ISLAMABAD, July 18: Environment education is an effective tool for achieving the objectives of sustainable development and alleviating poverty, Minister for Environment Maj (retired) Tahir Iqbal on Monday. He was speaking at a two-day consultative national workshop on environment education. Mr Iqbal said his ministry was paying special attention to creating awareness of environment issues. It would continue its efforts for environment education through formal and non-formal education channels provided by government and non-governmental agencies, he added.

The minister said the interest for protecting environment stemmed from the strong desire to protect and enjoy nature and pass it on to the next generations.

“There is a need to increase understanding that health of individual species can be strong indicators of environmental health, and that the biological diversity has ecological and economic importance,” he said.

Talking about the importance of linkage between environment education and daily life, the minister said with a little bit of awareness people could have healthy lives.

The link between environmental challenges and human health is a major cause of public concern about environment. Lead poisoning from paint and pipes, air pollution, pesticides in water and food supplies, increased threats of skin cancer from depletion of ozone layer and other environmental and health issues are of growing concern to citizens, Mr Iqbal said.

“Environment education can prevent and mitigate environment- related health hazards by developing necessary skills and expertise to address these challenges,” he said.

With the passage of time, people in the country are becoming aware of environment issues like hazardous emissions and waste management.

“I strongly believe that environment education should involve an interdisciplinary, integrated and active approach to learning which must be a vital element of all levels and programmes of education and training system to create environment-friendly citizens,” the minister said. Environment education also contributes significantly to developing human and social capital, by helping improve quality of education generally and for providing opportunities for social engagement, he said.

A representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) elaborated on the aims and objectives of the workshop and gave the details of the UNDP cooperation in fighting out environmental hazards in Pakistan.

“Environment education can help a lot in effectively fighting out these hazards and ensuring a cleaner future for the coming generation,” he said.

Other speakers also talked about a number of environmental issues that could be better addressed by creating awareness among masses to cope with the challenges arising out of environment degradation.