discusses the existing and emerging environmental impacts and risks. The country is at the stage of risk transition where modern risks caused by industrial and traffic pollution, such as chemicals, heavy metals and noise, combine with the traditional risks such as bacteriological and parasitic infections caused by inadequate infrastructure facilities particularly water supply and sanitation. The paper also analyses the responses to urban environmental problems in terms of approaches to sustainable urban development. Finally, it outlines the holistic policy directions to environmentally sound and sustainable urban development, including institutional, regulatory, economic and participatory measures.

Problems and Prospects of Urban Environmental Management in Pakistan

Discussions on environmental conditions often assume that urbanisation contributes to the degradation of the environment. However, urbanisation per se is not detrimental to the environment. Concentrations of population and economic activities through urbanisation offer opportunities in providing environmental infrastructure and health services costeffectively, because of economies of scale. It also provides opportunities to effectively internalise environmental costs; because concentration of economic activities reduces user charges and costs of tax collection, enforcement, and wastes management, which are essential to environmental protection. Nevertheless, while providing opportunities the process of urbanisation also generates environmental pressures. A nation that is unable to utilise the opportunities and alleviate the pressures through integrated environmental, economic and physical planning finds that mismanaged urbanisation can pose enormous environmental and economic problems that become increasingly difficult to solve with time. Unfortunately, Pakistan is one of the countries which have not managed the process of urbanisation effectively. This paper, after tracing the urbanisation trends in Pakistan, discusses the existing and emerging environmental impacts and risks. The country is at the stage of risk transition where modern risks caused by industrial and traffic pollution, such as chemicals, heavy metals and noise, combine with the traditional risks such as bacteriological and parasitic infections caused by inadequate infrastructure facilities particularly water supply and sanitation. The paper also analyses the responses to urban environmental problems in terms of approaches to sustainable urban development. Finally, it outlines the holistic policy directions to environmentally sound and sustainable urban development, including institutional, regulatory, economic and participatory measures

Agricultural development in Khyber Pakhtun Khwa, prospects, challenges and Policy options

KHYBER PAKHTUN KHWA is home to citizens, famed and known for their sense of honor, bravery, and hard work. This is evident from their history and their achievements in Pakistani metropolis and abroad. Despite true potential of its dwellers the Frontier Province is one of the poorest in Pakistan. The main income generating sectors of the province being hydro-power, tourism, horticulture, forestry, tobacco, maize marble and gemstone while main hurdles in the way of development are poverty, ignorance, security threats, religiosity and narrow nationalism. In KHYBER PAKHTUN KHWA agriculture is the main source of livelihood for masses. The emerging scenario of globalization demands a type of agriculture that can compete in the global market. The agriculture in the KHYBER PAKHTUN KHWA though diversified and possesses potential but is still under developed. There is a dire need of a thorough study on agriculture of the region to investigate the factors, which cause backwardness of agriculture in the province. To know about the causes of comparatively lagging state of agriculture in KHYBER PAKHTUN KHWA, investigation of various physical, institutional and economic questions about the role of government in disseminating information and knowledge, enabling farmers to accede to physical inputs, removing where ever possible environmental obstacles and improving the structure of incentives will have to be explored on the inter-provincial level. The study will induce the efforts for improving the living standards in the rural areas of the province. As the study is spadework in its nature on agricultural development in the province. It may stimulate the policy makers, practitioners and researchers whose daily concern brings them into direct contact with the problem of lagging agriculture, to do thorough work on agriculture of KHYBER PAKHTUN KHWA in future.   Â

Identification of Yellow Rust Virulence Pattern on Wheat Germplasm in Relation to Environmental Conditions in Faisalabad

