Zubair Qureshi
Federal Minister for Science and Technology Shibli Faraz has stressed the need for constituting a regulatory authority to deal with the overall environmental issues with special focus on the threats being posed to environment and human health
He was addressing a seminar on “Challenges and Strategies for Effective Plastic Management to Improve Human Health” on Wednesday at Pakistan Science Foundation.
The seminar was organized by PSF in collaboration with UNESCO, UNDP, Global Water Challenge, Coca Cola Foundation and New World.
Senator Shibli Faraz said that the government is tackling the environmental issues on priority and referred to his government’s initiatives of “Billion Tree Tsunami’ and imposing ban on the use of plastic bags in the country.
He said that Prime Minister Imran Khan himself was taking keen interest in bringing improvements in this area.
Appreciating the contribution of Pakistan Science Foundation, Shibili Faraz said that his ministry was prepared to extend financial support to scientists and university students to come up with problem-solving research projects to bring positive changes in the overall socio-economic condition of common man.
Country Director UNSECO Pakistan Ms Patricia McPhillips said that plastic pollution is the most pressing issue and had acquired global dimension.
She said that concerted and multi-pronged efforts were required to minimize its devastating effects.
Senior Director Programmes, World Wide Fund for Nature Pakistan (WWF) Dr. Rab Nawaz highlighted the negative impact of plastic waste on environment particularly human health and said that some regulatory mechanism should be put in place to bring plastic producing industries under some control.
PSF Chairman Prof. Dr. Shahid Mahmood Baig in his address highlighted the Foundation’s role in contribution toward research and science popularization programmes.
The two universities, Institute of Space Technology Engineering Islamabad and Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences Nilore Islamabad, were awarded for coming up with low-cost efficient projects for plastic waste management.
