There is not only the monetary cost associated with China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which Pakistan will bear, but also a hefty environmental cost of coal fired power plant projects under CPEC’s “Early Harvest” stage. With energy comes wealth, and with wealth comes prosperity! No one can doubt the veracity of this statement. But most of the times we forget to scrutinize the “energy” which generates that wealth and societal wellbeing.
A big portion of the total cost of CPEC, nearly $33 billion, will be invested in the energy sector of the country. Pakistan’s average demand of electricity (according to the International Energy Agency) is around 19000MW, while its generation capacity is around 15000MW, that is, a total energy deficit of 4000MW. According to IEA’s prediction, by 2025 Pakistan’s per day average electricity demand would reach as high as 45000MW. To help Pakistan get out of this energy crisis, the multibillion-dollar economic corridor has numerous power plant projects. Most of the energy which will be generated under CPEC will be from coal fired power plants. $5.6 billion worth of coal power projects are expected to be completed by 2019.The biggest problem associated with burning coal is that it releases a number of pollutants and airborne toxins which contribute to climate change and negatively affect human health.
The main characteristic of these gases is that they trap heat energy. Sun is the main source of energy on earth. Greenhouse gases allow sunlight, shortwave radiations, to pass through the atmosphere freely, where some of it gets absorbed by the earth’s surface and the remaining bounces back towards space, in the form of heat. A portion of this is then trapped by the greenhouse gases present in the atmosphere. It is the shape of these compounds which allow them to trap and then re-emit the heat, increasing temperatures around the globe.
The environmental cost of CPEC is much more than its economic gains. Most shocking part of the story is that China itself is putting more focus on renewable energy resources for its electricity demands, but is pushing Pakistan towards a fossil-fuel dominant energy structure
These gases causes rising sea levels, melting glaciers and ice caps, extreme weather events like cyclones, droughts and floods, increase in the rate of evaporation and much more.
Methane also comes in the same category. It is not a by-product of coal combustion but is formed as part of the process of coal formation. Thus it gets released from the coal steam and surrounding disturbed rock strata when coal is mined. CPEC also includes a project under which 1.57 billion tons of lignite coal will be extracted (3.8 billion tons per annum in first phase as “Early Harvest” stage of the economic corridor) from the allocated area of Block II in Tharparkar.
It is crystal clear that Pakistan’s romance with coal has no place for the sanctity of our environment. There are seven priority coal-fired power projects under development, out of which only two are currently operational and very soon all will be polluting the environment together with tons of carbon dioxide emissions. Furthermore, coal extraction from Thar coal mines block I and II will pump the bulk of methane into the atmosphere and together both power generation and mining projects will contribute to increased greenhouse effect in Pakistan.
This proves that the environmental cost of the economic corridor is much more than its economic gains. Most shocking part of the story is that China itself is putting more focus on renewable energy resources for its electricity demands, but is pushing Pakistan towards a fossil-fuel dominant energy structure. In 2017 the country eliminated or suspended 65 gigawatts (GW) of coal-fired capacity which exceeded the national target of 50 gigawatts! The country has vowed to improve its notorious air pollution and upgrade its coal based energy structure by reducing coal consumption and boosting clean energy use.
Due to increased greenhouse effect, increased recession of Hindu Kush- Karakoram- Himalayan (HKH) glaciers is observed. This will affect river flows in the Indus river system. As Himalayan glaciers will be melting for the next 50 years, water flow will rise in the Indus River, but after that, because of no glacier reservoirs, flow will decrease substantially by 30 to 40 percent over the next 50 years. This variation won’t just affect the availability of water in upper and lower Indus, but will also affect Pakistan’s overall agricultural sector. Increasing number of floods due to increase in heavy precipitation in the form of rain because of greenhouse effect, results in high sediment inflows in artificial water reservoirs (dams) and therefore reduces storage capacity.
So what is the ultimate purpose of CPEC? At such hefty environmental cost, all that economic prosperity becomes meaningless. You are digging in the land of Thar and at the same time depriving the communities living there of fresh water! Himalayan glaciers are melting, water flow in the Indus river system has been affected, crop yields are reducing, people are dying from extreme weather events like floods, droughts and heat waves, coastal land is drowning, transport infrastructure is being destroyed by heavy precipitation and people are inhaling polluted air and drinking water full of carcinogenic and neurotoxic pollutants because we want energy from coal. The world is progressing. Countries including China are reducing their fossil fuel energy infrastructure and boosting the use of renewable energy resources. Protecting the climate is necessary. For Pakistan burning coal for energy is like putting your own house on fire for some heat! Stop it! Stop burning coal!
The writer is a Blogger and Social Activist. He studies Global Economics and International Relations. Frequently writes in ARY and Dunya Blogs. His writings cover Economic issues, Foreign affairs, Politics, Culture and Finance. He Tweets @An_AliSalman
Published in Daily Times, August 5th 2018.