Losing the green

The latest satellite images released by Suparco offer a sobering visual record of Pakistan’s environmental neglect. Comparing Rawal Lake Park in 2004 with its condition in 2024, the images reveal a dramatic reduction in tree cover and an equally striking expansion of commercial activity. What was once one of Islamabad’s most valuable natural assets has gradually been transformed into an entertainment and business hub. In a country where every summer seems hotter than the last, this is not merely an aesthetic loss. While authorities continue to speak of development and investment, the environmental costs of these choices are being ignored. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s recent directive to the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to restore the area’s green cover and stop untreated sewage from entering Rawal Dam is a welcome acknowledgement of the problem. But it also raises an uncomfortable question: why did it take two decades, and satellite images, to prompt action on a crisis that has long been visible on the ground?

Rawal Lake is a vital source of drinking water for Rawalpindi and an important habitat for plants, birds and other wildlife. Its surrounding forests help regulate temperatures, improve air quality and maintain the ecological balance of the capital. The steady replacement of these trees reveals a deeply flawed understanding of development. Public spaces for recreation are important, but they should complement nature rather than replace it. Mature trees cannot simply be replanted overnight; they take decades to provide the environmental benefits that are so casually sacrificed. Pakistan’s policymakers too often attempt to replicate development models from countries with vastly different climatic realities. What may work in the skyscraper-filled, air-conditioned urban landscapes of the Middle East cannot simply be transplanted here. Pakistan’s greatest tourism asset is its natural environment.

The deteriorating condition of Rawal Dam also shows how environmental degradation rarely occurs in isolation. Just recently, untreated sewage flowing into the reservoir led to dangerously low oxygen levels, resulting in the death of large numbers of fish. Environmental experts have warned about this contamination for years, yet little has been done to address it. The consequences extend well beyond damaged ecosystems. A reservoir that supplies drinking water cannot be allowed to become a dumping ground for untreated waste without posing serious risks to public health. Pakistan rightly urges the international community to support its efforts to cope with climate change, but genuine climate action begins at home. The government must move beyond directives and ensure meaningful implementation. Restoring Rawal Lake’s lost tree cover, establishing effective sewage treatment facilities, preventing pollution at its source and placing firm limits on further commercial encroachment are essential investments in Pakistan’s ecological future.