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| August 21, 2002 | Wednesday | Jamadi-us-Saani 11,1423 |
Minister calls for public awareness to fight pollution
ISLAMABAD, Aug 20: Emphasizing the need for awareness raising and broader participation of non-governmental and community based organizations, the minister for environment, local government and rural development, Barrister Shahida Jamil called for collective efforts to fight out environmental hazards.
“Community participation and assistance by international agencies can contribute a lot in addressing the environmental issues,” she said while speaking at a news conference at United Nations Information Centre prior to her departure to Johannesburg.
The minister is leaving for Johannesburg on Thursday to represent Pakistan at a 10-day World Summit on Sustainable Development starting from August 26.
Ms Jamil said there is a dire need for mass awareness regarding environmental issues to generate the desired results.
Pinning hopes on the Summit, she said: “We are going there with a positive approach to reach a consensus and evolve an effective strategy for sustainable development in developing countries.”
She said postal stamps would be issued in connection with the WSSD with the objective of awareness raising.
She said this year Monsoon Tree Plantation was named Sustainable Monsoon Tree Plantation Campaign with the stress on not only tree plantation but also caring for these.
The minister pointed out that Pakistan would also set up a stall at the Summit and arrange an exhibition to highlight environmental challenges.
“We have a story to tell. We accept the areas of concern and would try to tell other nations that there is a need for interaction and help for the developing world,” the minister added.
Replying to a question, she said, we are lead-free in petrol and efforts were being made to eradicate poverty.
“We are on our way to control air pollution, noise pollution, conserve water resources and fight deforestation,” she added.
The government was committed and ready to cope with environmental challenges and let international agencies also come forward and join hands with us, she added.
Reading out the message of UNDP Pakistan issued in connection with the Summit, the acting representative, Lena Lindberg said, WSSD hoped to bring about a breakthrough in world development and move from economic growth with widening poverty gap towards sustainable and equitable growth with improvements also for the poor.
She said the world economy was in a process of globalization and there was a need to ensure that no country was excluded and the poor were not left out or adversely affected.
Sustainable development was possible, she said, it was a matter of political commitment and integrating policy making relating to economic, social and ecological aspects and WSSD would debate all these concerns in one framework.
She referred to interim Poverty Reduction Strategy introduced by the government and the National Environment Action Plan and said: “It was our hope in UNDP, that these two national strategies would be seen in congruence.”
Therefore, the UNDP was assisting the government to implement the NEAP Support Programme with actions in the poverty-environment nexus, she added.—APP
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