Uncovering Pakistan’s Environmental Risks and Remedies under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor

Abstract

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a journey towards economic integration of Eurasia. The CPEC contains US$62 billion investment projects on energy, infrastructure, and other development projects in Pakistan. However, CPEC could enhance climate change vulnerabilities for the faltering economy of Pakistan due to its three possible environmental risks and repercussions. Its major environmental concern is related to energy projects as three quarters of the newly planned energy will be generated from traditional coal-fired power plants. Traditional coal power plants are the major contributors to CO 2 emissions and smog, which ultimately lead to global warming and climate change. Its second important environmental concern is linked with massive tree cutting for the construction of various road networks from Kashghar, China, to Gwadar, Pakistan. Tree cutting leads to enormous concentration of CO 2 emissions along the road networks. Vehicle trafficking is its third important environmental threat. Karakorum highway is expected to carry up to 7000 trucks per day that will release up to 36.5 million tons of CO 2 . Despite all the environmental risks, the CPEC enables Pakistan to manage energy crisis and upgrade aging infrastructure. However, if appropriate remedial measures are not taken to diminish environmental risks, Pakistan will be among major contributors to CO 2 emissions, and its rank will be worsen in global climate risk index, after completion of this project. Therefore, it is very crucial to assess possible environmental impacts of CPEC projects regarding energy, infrastructure, and transportation. Furthermore, scientists from both countries should collaborate to manage the environmental repercussions of CPEC projects.

Climate Change Policy Coherence across Policies, Plans, and Strategies in Pakistan—Implications for the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor Plan

“…CC (Janjua et al 2018 ; Kouser et al 2020 ) as well as environmental impacts (e.g., air and water quality) are the main challenges of Chinese FDI in Pakistan (Huang et al 2017 ). Most energy projects of CPEC are coal-based (Faisal Mehmood et al 2019 ).…”

“…The CPEC is an ongoing development plan (2017–2030) worth US $62B under China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) (Kouser et al 2020 ). It is considered a geopolitical and economic game changer in the region.…”

“…The China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is the biggest investment project in Pakistan ever, worth US $62B. There are likely to be numerous environmental and CC impacts associated with CPEC investment (Zubedi et al 2018 ; Kouser et al 2020 ), in particular in connection with coal-based energy projects and infrastructure development.…”

A Construct Validation Approach for Exploring Sustainability Adoption in Pakistani Construction Projects

“…With the onset of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor initiatives, an exponential rise in the medium-to-large size construction projects being constructed across the country has been seen, from the northern mountainous regions to southern coastal areas. Critics say that the economic benefits are overriding factors in these construction projects, with ecological and social concerns being undermined [57]. Therefore, construction activities ought to pursue a balance among economic, social, and environmental performance in implementing construction projects.…”

“…Contrary to the appealing narratives [56], there are adverse effects too, and appropriate remedial actions are duly needed to counter the sustainability risks associated with the construction projects under this initiative. Negligence on this front would be detrimental for Pakistan in terms of CO 2 emissions, thereby worsening the country's rank in the global climate risk index, once these mega activities are concluded [57]. This situation needs a critical audit of the sustainability-management mechanisms employed by Pakistani construction firms.…”