The World Conservation Union (IUCN), the Worldwide Fund
for Nature (WWF) and CARE International warn against further risks from
environmental hazards in Northern Pakistan
This alert-bulletin
primarily aims to outline some of the environmental hazards that persist
in the earthquake affected areas. These include serious health hazards
due to poor sanitation and inadequate solid waste management practices
in the relief camps; the danger of flash floods and more landslides; the
pressure on dwindling natural resources, especially forests for fuel and
shelter needs; the dangers of heavy siltation in rivers feeding into the
Mangla Dam and those of haphazard reconstruction. More detailed guidelines
on tackling some of these issues would be released in due course of time.
Sanitation and Solid Waste Management
Many of the
relief camps, which house a large number of people, rendered homeless
by the devastating earthquake, have poor sanitation conditions in general
and absence of hygienic solid waste management in particular. This has
not only made them vulnerable to serious risks of epidemics and other
health hazards, but is also resulting in polluting the environment. The
issue of solid waste management in all such temporary settlements should
be accorded the highest priority.
Waste dumped
unhygienically outside a tented settlement
Flash-floods and Landslides
Landslides
caused by the earthquake have temporarily obstructed river channels at
many locations. However, between
Hattian Bala and Chakaar, a massive landslide has completely blocked the
course of the river across two valleys, creating two lakes.
The height of the dike created by the slide is approximately 200m.
The communities both upstream and downstream of this blockage are threatened
by this situation, particularly if it rains and rains heavily. There is also a danger of further landslides
in the event of heavy rains and snow. This is especially so during the
period of January to March, known for its heavy precipitation. All precaution
should be taken to avoid locating relief settlements on mountain slopes
as well as sites directly under them. This is because the earth has already
loosened due to the massive earthquake and its aftershocks. Ominously,
snow and heavy rains would further reduce the gradient at which landslides
can occur.
Landslide between
Hattian Bala and Chakaar blocking the river
Degradation of Forests and Timber Trade
The need for
shelter and fuel for hundreds of thousands of affected people have put
the already depleted forests in the region under a great potential threat.
But any further degradation of this precious natural resource would drastically
reduce the livelihoods options of the local people, increasing their vulnerability.
The situation also demands that any timber stocks in the affected areas
should be used locally for reconstruction and other related needs. However,
in anticipation of imposition of government controls or subsidies, stocked
timber is rapidly being transported out of the earthquake affected areas
for more profitable marketing elsewhere.
Siltation of Mangla Dam
The landslides
caused by the earthquake deposited massive volumes of silt and sediments
into the rivers flowing through the affected region. Aftershocks, some
of them equivalent to fairly strong earthquakes in their own right, have
further added to these seismo-sediments. Rivers Kunhar, Neelum and Jehlum
- and their various tributaries – are the most affected by this phenomenon.
They are carrying this load downstream to the Mangla reservoir, greatly
increasing the risk of silting this already silted dam, and reducing the
life and capacity of this reservoir.
A project for increasing the capacity of the reservoir has been
in the planning phase. In view of current hazards, the technical feasibility
may need to be reviewed and revised.
Hazardous Reconstruction
Due to the onset of winter and inadequate shelter, people living in higher altitudes have started reconstruction. In the absence of specific guidelines for constructing earthquake resistant buildings, people are reverting to their old construction practices, without taking into account the risks posed by such structures. Some basic guidelines by relevant agencies at this stage would have a huge positive impact, for it would not be wise to curb the initiative and self-motivation of the affected people. Also, to a great extent, this reconstruction is being carried out with timber and other material salvaged from the debris. However, these are in limited supply and once they run out, there is a danger that people might turn to felling trees.
Conventional
reconstruction from timber