Despite the grave situation, some mountaineers and climbing expeditions have always tried to climb these mountains. After all, the lure of scaling down K-2 is the ultimate dream of every mountaineer. These expeditions, though generate some much-needed tourist income, are also responsible for massive pollution of these mountains and glaciers.

The biggest source of pollution is the 25 year old military standoff between Pakistan and India in the Siachen Glacier. Hundreds of thousands of tons of waste has been generated and the whole region looks like a frozen sewer.

There have been some attempts to clean the area led by some European environmental organizations but on a very limited scale. Siachen, the most polluted glacier in the world, is still off limits for non-military persons. Unfortunately, Siachen is the main source of many rivers that ultimately drain their waters into the Indus river — the lifeline of Pakistan.

Unless and until the military establishments of both countries tackle this issue with an urgency, the environmental degradation would continue and can reach extreme levels where the waters of Indus might become totally undrinkable.

The emerging humanitarian crisis because of the refugees needs immediate action by international donor agencies. Besides the human aspect, the ongoing battle has played havoc with the environment of that region.

Swat valley and surrounding region are rich in forests and wildlife resources. Although no proper survey has been conducted but forests cover at least one-fourth of Swat valley. Taliban insurgents are already known to cut down trees to use it for fuel. Now the army is pounding the area mercilessly and there have been reports of wild forest fires. While military action is necessary to root out militants, care should be taken to minimize damage of life, property and also natural resurces.

More on this in another post.

The inauguration is definitely a breeze of fresh air in an otherwise doomed environment in this country. But the pace of work at Zorlu field is quite slow. The project was stalled for many years and it is only a few months since the work was resumed. There is a major security issue in that area and the government needs to protect the foreign workers.

Thanks to the great efforts of Enrico J. Wensing, founder of Ecosphere Net, our abstract has been accepted at the 15th Annual International Sustainable Development Research Conference that will be held at Utrecht, The Netherlands.

The title of our abstract was “A Transition to Sustainability for Pakistan: Add Water, Science, Technology, CSR and Social Learning“. Given the current instability in Pakistan, we need a strong resolution to rebuild or allow me to say; re-establish the social structure of Pakistan on sustainable basis. We’ll have to start from water as we can’t live without it and we’re facing a big water crisis in this country.

Asad Uz Zaman, former manager of Pakistan Water Gateway project at IUCN Pakistan, has also agreed to be a part of our team. His expertise in ICTs and knowledge management – with some focus on water resources – will help us a great deal. Other people have also shown interest and we’ll be eager to seek their guidance. We’ll continue updating on the status of this proposal.

Quite a few days (actually months) since I wrote my last post. I was extremely buys in some personal affairs actually. Fortunately or unfortunately, there have been no big news at the local environmental front. Political turmoil is in full swing here – as it is always – and the government is paying no attention to environmental issues; again, a ‘normal’ thing.

Thanks to recession, corporate sector is also cutting budgets for social responsibility programs. Given that these companies constitute a very tiny segment of Pakistani corporate scene, hopes of a better future are waning.

So that was just a little summary. I’ll try to post some local and international environmental and CSR stuff in near future, hopefully.

At the dawn of the new year, it looks befitting to review the achievements of the social sector in Pakistan during 2008. While looking in retrospect, the year had more banes than boons for Pakistan.

Rampant terrorist attacks marred every aspect of Pakistani life with casualties running in hundreds if not thousands. This cancer of terror has penetrated deep into our social structure. Coupled with weak and corrupt administration, there was hardly any signs of progress on this front.

However, all was not dark and gloomy as there were some rays of hope. At the social development front, old and trusted welfare organizations like Edhi Foundation continued with their services.

Environmental activism and sustainable development sector saw no major developments. Same was the case with Micro finance projects though a couple like Kashf Foundation and Tameer Microfinance are doing some good work.

As I discussed before, the corporate sector – a significant majority – played its own games in the garb of social responsibility. What these companies have failed to understand is that social responsibility goes beyond spending a few million Rupees and making a fuss about it – to generate good publicity.

At the environmental front, no activity to take polluters to task or even fighting the deforestation took place. Government did continue with its tree plantation campaigns but lack of public involvement has made this practice only ceremonial.

Leaving criticism aside, it’s time to rethink our priorities and work towards a better future. Engaing the public in social movements is not easy but we should try to give our best shot. So one of the resolutions for the new year should be to chip in our resources and best efforts to make Pakistan a better place.

Community activism plays a key role in social uplift and development of any society. If people take the task of social development to themselves; no one can stop them from achieving their goals. This community activism translates into a national movement in some cases while dies down in most of the others.

Social activism, especially mass mobilization, has always remained a topic of interest for me;  focusing on developing countries like Pakistan. This country has a history of community activism but mostly for political causes and in most of the cases, it ended in a mayhem. Strained relationship between a strong military establishment and fledgeling and corrupt polity; Pakistanis have rallied behind causes which resulted in violence and massive unrest.

There have been some instances where we, as Pakistanis, have supported social causes. As I have discussed in previous posts, we always support generously in the case of any natural or man-made disaster. We also donate a lot in charity; religious giving is quite big here. But, an activism for social change and development is yet to be seen.

