Pakistan appreciated for launching programs to mitigate environment issues: Sindh Minister

KARACHI: Sindh Minister for Information, Local Government, Housing & Town Planning, Religious Affairs, Forest and Wildlife, Syed Nasir Hussain Shah Friday said that Green Pakistan and Sarsabz Sindh programs had been launched in the country to mitigate the rising issue of environmental hazards in the country.

While addressing 17th Annual Environment Excellence Conference and Awards 2020, held here, he said “Under such campaign, thousands of mangroves had been planted.”

He said Pakistan was appreciated in conference held last year (2019) in Spain for launching programme like Green Pakistan. More important was that the work of such program was visible besides ensuring transparency, the minister said.

Appreciating the role of different stakeholders, he said “Today the people are receiving awards because they have played extensive role in the mitigating the environmental issues in the Pakistan.

He said that it was responsibility of all stakeholders to play their roles which could address rising issue of environment.

Secretary Forest Sindh, Abdul Rahim Buriro said thousands of plants had been planted in the different areas in the province.

Besides, the department is collaborating with different organizations and departments like University of Sindh, Karachi University and others to launch tree plantation program in province, he said.

Former Secretary Environment Sindh, Shams ul Haq Memon said that plastic pollution emerged as a big challenge and it would be a big threat to eco-tourism.

He further said that there was a need of investment in forestry which would help to address the environmental issues and generate employment for local people.

For this purpose, the collective efforts were required, he said urging the government to take initiatives.

Another speaker, Mian Zahid Hussain said the environment hazard was big a problem for World as thousands of people were losing their lives due to this issue across the world each year.

Like other parts of world, Pakistan is most affected county and lacks finance to mitigate this issues, he said adding we need to improve local system and devise policies to minimize co2 in space.

Vice Chancellor NED University Karachi, Sarosh Hashmat Lodhi said we usually talk about problems but we don’t talk about the solutions.

"We should talk on the solutions of the problems," he said adding that as many as seven million trees were needed per year to mitigate co2 footprints.

Senior Journalist Nadia Ashraf said the media and Journalists are playing their role in creating awareness about the environment and its related issues among masses.

At the end, awards were distributed among participants.