Opting Environmental Science in Pakistan – A Good Idea?

What is Environmental Science?

First of all let us understand what exactly is the subject of Environmental Science about.
Environmental Science is a multi-disciplinary subject/field in which students are taught a variety of subjects with a base in Chemistry particularly, so it is a science based degree and being a field of study that touches upon various subjects, it falls under more than one category- such as Physical Sciences and Life Sciences.

Check out: What is Environmental Science and Why is it Important?

Also check out: Scope of Environmental Science Studies in Pakistan

Pros and Cons of Pursuing an Environmental Degree in Pakistan- Honest Opinion:

As with everything, each subject comes with its reputation and as a result people want to pursue it without researching properly about its pros and cons. Here are some Pros and Cons presented below on whether a student should pursue a degree in this field of study and why not so that it can help students make an educated and reasonable decision for themselves.

PROS OF PURSUING AN ENVVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE DEGREE IN PAKISTAN:

1. Science and Math Based Degree: Subjects related to Sciences are sought after by many students and parents due to the fact that scientific knowledge can be applied in real life scenarios and can be used to satisfy and improve lives. So there is no doubt that a science degree is never going to be not useful to anyone who pursues it.
   
   Environmental Science is one such degree and it primarily teaches Chemistry with Physics and Biology as well. It is a science-intensive degree with occasional subjects that expand into economics, biotechnology, and social sciences even.
   
   Whereas if you are a math or Pre-engineering student then you are still eligible to study Environmental Engineering which is a closely related field of Environmental Science.
   
   
2. Multi-disciplinary Field: In Pakistan, universities teach a variety of subjects like: organic chemistry, ecology, botany, biology, environmental physics, biotechnology, environmental economics, microbiology, computer and statistics, mathematics and various others.
   
   
3. Very In-demand: What with the increasing discourse around climate change and steps taken to mitigate it, it is predicted that Green Jobs would increase by almost 50% by 2030 on a global national average. Therefore, this field has always been quite important but it is going to be even more crucial and in demand in the decades to come. So, safely we can say that the job opportunities and sectors one can branch into after graduating are vast.
   There is whole separate category for jobs related to the environmental improvement and other related themes for this subject- that is what are known as a ‘Green Job’ and they are very in demand.
   
   
4. Many Fields to Pursue: Perhaps the best thing about this degree is that students will find a variety of sectors or sub-fields they can pursue in the future- whether it is for a job or for a Masters degree. If you are not a science student then you can still opt for a degree called Environmental Engineering. Some examples include the fields of: Sustainability, Green Chemistry, Eco-Friendly Architecture, City and Public Health Planning, Renewable Energy, Toxicology, Food Industry, Health and Safety jobs and other such related specialization degrees.
   
   
5. Thesis or Internship: This field is great because not only is it providing a job opportunity afterwards but many university’s departments are also offering internship option instead of research for its students, which will help them have an idea of what they will be doing in the future and what they can pursue instead if they don’t. Meanwhile, for those wanting to carry out research, they are also allowed to do that in a variety of different ways and relating to different sectors. So, in this regard the degree is quite flexible and provides an option for students to choose from according to their needs.
   
   

CONS OF PURSUING AN ENVIRONMENTAL DEGREE IN PAKISTAN:

1. Job Saturation in Pakistan: Being a developing country, there is not much awareness about the environment and regarding the degree itself. So, for this reason the jobs are also pretty much limited to consultancy firms, EIA/IEE officers, EPD and other jobs that are already saturated. However, if you are a very good student and passionate about it, you will be able to score an industry job not only in Pakistan but also abroad- where the demand for green jobs is very high and will continue to increase in the future. So, after BS you can opt to pursue a degree in Masters and aim for a better job with more experience and job opportunities. The world will need many future environmental scientists and people to fill up the posts for green jobs.

• Limited Universities: Although many universities and institutions in Pakistan are offering this subject but there is a likelihood that the syllabus would be a little outdated and not relevant to the current, and fast changing knowledge about climate change and environmental issues. Therefore, the choice of university in Pakistan is quite limited and students need to carefully select which university and department they are choosing.

Related: Top 12 Environmental Science / Engineering Universities of Pakistan

Conclusion:

So, if you are still confused as to whether this degree is worth it or if it is a good degree then the answer is- Yes. Short and simple. Yes, it is a very good and highly important degree that Pakistan and the whole world needs more of especially considering the situation of now a days where temperatures continue to rise, floods have increased in their occurrence, erratic weather patterns and extreme weather events like cyclones, heatwaves and the like continue to increase in their frequency.

So, there is a dire need for more people to understand these environmental risks and carry out not just research in these fields but other industries and hospitals are also being encouraged to employ at least one environmental scientist or have a vacancy for a ‘Green Job’ post in their unit.

I hope you all liked this post! Please comment below if you have any suggestions, comments, or feedback! We at #envpk love hearing from our readers! Thanks!