The sole reason behind this lack of activism is that there never has been any such campaign in this country. A movement supported by an organization or institution (there are hardly any such working for social development) and which can convince people to join forces for a change. Unfortunately, same is the case with other developing countries where masses are manipulated by corrupt politicans for personal gains.

Probably, it’s time that people should get rid of this laid back attitude. Times are changing and social activism and active participation for sustainable development is the need of the hour. Environmental degradation, Poverty, Disease and Corruption are the biggest issues of developing and under-developed countries. These can only be solved if people themselves start their little contribution.

The time has come to see the transition from the developed countries to those developing or who have failed to climb the ladder of social progress. The much hyped trickle down effect has yet to take place. It’s true that some countries are making progress but at the expense of environment and people.

As I have discussed before, we need an alliance between the west and the developing countries. This cooperation for sustainable development is the need of the hour.

The same topic will come under discussion during the International Sustainability Conference at Villinova University, Pennsylvania. As Editor of Socially Responsible Pakistan (SRP) I have been invited to be co-author and part of a presentation of a paper on CSR.

The paper am co-writing is about how we can develop CSR from the global to the local level. Pakistan, of course, will be given a special focus in this paper. I am really grateful to Enrico Wensing from the Ecosphere Net, who encouraged me to be a part of this event.

More information can be found here.

In the current special issue of The Economist entitled The World in 2009 Daniel Franklin writes,

“In 2009 sustainability will take on a new meaning in boardrooms: staying in business….

It has become almost obligatory for executives to claim that CSR is ‘connected to the core’ of corporate strategy, or that it has become ‘part of the DNA’. In truth, even ardent advocates of sustainability struggle to identify more than a handful of examples. More often the activities that go under the sustainability banner are a hotch-potch of pet projects at best tenuously related to the core business. The coming shake-out will help to remove some of this froth.”

Citing the continuance of political regulatory and punitive incentives in 2009 as reasons, Franklin goes on to say that even in the current global economic crisis it would be a mistake for companies to let their, albeit parsimonious, commitment to CSR fade.

Similarly, the New York Times ran a story this morning entitled “Economic Slump May Limit Moves on Clean Energy” which captures the apparently growing sentiment within some of corporate culture that, for all intents and purposes, industry cannot deal with the financial crisis and reduce climate changing emissions at the same time.

Yes we can! And, yes we must!

What made CSR and sustainability smart and right last summer when fuel prices were high and the economy was perceived as being better still makes sense during the current global economic crisis, especially for the emerging markets in developing countries.

There are many reasons for this; perhaps the most obvious is the fact that we should not forget about long-term goals, namely our efforts to mitigate global warming through the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, which remain just as real as short-term economic goals. Just this morning there was a press release by the UN that greenhouse gas emissions continue to climb and have now reached record high levels.

However, here is my key point: Not only do CSR and sustainability still make sense during the current economic downturn, they actually make even more sense now.

Especially when corporations begin to re-define CSR and sustainability and take expanded actions on them. To manifest a more fiscally significant triple bottom line and to help get rid of the “froth” Franklin mentions it is necessary to engage a deeper and wider CSR and sustainability.

How to Engage a Deeper and Wider CSR and Sustainability
Re-defining CSR and Sustainability:

In the case of re-defining CSR and sustainability it’s the experience of the journey used more than the actual arrival at a consensus definition that may be most significant. Whatever CSR and sustainability end up being for a particular culture and situation, in order to get more people to take action on it, its important to get more people involved in determining their definition.

Expanding Action on CSR and Sustainability:

Once initially defined those who participated in the definition should now take action within their corporations, their communities and lives to test those definitions. Networking results within corporations and between corporations will help forward the efficacy and validity of actions toward CSR and sustainability.

CSR and Sustainability is not just about “going green”: its human rights, its ending poverty, its education, etc. Clearly, global sociopolitical values are changing in favor of the bigger picture of global sustainability. It’s not a trend. It’s a multidimensional issue that has everyone concerned, from the bottom to the top of the pyramid. CSR and sustainability are not going away and the corporations that engage them first, and more importantly, engage them furthest will gain an immediate and a long-term competitive advantage in the competitive marketplace.

Pakistan, CSR, Sustainability and the Global Economic Crisis:

In a time of crisis we often look to leaders to help guide us to safety.

Every country has a flag, every corporation a brand. These are significant symbols under which a workforce can find purpose and the pride of a society can flourish. The country that engages a focus on CSR and sustainability with their economic machinery will guide that country in a positive flourishing direction away from the ravages of poverty, war and terrorism. Pakistan could be that country, by engaging that focus and by becoming that global leader.

Regardless of level of affluence, skin color, cultural background or religious beliefs we all seek lives that are purposeful and have meaning. We are all capable of looking at our own basic needs while not losing site of the bigger needs of our communities and the world we live in.

We all value our family, our friends and, yes, and we value our selves. And we have every right to be human.

Ordinary people can do extraordinary things.

Corporations and countries that recognize how the power of their people can be extraordinary when engaged in socially responsible effectual projects through their companies’ and how that engagement adds value back to their work, their productivity, and to their lives will themselves be the most sustainable and profitable.

The post was first published on Social Bridges.

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