LAHORE: Punjab Minister for Environment Begum Zakia Shahnawaz said on Tuesday it is a terrible time for the world, especially developing nations, who have to bear the brunt of pollution caused by developed nations, but did not have the right technology to help resolve several issues.

As the chief guest, the minister was addressing an event held to live stream the ‘24 Hours of Reality’ at a university organised by assistant professor and US-trained climate leader Javeria Qais Joya. Students, teachers and other guests attended the screening.

Former US vice president Al Gore hosted the Climate Reality Project’s seventh annual ‘24 Hours of Reality’ broadcast. It was a live event for the audience world over to speak up for solutions and science, and to empower others regarding climate change. Acting Environment Protection Department Director Naseemur Rehman was also present on the occasion.

“At present, a lot of pollution is caused internally too, but a lot of it is imported from neighbouring countries. But it’s about time we started thinking of solutions,” Begum Zakia said.

She gave examples of the Attaabad Lake which had swelled to huge proportions because of melting glaciers, and said this rise in temperature was indeed worrying.

“There are people who are cutting down trees for their own greed and do not replace them,” she said. “The government has also been cutting down trees, but for development. And about 10 trees are planted for every plant felled.”

She also mentioned that they had imported a new brick kiln technology from Nepal, which was undergoing testing. Phase 1 of the technology would be carried out soon to check how the transition from old brick kilns to new ones took place. There were 10,500 kilns in Punjab, she said, and all of them contributed heavily to smog.

Director Rehman said climate change was the biggest issue of today in the world. To deal with it, there was a ministry at the federal level with an Environment Protection Agency as well as provincial departments.

“Our biggest problem is carbon dioxide emissions, which is the result of high population growth rate,” he said. “With more population, factories, kilns and vehicles, carbon dioxide as well as other hazardous gases are emitted more freely. At the same time, while the required forest cover for all countries should be 25 per cent, ours is just 4pc.”

He suggested that schools teach courses on environment and form clubs at all levels. The government was doing all it could to deal with the problems. Euro 2-type cars were being standardised, the government had strictly directed all industries to follow environment safety procedures and use technology that could reduce hazardous emissions. Those not following had already been sealed, he claimed.

Although a coal power plant was being established, he recommended using other forms of energy such as wind and solar.

Published in Dawn, December 6th, 2017