Water policy is a complex issue on April 6, 2019Political upheavals and economic turbulence in 2018 came close to overshadowing the water issue but did not but not quite do so. For many, particularly the environmental enthusiasts, the year was all about water resources. In some circles, the buzz began early, months before the first National Water Policy of Pakistan was approved by the […]
Juma Bazaar: Islamabads diamond in the rough on May 16, 2017Funny thing about the weekly bazaars in Islamabad – be it Tuesday, Friday or Sunday – you will see a mix of people, notably Islamabad’s elite. That’s not the funny thing though – what’s funny is that many of them will refuse to make eye contact with you and acknowledge they’re there. To date, people […]
Pakistan at COP22 on November 16, 2016A week before the 22nd Conference of Parties, to be held in Marrakech between the November 7 and November 18, 2016, Pakistan’s Climate Change Ministry announced a number of landmark decisions relating to the future of the country. One of these was the passing of the Pakistan Climate Change Act, under which a Pakistan Climate […]
The rights of Pakistani coal miners on May 1, 2016The COP21 — also known as the 2015 Paris Climate Conference — was monumental in mobilising governments to submit their “Intended Nationally Determined Contributions” (INDCs) — a public outline of what post-2020 climate actions they will take under the new international agreement — to the UNFCCC secretariat. While many of the INDCs, particularly from coal […]
Pakistans energy crisis on April 14, 2016A significant component of the Chinese government’s investment in Pakistan via the China Pakistan Economic Corridor’ (CPEC) is its development of Pakistan’s energy potential. Specifically, 2.8 billion dollars for developing four coal-fired stations with a capacity of 1,980 megawatts and 2.2 billion dollars for two coal-mining blocks in Thar have been pledged. Many in the […]
Climate cost of the CPEC on February 25, 2016The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), referred to as a ‘development package’ from the government of China to Pakistan, will expand Pakistan’s road and rail transport infrastructure, energy production, project financing and ‘intelligence transfers’- currently worth $ 45 billion — more than half of which are to be developed before 2018 as an ‘early harvest’. Following […]