• Experts call for integrating health-centric strategies into national climate action plans
• Raise alarm over rampant tree-cutting and discharge of untreated industrial effluents into the sea

KARACHI: Expressing serious concern over the rapid degradation of environment in the country, especially in its urban centres, speakers at a seminar warned that the continued loss of green cover to make space for infrastructure development, rampant tree-cutting and unchecked discharge of untreated industrial effluents into the sea, were pushing cities towards an ecological disaster and worsening the climate emergency.

The seminar on World Environment Day was organised at the city campus, NED University of Engineering & Technology, by National Forum for Environment & Health (NFEH) and the UN Environmental Programme.

In his keynote address, architect and urban planner Prof Dr Noman Ahmed, Pro Vice-Chancellor of the NED University, said that the unchecked commercialisation and unlawful changes in land-use status were threatening the very existence of parks, open public spaces and greenbelts along major roads in Karachi.

He said encroachments on green spaces and amenity plots, coupled with large-scale tree cutting, has intensified the climate crisis, contributing to extreme weather events, including deadly heatwaves.

Dr Ahmed noted that the problem was not limited to Karachi. Lahore, once known as the “City of Gardens”, is also rapidly losing its green cover and ecological character due to unchecked urbanisation.

Referring to the recent attempt to carve out residential plots from Karachi’s Hill Park, he said the incident highlighted the growing threat urban green spaces face. “If a major park located in the heart of Karachi can face such brazen encroachment, one can easily imagine the risks confronting green spaces situated on the city outskirts,” he observed.

Dr Ahmed also expressed concern over the deteriorating condition of the Arabian Sea, saying Karachi’s marine and fisheries resources are invaluable environmental assets that are increasingly threatened by plastic pollution and untreated industrial discharges.

“A recent image released by scuba divers near Keamari Port showed the seabed covered with plastic bags, reflecting the alarming scale of marine pollution in our city,” he said.

Sindh Assembly Member Rehan Bandukda criticised ongoing high-rise developments along Karachi’s coastline on reclaimed land, questioning whether adequate planning had been undertaken to manage drainage and sewerage systems so that the marine environment remained protected.

He called for strict year-round accountability of provincial environmental authorities regarding their plans, commitments and announcements aimed at safeguarding urban ecology and the environment.

In his remarks, President of the Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI), Muhammad Rehan Hanif emphasised that industries must ensure that untreated effluents are not discharged into the environment, while businesses should strictly comply with environmental laws.

The KCCI president said environmental compliance had become essential for industries seeking access to international markets, as products manufactured through environmentally harmful practices faced increasing restrictions in developed countries.

Managing Director of Sindh Solid Waste Management Board (SSWMB) Tariq Ali Nizamani informed participants about the adoption of modern technological, information technology and communication-based solutions to upgrade waste management operations in Karachi and other urban centres in Sindh in accordance with international environmental standards.

“The SSWMB, in collaboration with municipal agencies and administrative authorities, has successfully carried out the disposal of offal and animal waste in Karachi during the recent Eidul Azha operations,” he claimed.

NFEH President Muhammad Naeem Qureshi urged the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), the KCCI and other chambers across the country to organise awareness programmes and training workshops to help industries comply with international environmental standards.

He also called for strict enforcement of environmental laws against illegal tree cutting, industrial pollution and marine contamination.

NFEH Secretary-General Ruqiya Naeem, Vice-President Engineer Nadeem Ashraf, senior ecologist Rafiul Haq, environmental journalist Shabina Faraz, and other speakers stressed the importance of involving educational institutions in nationwide environmental awareness campaigns.

They said educating young people about environmental stewardship was essential to protecting natural resources, preserving ecological balance and mitigating the devastating effects of climate change for future generations.

PMA calls for urgent measures

In a statement, the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) has issued an urgent appeal to action regarding the severe, direct impacts of environmental degradation, climate change, and pollution on maternal and child health across the country.

“The environment directly dictates maternal and child health and nutrition. The intersection of poor air quality, inadequate water sanitation, and climate disruptions is rapidly escalating into a full-scale public health emergency,” the association warned.

It stressed that urban expansion and ecological degradation in Pakistan were directly intersecting with human biology, creating a hostile environment for the most vulnerable.

“The medical data and frontline observations show that environmental hazards are no longer future threats; they are actively shaping birth outcomes today. Extreme heat waves and rising pollution levels are directly triggering spikes in preterm labour and low birth weight. Poor water sanitation continues to expose pregnant mothers and young children to preventable waterborne diseases, further exacerbating physical frailty.”

Climate disruptions, the association pointed out, were dismantling local agricultural and food systems, threatening to increase malnutrition by millions globally and locally, disproportionately affecting pregnant women and children.

“We cannot separate human health from environmental health. When our air is toxic, our water is contaminated, and our temperatures are unlivable, the most vulnerable among us, the mothers and their infants, bear the heaviest burden. As seen in the striking reality, the face of climate change in Pakistan is the face of a child struggling for a healthy start in life.”

In its recommendations, the medical association called upon the federal, provincial, and local governments, alongside environmental agencies, to make health infrastructure climate-resilient healthcare that specifically protects maternal and neonatal health during extreme weather events.

“Enforce stricter air quality and industrial waste regulations to reduce toxic exposure in rapidly growing urban hubs. Utilise nature-based ecosystem solutions to cool urban environments and purify air and water sources.

“Invest in climate-smart agriculture and clean water initiatives to safeguard food systems against climate-induced malnutrition. We must integrate health-centric strategies into national climate action plans. The time to safeguard the environment is now, for the sake of the generations yet to be born.”

Published in Dawn, June 6th, 2026