increased to 152.83 (tonnes of nutrients per 1000 ha) in the year 2010. In 2002, the nitrogen fertilizer (nutrient use on arable and permanent crop area) for the US, Germany and Brazil was 62.29, 149.02 and 26.64 (tonnes of nutrients per 1000 ha) respectively. While in the year 2010, this indicators was 70.73, 148.32 and 36.87 (tonnes of nutrients per 1000 ha) respectively.
In Pakistan, the total agricultural area was 34.96 percent of the total land area in 2000 but declined to 34.44 percent in the year 2011. The annual percentage change in agriculture area was 0.26 in 2000 and 0.57 percent in the year 2011. Arable land was 79.01 percent of the total agricultural land in the year 2000; this dropped to 78.02 percent in the year 2011. The area under permanent crops was 2.44 percent of the total agriculture land in the year 2000; in 2011 this area had increased to 3.15 percent. The total area equipped with irrigation facility was 67.12 percent of the total agricultural land in the year 2000 but it increased to 76.08 percent in 2011.
Cattle and buffaloes were 16.57 percent of the total livestock in the year 2000; this number dropped to 13.21 percent in 2011. Sheep and goats were 26.52 percent of the total livestock in 2000 but in 20122 this number went down to 17.58 percent.
The percentage of pesticides-as-active-ingredient use in arable land and permanent crops was 0.29 (tonnes per 1000 Ha) in the year 1994, which increased to 0.54 (tonnes per 1000 Ha) in 2001.
The indicator of water withdrawal for agricultural use was 94.26 percent of the total water withdrawal in 2000; this number declined to 93.95 percent in the year 2008.
Pakistan performed well in some agri-environmental indicators. Being an agricultural country we mainly rely on this sector and thus there is a need to improve these indicators. There is also need to develop a detailed database of AEIs that would further help cover the weak areas.
The writer is an assistant professor at the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE), Islamabad.
Email: anwarpide.org.pk