Problem overview:

     Meeting information requirements: This example shows the adverse impacts of a major motorway project on the socio-economic conditions of the people because an impact assessment had not been carried out prior to the construction of the highways.

Background in summary:

     The Pakistan Motorway Project: Recognizing the need for high quality road net work in the country, the Prime Minister of Pakistan inaugurated Pakistan Motorway Project covering the whole of country: from Peshawar to Karachi and Karachi to Gawadar and Karachi to Quetta and Quetta to Iran.

     Magnitude of the project: It was a massive project involving 3 major river bridges, 8 interchanges, 27 flyovers, 17 bridges on canal, 39 bridges on drains and 4 overhead railway crossing, 183 subways and cattle creeps, 22 culverts on canals and 73 culverts on drains.

     Funding for the project: The project was approved by the National Highway Council headed by the Prime minister of Pakistan in 1992 with 60 percent financing by the Government of Pakistan and 40 percent financing through foreign loans. The project was completed in December 1997 at an estimated cost of Rs. 30.5 billion.

     Neglecting to do the EIA: Environmental Impact Assessment report of the project required under section 8 of the then in vogue Pakistan Environmental Protection Ordinance, 1983 was neither prepared nor subjected to any review/approval process at the time of initiation, construction or even at completion stage of the project.

     Consequences are adverse irreversible impact: This motorway passes through the agricultural belt of the province of Punjab and is associated with several positive and negative impacts on the life of the people living in the urban and rural areas along the motorway. Apart from this, the project of this magnitude diverts massive amount of financial resources needed for other priority projects in other regions of the country, with consequent socio-economic and environmental implications.

Peer Review Committee Good practice rating: (1 for the best, 5 for the lowest score)
Sustainability		Efficiency
2	Improvement in either the environment of economic condition with no harm to the other.	2	Cost efficient.
2	Sustainable over time (not one-off)	Process
Adaptability		-	Participation of the community
2	Location adaptability (can the project be done in other places?)	-	Participation of resource owners/users
2	Socio-cultural adaptability.	-	Partnerships between various actors (Governments, NGO, Academia, Private)
3	Level of development adaptability.	2	Degree of coordination and cooperation between government departments.
2	Style of government adaptability.	3	Ability to attract political interest/support
2	Degree of decentralization adaptability.	4	Procedures for feedback and review.
Comments on this example:       The exclusion of this mega-project in the public sector from EIA review process does not leave a good precedent for requiring other small public and private sector projects to EIA approval procedures in accordance with the relevant provision of Environmental Protection Laws of Pakistan. On the contrary EIA and proper economic analysis of this project would have helped to institutionalize the EIA procedures in the development planning in Pakistan. Sustainability of the project:   Adaptability of the project to other situations:       Process of decision making and implementation:      Meeting information requirements: The Lahore-Islamabad motorway will benefit Pakistan by improving the socio-economic condition of the country. However, coupled along with the benefits are certainly the disbenefits. The reality must be faced; an assessment of the benefits and costs/disbenefits should be carried out to see whether the motorway network is truly an advantageous option for the country. Cost efficiency: