The above scenario is an overview of the situation currently prevailing in Pakistan. Before the September 11 terrorist attacks, approximately 2 million Afghan Refugees were already in the border areas of Pakistan. The UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) estimates that at least 30,000 refugees have crossed over into Balochistan and a similar number have entered NWFP since the attacks. The Government of Baluchistan has identified three primary areas of activity for the new refugees: Pishin, Qilla Abdullah and Qilla Saifullah. These refugees are living in conditions of extreme squalor and despair in these areas.
According to a report published in Dawn, UNHCR has assessed six sites with a high concentration of Afghan refugees in Balochistan, of which only three sites (Tor Tangi and Roghani in the Chaman area, and Pishook in the Chagai District) appear to be viable for supporting a refugee community. The UNHCR is also examining six other sites in Khyber Agency, where it estimates that some 55% of new arrivals will enter NWFP. Taking into account the half a dozen known crossing points in Baluchistan and the possibility of several other unknown ones, the UNHCR estimates that, on average, more than 1000 people per day have crossed into the province over the past 30 days.
Over the past 20 years the high unemployment rate and the growing resentment over the continuing presence of Afghan refugees in Pakistan is adding to the general instability of the local community. In the Chaaghi district, 80% of the population is living below the poverty line, which means that they are earning less than $1 per day on average.
This huge influx of recent migrations has resulted in extensive environmental damage in Pakistan, much of which is probably irreversible. The impact of these refugees on renewable natural resources is of particular concern as it can have a drastic long-term effect. At most of these refugee camps, trees are cut down to provide support for shelter while branches are collected for firewood and charcoal. Foliage is cut to feed livestock. Ground vegetation is cleared to make way for farming; even tree roots are dug up in extreme conditions and used as firewood. Eventually the land becomes unfit for even the most basic forms of agriculture. The resulting rapid and uncontrolled deforestation since the 1980s has left the area with only about 12% of its original forest cover. According to a UNHCR research report, since the influx of Afghan refugees started in the 80’s, Tameric Forest of Gird-e-Jungle in the Chagai district has been completely depleted and there has been no rehabilitation in the area at all. Other forests in the district share its plight.
Water reserves in these areas are facing a serious threat due to over consumption. They not only serve as a source for domestic and agricultural water use but also as wildlife habitats. As a result of the above unsustainable practices, the whole ecological balance of the area has been disturbed. Surveys by OXFAM and Mercy Corps International show that it would take months to increase the flow of water in Darra, a district in Balochistan, as the wells in the area are now dry due to misuse of water resources.
There is also a huge negative impact on social relationships within these regions. Where natural resources and firewood are scarce, people compete for access to these resources. Furthermore, refugees are often unaware of local traditions and laws set in place to protect wildlife and other natural resources - a common source of conflict.
The Health Ministry has forewarned the Provincial Government of the possibility of a nationwide epidemic of malaria due to the massive influx of Afghan refugees. Reports suggest that refugees have brought with them tick infested cattle in large numbers that could lead to Congo Hemorrhage Fever (CHF).
The work of the UNHCR offers a new hope in such dilemmas. During an emergency situation such as this, the immediate welfare of the refugees is UNHCR’s primary concern. Shelter, food and security are the first issues that have to be addressed. However, environmental factors are now increasingly being taken into account during contingency planning.
Along with camp management and planning programs, UNHCR should promote efforts to reduce the level of natural resource consumption in already stressed areas and support the use of sustainable practices. Refugees should be encouraged to use alternative fuels. For example, they can produce biogas by composting organic waste, which can act as a supplementary energy source for cooking.
As more and more refugees are crossing the border in search of peace and better living conditions, the situation in Pakistan is growing worse by the day. Sharing an ethnic background and geographic boundaries, we as Pakistanis can feel the trauma that our Afghan brothers are going through. But at the same time we should try to work towards a solution that would minimize the negative impact caused by these refugees. Thus, it is imperative that all those involved in these migrations - the government, local NGOs, donors, humanitarian and relief organizations, the public sector, and the refugees themselves – join together to counter the impact of the current refugee crisis. Efforts should be made to help them maintain a sustainable environment in and around their makeshift camps and to incorporate these activities into their daily lives on returning to their homeland.
The current situation on the Peshawar and Baluchistan border areas highlights the need of a partnership for the well being of all: the refugees, local residents, and the ecosystem. In this regard, WWF-Pakistan, as the largest conservation NGO in the country, compliments the overall goal and purpose of UNHCR. The over consumption of wood has exerted tremendous pressure on the environment, which has emerged as the biggest challenge at the household level in the northeastern part of Balochistan. This crisis has become the basis for a proposed collaboration between WWF- P and UNHCR. In addition, the goal of WWF- P, i.e. conservation of Nature and its diversity for present and future generations, can be integrated to promote environmental and humanitarian relief efforts at refuge camps
The writer works in the Environmental Pollution Unit of WWF- Pakistan
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