Environmental Impacts and Mitigation Costs Associated with Cloth and Leather Exports from Pakistan

The report finds that while cloth and leather exports in Pakistan generate significant pollution—including toxic chemical runoff and carcinogenic waste—the costs of implementing cleaner production technologies are modest at both the macro and micro levels. For cloth production, mitigation could reduce pollution loads by up to 91%, with costs representing only 0.0011% of the 1996-97 GNP. For leather tanning, mitigation could reduce pollution by 66%, with net costs (after chromium recovery) amounting to 0.0025% of GNP. The authors argue that meeting international environmental standards is a 'win-win' that ensures market access and improves public health, urging the Pakistani government to proactively provide information on global standards to exporters.

• The textile and leather industries are among the most polluting in Pakistan; textiles rank first in exports, value added, and employment, while leather is the most polluting industry overall.
• Cloth exports were projected to increase by 45% between 1996 and 2004, which would lead to an 81% increase in the associated pollution load if no mitigation measures are adopted.
• Implementing primary and secondary treatment using activated sludge technology in cloth production can reduce the pollution load by approximately 91%.
• The macro-level cost of mitigating cloth production pollution in 1996 was estimated at Rs. 2.598 billion, representing only 0.0011% of the 1996-97 GNP.
• At a micro level, the annual cost of effluent treatment for a cloth processing plant with a 21.45 million square meter capacity is estimated to be between 0.48% and 1.6% of its sales revenue.
• Leather tanning effluents far exceed both Pakistani and US EPA standards across all parameters, with high levels of BOD, COD, and chromium.
• Mitigation measures for leather tanning can reduce the combined pollution load by 66.23%, with a net macro cost (after recovering chromium) of 0.0025% of GNP.
• The cost of mitigation for leather exporters is extremely low, amounting to only 0.0048% of their export revenue.
• Cotton production in Pakistan is characterized by the overuse of pesticides and fertilizers, with pesticide use in 1997 reaching 44,872 metric tons.
• There is a significant lack of awareness among Pakistani exporters regarding the environmental standards being set by OECD countries, which has previously led to market losses in surgical goods and shrimp exports.

APA

Khan, S. R., Khwaja, M. A., Khan, A. M., Ghani, H., & Kazmi, S. (1999). Environmental Impacts and Mitigation Costs Associated with Cloth and Leather Exports from Pakistan. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/sdpifullrprt_s.pdf

Chicago

Khan, Shahrukh Rafi, Mahmood A. Khwaja, Abdul Matin Khan, Haider Ghani, and Sajid Kazmi. Environmental Impacts and Mitigation Costs Associated with Cloth and Leather Exports from Pakistan. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 1999. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/sdpifullrprt_s.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Khan |first1=Shahrukh Rafi |last2=Khwaja |first2=Mahmood A. |last3=Khan |first3=Abdul Matin |last4=Ghani |first4=Haider |last5=Kazmi |first5=Sajid |title=Environmental Impacts and Mitigation Costs Associated with Cloth and Leather Exports from Pakistan |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=June 1999 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/sdpifullrprt_s.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{khan1999environmental, author = {Khan, Shahrukh Rafi and Khwaja, Mahmood A. and Khan, Abdul Matin and Ghani, Haider and Kazmi, Sajid}, title = {{Environmental Impacts and Mitigation Costs Associated with Cloth and Leather Exports from Pakistan}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {1999}, month = jun, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/sdpifullrprt_s.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }