Climate Ministry for baseline study to tackle e-waste crisis

Celina Ali

Islamabad: The Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination (MoCC&EC) has launched a critical initiative to develop a national framework to manage country’s rapidly growing electronic waste (e-waste) problem, citing serious environmental and public health risks stemming from unsafe disposal and informal recycling practices.

At a high-level consultative meeting held here on Tuesday, senior officials and environmental experts emphasized the urgent need for a baseline study to map the scale and nature of e-waste in Pakistan.

The meeting, chaired by Additional Secretary Zulfiqar Younas, also finalized the terms of reference (TORs) for the Ministry’s first working group dedicated to formulating a national e-waste management policy.

“There is an urgent need for investment in formal recycling systems, national legislation, and mass awareness regarding environmentally safe e-waste management in the country,” said Younas. “Without reliable baseline data, we cannot address the challenges effectively or plan for sustainable infrastructure.”

E-waste, which includes discarded electrical and electronic items such as televisions, computers, refrigerators, and air conditioners, is piling up in Pakistan at an alarming rate.

Experts estimate the country generates over 500,000 tons of e-waste annually — most of which ends up in informal recycling markets or open dump sites.

During the meeting, Director General (Environment & Climate Change) Asif Sahibzada presented a comprehensive overview of the current e-waste landscape, identifying major policy gaps and the lack of formal disposal mechanisms.

“Pakistan’s growing appetite for electronic products is outpacing its capacity to manage the resulting waste,” said Sahibzada. “Our working group will bring together government, academia, and industry to chart out a roadmap for safe, regulated, and sustainable e-waste management.”

The working group has been tasked with developing a comprehensive policy framework, identifying regulatory loopholes, advising on enforcement mechanisms, and recommending steps to integrate the informal sector into a formal recycling network.

Dr. Zaigham Abbas, Director of the Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA), highlighted Pakistan’s obligations under the Basel Convention, an international treaty controlling the movement of hazardous waste across borders.

He said the Ministry is aligning its national strategy with technical guidelines under the convention to better manage end-of-life electronic equipment.

“Most e-waste is currently processed informally, often in unsafe conditions,” Abbas noted. “The Basel Convention provides a roadmap for countries like Pakistan to distinguish waste from reusable goods and manage hazardous components responsibly.”

Urban areas were flagged as major e-waste hotspots during the meeting.

Muhammad Azeem, Director of Urban Affairs at the Ministry, warned that digitalization and consumer trends are rapidly increasing the burden on cities, turning them into unregulated dumping grounds.

“Mobile phones, computers, and TVs are ending up in open landfills, burned, or dismantled with no safety protocols,” said Azeem. “We must prioritize the establishment of formal systems in urban areas to curb this dangerous trend.”