Abstract
With the perfect execution of the plan being endorsed by the government of Pakistan in general and the Ministry of Planning in particular, the ChinaPakistan Economic Corridor will instigate a new chapter of growth and development in Pakistan. But then from the magnifying glass of an economist, it remains a big question mark whether this development will be sustainable or not. The grand scale globalization and its charms are apparent but the damage it is causing to the environment is alarming as one cannot exclude the economy from ecosystem. Thus each economic activity, whether on a small or large scale has its due effects on the environment. In the case of CPEC, a grand project of connectivity for trade, there will be a huge inflow of containers by road, cargo trains by railway tracks, aero-planes via newly built airports and ships on the seaport. These vehicles will become the major contributors of the greenhouse gases within the environment which is the prominent reason of global warming on macro level. The effects on micro level include the health trepidations such as respiratory and epidermal disorders and the other chronic and lethal diseases including cancer. Therefore these damages can be reduced in many ways with the help of astute economic planning. Because of the unavailability of data, our research relies on the existing literature and examines all the above mentioned and other related concerns based on hypothetical conditions. Sustainability is analyzed in the research using Overlapping Theme of the Sustainability Paradigm model. The research is basically intended to raise the issue of environmental damage caused by the mega development projects that is often overlooked specially in the case of developing countries. Now is the time when environmental concerns should be addressed formally and seriously as the changing climate has already started to haunt the world. The heat stroke wave in 2015 hit the Sindh, especially Karachi when the temperature was elevated to 49 degree Celsius, seized around 2000 human lives. Later on, Karachi was ranked 14th among the 20 most polluted cities in the world according to the World Health Organization. The same report declared Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, to be the second most polluted cities in the world. With respect to this scenario, it is the need of the time that whatever development projects are initiated within the country are eco-friendly. This study is designed to investigate whether the CPEC will become the reason of the much needed sustainable development within the country or it will, like many other mega projects, countersign the receding climatic conditions.