Environmental racism

Visualise a child in a rural village, coughing through the night because of factory smoke spreading into their home, or a mother in a flood-prone area helplessly watching her crops wipe out. For many disadvantaged populations in Pakistan, environmental degradation is a lived reality that snatches away their health, stability, and chance at a better future. Pakistan’s most vulnerable communities are left to endure toxic surroundings and polluted resources – a harsh reminder that environmental degradation is also about inequality. Environmental racism is a failure of environmental policy and a violation of human rights.

Ignoring this issue compounds health crises, widens economic disparities, and weakens trust in governance. Pakistan’s commitment to achieving Sustainable Development Goals will stay unfulfilled unless it addresses these inequities. The solution is found in acknowledging and rectifying these injustices. Policies must be inclusive, centring the needs of marginalised people in environmental planning. Industries contributing to pollution must be held accountable through stricter penalties and transparent enforcement mechanisms. Grassroots organisations, particularly those working with affected people, should be empowered to participate in policy formulation.

Muhammad Shahjahan Memon

Islamabad