KARACHI: “Even though we say plant more trees, there is no thought process, no plan and no vision,” said Amber Alibhai of the Shehri-Citizens for a Better Environment during her talk on ‘Urban forestation’ in the opening session of the three-day ‘Youth for sustainable living’ conference, a Goethe-Institut Pakistan and Schools: Partners for the Future (PASCH) initiative at the Goethe-Institut here on Friday.

“Most of the trees being planted during the drive are Gulmohar and Neem but they require a lot of water. Will they be able to survive in the current environment of high temperatures and little water?” she wondered aloud.

She said the city didn’t need as many bushes or shrubs as it did trees, which can provide a green canopy.

Global warming, need for more trees discussed at conference

“But the big old trees of Karachi are over 60 years old. They are not going to be around for much longer and we need to think of planting more trees that provide a shade cover as well as be able to sustain the current environment and weather,” she pointed out while reminiscing of old days when Karachi had many green parakeets and lots of squirrels because of the dense green cover.

Rumana Husain, founding member of I Am Karachi, spoke on ‘Building a framework for understanding environmental issues’.

“We may be dreaming about living on another planet but it has not happened as yet,” she said.

“Man is disturbing the ecosystem. We are the only beings on Earth who are doing this. So we need to think deep and hard about things such as our obsession with consumption, the green house effect and how these things lead to global warming. The more we consume the more needs to be produced, the more natural resources are exploited and environment is polluted.

“Global warming is real and has terrible consequences, such as melting of glaciers, the rise in ocean level, hurricanes, etc. It also has an effect on wildlife and sea life,” she reminded along with making some suggestions.

“Be energy smart. There are thousands of students going to school every day and they commute in personal transport. How about carpooling or having more school buses. Save electricity. Open windows instead of turning the air-conditioner on. Conserve water, eat wisely, refuse the use of plastic bags. These are small but tangible actions. Living simply is more satisfying,” she said.

Mahim Maher, digital editor of Samaa English and Samaa TV, came up to speak for Kamal Siddiqi, director of the Centre of Excellence for Journalism at the Institute of Business Admin­istration, who was seated nearby but had lost his voice due to a throat infection, focused on ‘Water issues in Pakistan and how they are reported in the local media’.

Diverting one’s attention to issues such as getting water through tankers instead of the line, the quality of water, water storage and dams, the politics of water, the falling level of ground water she said that reporting on water sucks because it is boring.

“It is the failure of the media for not doing stories that people care about,” she said urging the students in her audience to report on the subject themselves on social media such as Instagram, Snapchat or You Tube.

Earlier, Goethe-Institut Director Stefan Winkler welcomed the participants of the conference while sharing with them what to expect in the coming sessions which also includes a trip to Keenjhar Lake.

Mr Burghard Brinksmeier, cultural counselor, German Embassy, Islam­abad, who was also present on the occasion, said that the conference was specially designed for young people and students in particular who are part of schools that have the German language included in their school curricula.

Mr Ingolf Vogel, head of the Cultural Section of the German Consulate General in Karachi, said that they are more focused on inviting and addressing youth in conference because young people are the ones who will be making decisions and influence the future.

“The world desperately needs people to come up with solutions. Therefore, this conference will help them know and better understand the issues to come up with their own ideas for the future,” he said.

Published in Dawn, September 15th, 2018