The Islamic Republic of Pakistan is home to a population of more than 241 million people, the fifth most populous in the world with a nominal Global Domestic Product (GDP) of US$ 410.5 billion, ranking 42nd globally. The country also has a high reliance on export markets, with textiles alone make up more than 60% of total exports and leather following closely behind. Together these sectors generate over US$ 17 billion in export earnings, with the textiles sector employing approximately 40% of the total labour force in Pakistan – 30% of whom are women – and supporting an estimated 15 million people both directly and indirectly.

But these sectors are intense water and energy users, contributing more than 20% of wastewater production and, for leather, ~30-50% of raw hide weight becoming waste disposed of in landfill or to the environment. These are often mixed with toxic chemicals, further polluting surface and groundwater resources and resulting in increased human health concerns. This factsheet showcases some of these challenges as well as the various SMEP-funded projects operating in Pakistan working towards addressing them.