KARACHI, June 6: The dream of green cities across the globe cannot be fulfilled unless the countries formulate thoughtful policies on environment and allocate sufficient resources to solve the related problems, said speakers of a workshop. The workshop on “ISO 14001-Enviromnetal Management System” got underway on Monday under the aegis of the Institute of Environmental Studies, University of Karachi, on the campus.

A number of faculty members and students and representatives from related organizations have been registered for the training on EMS, which will conclude on Tuesday.

Speaking as chief guest at the inaugural session, the vice-chancellor of Karachi University, Dr Pirzada Qasim Raza Siddiqui, stressed the need for launching a nationwide special awareness campaign on environmental issues.

He observed that industrial and air pollution in the urban areas and contaminated water and unabated tree-felling incidents in the rural area were contributing adversely to human health.

Dr Pirzada noted that cutting of trees in rural areas for usage as fuel and the trade of expensive trees was a matter of concern. The non-governmental organizations and welfare bodies should work for the preservation of the forest lands, which was necessary to improve the environmental conditions.

He urged all countries of the world to play their due role in solving the global environmental problems.

Dr Pirzada stressed the need to conduct researches at university level, for bringing about much needed improvements.

The dean of KU science faculty, Dr Mohammad Qaiser, said that despite the fact that significant development had taken place in the fields of science and technology about 20 per cent of the world population still lacked clean drinking water and as much as 50 per cent was without adequate sanitation facilities.

He said that Karachi was facing huge industrial pollution which was also causing marine pollution.

The in-charge of the institute, Dr Moazzam Ali Khan, Zawbar S Lassaan, the manager environment and health of a local firm, also spoke on the occasion.

The KU institute is holding the workshop with the collaboration of an environment consultant firm and a pharmaceutical company.

Speaking at a technical session, Shahid Lutfi, Deputy Director, Sindh Environmental Protection Agency, said that the main issues responsible for the existing dilapidated state of environment in the country included the non-existence of industrial effluent treatment facilities, hazardous waste collection and disposal system and high level of vehicular emissions.

He said that the dust in the atmosphere was one of the leading environmental factor having severe impacts on human health.

“For rural areas, the prime issues having adverse impacts on local population are the emission from cotton ginning, brick kilns, rice mills and sugar factories, besides inferior quality of potable water”, he added.

Mr Lutfi remarked that the unplanned urbanization was the major cause for environmental degradation and there was need to allocate adequate resources for the development of waste treatment and disposal facilities.

Referring to the theme of the World Environment Day, he said that a green city was one that had clean air, clean water, proper waste treatment and disposal facilities, landfill sites, efficient and low emission transport system, cleaner production industrial units, planned urbanization, efficient recycling systems. Above all literate dwellers having better understanding of environmental phenomena and the will and vigour to protect environment and prevent pollution, he added, saying that any headway was possible only when there existed concentrated policies and long term sustainable development strategies to achieve the targets.

An environment consultant from a private firm, Syed Nadeem Arif discussed about the sustainable development policies and role of environmental management systems in industries.

He pointed out that any policy in regard to environment should come down from the top management, which was committed to improve the affairs pertaining to his own units, while observing local rules and environmental standards.

Mr Arif said that the ISO 14001 was a very flexible system and helped improving the environment proactively in compliance with the national legislations.

The system has been adopted by several national and international organizations in Pakistan, he added.

Mr Arif said that the ISO 14001 was the part of overall managing system which included organization structure, its responsibilities, procedures, processes and practices to achieve and implement the environmental policy.

He said that the EMS reactivity led towards performance of duties in an environmental friendly manner and had the provision of continual improvement, which allowed the improvement of procedures, practices and waste disposal mechanisms.

Mr Arif also suggested for adaptation of the international accredited environmental management system by the local industries in order to protect the environment and to prevent pollution.