Strengthening Environmental Laws in Pakistan: Lessons from England's Regulatory Experience

Abstract

Lack of awareness consequent upon the poor enforcement of the regulations, create hurdles to sustainable development. Through an example, the author makes a comparison of the Pakistan environmental governance system to benchmark environmental governance in England. For this purpose, an illustration of the environmental governance system in England has been presented, for comparison and contrast with the Pakistani environmental governance system. The study adopts a doctrinal and comparative analysis to analyse the legislation, enforcement, judicial and administrative systems of environmental governance in both systems. The study highlights the successful protection of the environment in England, due to its integrated system of regulation, independent environmental agencies and compliance enforcement culture, whereas in Pakistan, although there are comprehensive environmental laws, the implementation/ enforcement gaps in the governance system leads to environment's failure. The author suggests that there is scope to develop Pakistan's Environmental System of governance by adopting lessons learnt from England on the themes of independence, accountability and public participation in institutions and environmental justice in the court system which are currently being imparted in English schoolchildren. This study makes the case that comparative lessons, which do not focus on the legal system but on governance, will be practically more beneficial to strengthen the country's environmental governance and to support environmental development.