Post earthquake scenario in Pakistan; Environmental issues
and need of sustainable development
Sheikh Saeed Ahmad and Shaheen Begum
Department of Environmental Sciences, Fatima Jinnah Women University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
The area affected by the earthquake of October 08, 2005 is located within an active fault zone covering northern Pakistan and adjacent parts of India as well as Afghanistan. This particular event is one of the biggest natural calamities experienced in the recent history of Pakistan, in terms of devastation and magnitude. In stipulations of direct costs, it is very difficult to estimate the total wealth lost at this stage given the limited information available till date. However, major identified affected sectors were: Housing and human settlements; Infrastructure and services; Agriculture; Health; and Education.
Generally, environmental issues and sustainable development concepts have often been ignored in relief, rehabilitation and development activities in the earthquake affected areas of Kashmir. The current studies focus on the efforts, initiatives and gaps, and further our understanding of the significant characteristics of the sense of community in the post earthquake development scenario. As a matter of fact environmental damage is not just a threat to national economic and to individual countries, but has wider consequences. Therefore, recovery plan should take into consideration the long-term development program of the impacted area. |
