ISLAMABAD, Jan 20: An extensive media campaign is required to create awareness on environmental hazards, adversely affecting the flora and fauna globally, specially in the developing countries.

This was the consensus developed at the seminar on “Rio+10 and Beyond”, organized by the Green Press of Pakistan in collaboration with Friedrich Neumann Foundation here on Sunday.

“Reporting on environmental issues is limited to seminars and workshops which needs to be enhanced so that realities about the impending dangers could be brought to the forefront”, National programme Officer, LEAD-Pakistan, Ali Tauqeer Sheikh, lamented.

He said environment threat in Pakistan was a non-issue till the Rio conference held in 1992, which was not only ignored at the official level but also at public level till the time it started threatening Pakistan’s bio-diversity.

He cited the incident of a bus which fell into the Lyari River In Karachi, resulting in a number of casualties caused due to the presence of pollutants spilled into the river by the local industries.

He said since media managers of both print and electronic depend on advertisements for their revenue, it restricts their effectiveness in campaigning against these industries.

He said it was after the collapse of the Soviet Union and with the initiative of certain NGOs, the Rio conference was arranged and for the first time civil society organizations from all over the world were formally invited to fight against the environment perils.

The President of Green Press Masroor Gillani said despite the fact that Rio+10 and Beyond was a comprehensive strategy evolved after taking into account world’s cultural, ethnic, religious, and social diversities, it failed to bring about desired results.

He said the government could not implement different agendas which it vowed to execute after Rio conference and in the meantime majority of the national fragile ecosystems withered.

Commenting on the Environment Act 1997, he said it had not been implemented in its true spirit. Therefore, industries were spreading pollution, even in the urban areas, which was clearly prohibited in the said Act.

Fayyaz Baqir, a participant, said in most of the countries, reports on environment were prepared by heavily paid consultants so that their participation in the next international fora could be ensured adding that it required comprehensive consultation process, involving all stakeholders particularly the masses.

Speaking on environmental communication in Pakistan, Zafarullah Khan, Green Press member said, reporting by visioned reporter could create interest within masses at least about local environmental issues.

“Development of an effective communication strategy is of utmost importance in a country like Pakistan where environment has been treated as a non-issue over the years” Arno Keller another participant said.

In the concluding session it was observed that in the upcoming political activity in the country, political parties should be asked to include environment problems in their manifesto to give an impetus to the existing efforts to preserve the healthy environment for our next generations.

The seminar was to be inaugurated by the federal minister for environment, Owais Ghani, but due to other engagement he was unable to attend the seminar.

APP adds: Tauqir Sheikh said during the past 10 years many new institutions like Environment Protection Agencies, Pakistan Environment Protection Council and Environment Tribunals were created, but implementation has been slow.

He noted that the government had committed Rs110 billion over a period of five to 10 years for environment protection but the actual allocations remained under Rs one billion.

National Coordinator of UNDP’s Global Environment Facility (LIFE-GEF) programme in Pakistan Fayyaz Baqir suggested that Green Press should hold an All Parties Conference on Environment so that political parties are able to reflect their commitments towards environment protection.

Jami Chandio, a senior Sindhi journalist, called for capacity building of media personnel so that they are able to write better stories on environment.