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E. N. Udemba
According to Global Network Footprint (GNF), ecological footprint defined as the
utilization of landed and water resources for production of all resources consumed by
the population. From the definition of ecological footprint, over utilization of natural
resources than the available or regenerated resources by the ecosystem is known as
ecological deficit, and when the available space occupied by humanity and its impact
is greater than the ecosystem, it is considered as Earth’s overshoot [26]. The presence of both ecological deficit and earth’s overshoot is what will prompt environment
degradation. Also, the mitigation of environment through ecological footprint can
be viewed from the demand and supply on and from the ecosystem. The demand on
ecosystem is seen from the human activities on soil especially for farming purposes
and also demands for space for city or urban infrastructure, and forest to absorb
its carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels. The supply of ecosystem represents
the available land and sea area which includes lands for forestry, grazing, cropping, fishing grounds, and built-up land. Ecological footprint (EFP) can be measured
and calculated for space occupied by individual, city, region, nation, country, and
the complete planet. EFP of a person or a country is determined by how much of
biocapacity used and how efficiency this is being produced.
This study is centered on mitigating Pakistan’s ecological footprint with agriculture and foreign direct investment. Pakistan is among the vulnerable countries to
climate change through low environmental performance Bhandari [7]. The economic
profile of Pakistan has positioned agriculture and foreign direct investment (FDI) as
among the sustenance of the country’s economy with high reliance on imported gas
and oil as the main energy source and consumption Nabi [25]. Agriculture gives
one-fifth of the GDP and two-fifth of employment in Pakistan Bergan [6]. Among
the agricultural products of the country are cotton, wheat, rice, sugarcane, fruits,
vegetables, milk, beef, mutton, and eggs. Pakistan government has embarked on
some policies to boost the country’s attractiveness for investors, such as tax incentives for floating up of industries in sectors like energy, ports, highways, and software.
Also, export-processing zones are created by government to encourage the foreign
investment. This involves exemption from all form of taxes and duties on equipment, machinery and materials, and access to Export Processing Zone Authority one
window services [43]. Recently, FDI inflows to Pakistan have shown a positive and
increasing pattern from US $1.7 billion in 2018 to US $2.2 and US $34.8 billion,
respectively, in 2019 [45], UNCTAD’s 2020 World Investment Report). Countries
that top most in Pakistan’s investment are China, United Kingdom (UK), South Korea,
and Japan. The primary recipients of the FDI in Pakistan are financial sector, chemical industry, and construction [45], UNCTAD’s 2020 World Investment Report).
Pakistan’s vulnerability to climate change is not unseparated from the activities
emanating from the activities from energy, agricultural and industrial cum investment sectors. With ranking of 8th in the Germanwatch long-term climate risk index,
Pakistan is recorded as among the world’s most vulnerable countries to climate
change [17]. As recorded Chaudhry [11], the country’s share of fossil fuel energy
sources consumption has risen to almost 63% currently. Also, the need to boost the
industrial production which equally contains the investors activities has prompted
heavy reliance on imported fossil fuels and boosting of coal power plants which
E. N. Udemba
According to Global Network Footprint (GNF), ecological footprint defined as the
utilization of landed and water resources for production of all resources consumed by
the population. From the definition of ecological footprint, over utilization of natural
resources than the available or regenerated resources by the ecosystem is known as
ecological deficit, and when the available space occupied by humanity and its impact
is greater than the ecosystem, it is considered as Earth’s overshoot [26]. The presence of both ecological deficit and earth’s overshoot is what will prompt environment
degradation. Also, the mitigation of environment through ecological footprint can
be viewed from the demand and supply on and from the ecosystem. The demand on
ecosystem is seen from the human activities on soil especially for farming purposes
and also demands for space for city or urban infrastructure, and forest to absorb
its carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels. The supply of ecosystem represents
the available land and sea area which includes lands for forestry, grazing, cropping, fishing grounds, and built-up land. Ecological footprint (EFP) can be measured
and calculated for space occupied by individual, city, region, nation, country, and
the complete planet. EFP of a person or a country is determined by how much of
biocapacity used and how efficiency this is being produced.
This study is centered on mitigating Pakistan’s ecological footprint with agriculture and foreign direct investment. Pakistan is among the vulnerable countries to
climate change through low environmental performance Bhandari [7]. The economic
profile of Pakistan has positioned agriculture and foreign direct investment (FDI) as
among the sustenance of the country’s economy with high reliance on imported gas
and oil as the main energy source and consumption Nabi [25]. Agriculture gives
one-fifth of the GDP and two-fifth of employment in Pakistan Bergan [6]. Among
the agricultural products of the country are cotton, wheat, rice, sugarcane, fruits,
vegetables, milk, beef, mutton, and eggs. Pakistan government has embarked on
some policies to boost the country’s attractiveness for investors, such as tax incentives for floating up of industries in sectors like energy, ports, highways, and software.
Also, export-processing zones are created by government to encourage the foreign
investment. This involves exemption from all form of taxes and duties on equipment, machinery and materials, and access to Export Processing Zone Authority one
window services [43]. Recently, FDI inflows to Pakistan have shown a positive and
increasing pattern from US $1.7 billion in 2018 to US $2.2 and US $34.8 billion,
respectively, in 2019 [45], UNCTAD’s 2020 World Investment Report). Countries
that top most in Pakistan’s investment are China, United Kingdom (UK), South Korea,
and Japan. The primary recipients of the FDI in Pakistan are financial sector, chemical industry, and construction [45], UNCTAD’s 2020 World Investment Report).
Pakistan’s vulnerability to climate change is not unseparated from the activities
emanating from the activities from energy, agricultural and industrial cum investment sectors. With ranking of 8th in the Germanwatch long-term climate risk index,
Pakistan is recorded as among the world’s most vulnerable countries to climate
change [17]. As recorded Chaudhry [11], the country’s share of fossil fuel energy
sources consumption has risen to almost 63% currently. Also, the need to boost the
industrial production which equally contains the investors activities has prompted
heavy reliance on imported fossil fuels and boosting of coal power plants which