EPI Project

EPI PROJECT

What is EPI?

Environmental Performance Index measures how well countries do on environmental issues such as protection of human health from environmental harm and protection of ecosystems.

Portugal:

Health Impacts:

Portugal is No.1 in child mortality as they tried to achieved substantial progress in reducing under-five mortality from 1990 to 2011. This includes Portugal, with a 77 percent reduction during this period. The pace of decline is likely to slow as it becomes harder to make similar percentage gains on a lower base.

Air Impacts:

Portugal is No.26 in air quality and has improved their score by 3.54% in the past 10 years. Air quality is generally good in Portugal, with the exception of in the north and center regions, Lisbon and the Tagus valley.

Water and Sanitation:

Portugal is No.26 in water and sanitation and has improved their score by 25.31%. Technologies use and service quality over the past decades (1980s–1990s) has improved their score dramatically. Nevertheless, sanitation still remains moderate in mountain rural areas and some people have their own sources of water controlled by municipalities. In Portugal 93% of households have access to drinking water through house connections.

Water Resources:

No.27 on the ranking list there has been no improvements to their score for 10 years. Lately Portugal has been trying to tackle water policies to become  increasingly integrated, and 

further oriented towards sustainability, demand management, and climate change mitigation.The aim is to increase efficiency by water users at the national level, and to reduce virtual water import through responsible consumption

Agriculture: 

Portugal is No. 100 on the EPI scale for agriculture and has improved their score drastically by 29.35%.  Portugal is among the world’s largest exporters of tomato paste and is a leading exporter of wines. Port and muscatel, both dessert wines, are among Portugal’s most famous varieties of wine.The country’s agricultural exports help offset the cost of imported wheat and meat. Nearly one-third of Portugal’s land area is used for agriculture.

Forest:

No. 119 on the scale, The woodlands of the Iberian Peninsula are distinct ecosystems on the Iberian Peninsula, mainly spanning Spain and Portugal.The flora of the peninsula, because of bio-historical, geographical, and geological, is among of the richest and most varied of all European floras.

Fisheries:

 Fishing is ranked No. 32 on the EPI scale improving their score by 6.93% in the last 10 years. Fishing is a major economic activity in Portugal. The country has a long tradition in the sector, and is among the countries in the world with the highest fish consumption per capita. Fishing effort is controlled by a licensing system, where acquisition, construction or modification of vessels requires prior authorization. 

Biodiversity and Habitat:

Biodiversity and habitat is ranked 83 on the EPI scale. In continental Portugal, there are over 3 000 species of vascular plants, around 400 species of vertebrate and an unknown number of invertebrates.Most of the Portuguese native breeds of cattle and sheep are at risk of extinction. For this reason a national strategy for the protection of native breeds has been introduced to preserve the genetic heritage and prevent native breeds from becoming extinct.

Climate and Energy:

Portugal is No. 6 on situation of climate and energy. In 2001, the Portuguese government launched a new energy policy instrument – the E4 Programme, consisting of a set of multiple, diversified measures aimed at promoting a consistent, integrated approach to energy supply and demand.

Portugal's Environmental Problems 

Social issues would include land use.Land is beginning to be a problem and is changing modified Portuguese landscape, ecosystems and environment. Urban areas are responsible for a huge consumption of resources at the expense of agricultural lands. Land is a limited resource under permanent threat.

The government has issues with number of of cars on the road as they are making a effort to control and reduce emissions with a major impact on the natural environment. In 2013, such emissions fell nearly 25 % in relation to 1990 levels.

Water pollution is starting to become a developing problem in Portugal because of the many fishing ports. Governments have asked fisheries to stop polluting the waters as it could hurt the economies fisheries.

Afghanistan:

Health Impacts:

Afghanistan is No. 148 on the EPI scale for child mortality. One Afghan child in 10 will die before their fifth birthday The Afghanistan Mortality Survey found the highest childhood mortality rates occurred in children born into poorer families in rural areas. Around half of the deaths of under-fives were caused by respiratory infections or infectious and parasitic diseases.

Air Quality:

Afghanistan is No. 165 on the EPI scale for air quality. Air pollution in pollution may be hastening the death of over 3,000 people every year, according to the Ministry of Public Health. Vehicle emissions are considered a major contributor to air pollution: Every month Kabul’s one million vehicles are added to by over 8,000 new vehicles registered with the Kabul traffic department, officials said. Most vehicles in Kabul are over 10 years old and more polluting than modern ones. 

Water and Sanitation:

No.164 on the the EPI scale, water and Sanitation is horrid in Afghanistan. Even though Access to an improved water source in Afghanistan is among the lowest in the world. Access to an improved water source does not mean that the water is safe to drink. For example, protected shallow wells in urban areas are often contaminated with bacteria. Piped water supply can also be contaminated. Households without access to an improved source take water from streams and rivers, open wells and unprotected springs, all of which are also often polluted.

Water Resources:

Afghanistan rank in water resources is No.145. According to an estimate, all traditional groundwater irrigation systems have reduced or dried up completely. About 60-70% of the karezes are not in use and 85% shallow wells are dried out. The population dependent on these systems has suffered badly due to failure or reduction in discharges of these systems. The main reason for the low discharges is low precipitation and consequently low recharge to the groundwater. 

Agriculture:

Ranked No.149 in the world for Agriculture, Afghanistan is not doing very well Agricultural sector of Afghanistan is facing a number of problems that need to be addressed properly and long term and nicely coordinated plans are needed for the resolution of these problems permanently. First is the absence of a proper system of irrigation. Almost 90% of our farmers depend on the water of river and canals but the system of canals has not been upgraded from many decades and a lot of water is wasted due to soil absorption and evaporation which would be great for agricultural growth.

Forest:

Afghanistan's forest ranking in number 38 on the EPI ranking. Forests and wetlands have been depleted by centuries of grazing and farming, practices which have only increased with modern population growth.Much of the population depends on forests for firewood and the revenue generated by export of pistachios and almonds, which grow in natural woodland.

Afghanistan's biodiversity and habitat is ranked 169 on the EPI scale and has improved by 34% by the last 10 years.The most significant threats to natural resources are illegal hunting and trade, deforestation, desertification, and lack of law enforcement.In this situation, food security and sustainable agricultural development will remain a priority in the future

Fisheries:

Afghanistan's Fisheries have no rank on the EPI scale.

Climate and Energy: 

Afghanistan's climate and energy have no rank on the EPI scale 

Afghanistan's Environmental Issues

The goverment has been struggling with deforestation as smuggling and occurs frequently. Truck loads of timber leave Afghanistan every day, and are taken to Pakistan. The government needs to crack down on illegal logging. This has been hurting the economy of Afghanistan 

Afghanistan has been at war ever since the Soviet Invasion. The Soviet army inflicted lots of damage by uprooting numerous pistachio trees, and the various battles caused numerous uncontrolled forest fires which destroyed thousands of trees

Sources:

"Deforestation." Afghanistan Online: Environment (). N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Sept. 2014.

"Agriculture and Fishing." Portugal -. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Sept. 2014.