One hundred and fifty varieties/lines were screened against stripe. Most of the varieties/lines showed reaction to these diseases. For the development of stripe rust disease of wheat artificial and natural inoculums was relied upon for infection and the environmental conditions of Ayub Agricultural Research Institute, Faisalabad were favorable. Out of 150 lines/varieties which were screened against sixty four lines/varieties were immune, resistance shown by 42 lines/varieties and remaining all were susceptible against yellow rust. Area under disease progress curve (AUDPC) of all varieties was calculated. The virulence and avirulence formula studied showed that 42 varieties of yellow rust were avirulent and 29 varieties were virulent by yellow rust fungi. Environmental factors had great effect on the progress of stripe rust diseases of wheat. A positive linear relationship between temperature (maximum, minimum) and disease severity showed that maximum stripe rust develops was highly recognized to 28-32 °C maximum and 14-18 °C minimum temperatures. While, other environmental factors like relative humidity, rainfall and wind speed showed positive correlation. On the basis of data these environmental factors were tested for correlation with stripe rust severities. It was concluded that screening and identifying the virulence pattern of yellow rust on wheat germplasm and utilizing these virulence genes on advanced lines may be helpful to produced for rust resistance in wheat to get maximum production. Keywords: Yellow rust, Virulence Pattern, Resistance source, Epidemiology, Correlatio

Prevalence of Cerebrospinal Fluid Leak in Traumatic Head Injury at a Tertiary Care Center

Background: Cerebrospinal fluid circulates around the surface of brain and spinal cord and through the brain’s ventricles. CSF leak is a condition that occurs when the CSF leaks through a defect in the dura or skull and out through the ear or nose. The most common causes of CSF leak include head injury, brain and sinus surgery. The objective of this study was to determine the frequencies of post-traumatic cerebrospinal fluid leak in traumatic head injury. Material and Methods: A descriptive case series was carried out in the Department of Neurosurgery, Hayatabad Medical Complex, Peshawar for a period of 1 year, from 1st February 2016 to 31st January 2017. A total of 422 patients presenting within 48 hours of acute trauma to the head were included in a consecutive manner and followed up till 7th day to determine the CSF leak. Results: The mean age group of our sample was 37.37 + 12.3 years of which 79.6% were male patients and 20.4% female patients. Most of the patients (55.5%) were ≤ 40 years of age. CSF leak was observed in 5.2% of patients, with otorrhea seen in 2.1% patients and rhinorrhea in 3.1% patients, respectively. Conclusion: CSF leak is quite common in our population after acute trauma to the head. The high prevalence may be due to high frequency of accidents in our society with high velocity impact and more commonly seen in the younger age group (≤ 40 years)

Precipitation and Temperature Oscillation and its Effects on the Flow of Indus Water System and Adaptation in the Arid Region, Pakistan (1940-2000)

The study evaluates the water discharge of the Indus and its sub-rivers in the arid region of Pakistan from1940-2004 using the annual changes in addition to seasonal flux and inconsistencies in culmination of the water flow.Currently, in Pakistan, the gross per capita water availability shows notable dwindle during 1951 till 2000. Owing todecline in precipitation (0.6inch or 15.2mm) and amplify in degree of hotness of 1.60C for the period of 1960-2000, thewater discharge throughout Pakistan particularly in the arid region reveals a susceptible stipulation from 1940-2004.During Rabi season, the decline in the water discharge of the Indus River and its tributaries show a drasticdecline/reduction, while it remains stable in Kharif season and could do with adaptation instantly. The annual waterdischarge indicates a positive deviation in the Kabul River, while it is negative in Indus, Jhelum, Chenab, and Ravirivers. Most of the rivers in Baluchistan are altered into seasonal torrents and the water scarcity for agriculture sectorand domestic use will be at climax in the future. The decrease in the water discharge of the Indus drainage system willinfluence the crop pattern and its production in the rain fed as well as canals fed arid areas in the lower Punjab andSindh province. The specific adaptations to cope with the problem are, improvement in the irrigation system, edifice ofnew water dams and reservoirs, construction of water course guards, innovation in sanitation and sewerage system,public awareness, policy and implementation, establishment of research and development fund, crop choices, glacierretreat and planning for water resources