The Aga Khan University commemorated the 2023 World Environment Day, featuring the screening of documentary, “Oceans: The Mystery of the Missing Plastic” followed by a panel discussion at the AKU auditorium.The panel discussion revolving around the topic of “Addressing plastic pollution through innovative and local solutions”, brought together experts from various fields to explore effective strategies to tackle the plastic crisis of global proportions.
The panel included Mr. Ghazi Salahuddin, Regional Head (Sindh and Balochistan) at WWF Pakistan, Ms. Ramlah Tariq, Sustainability Lead at Unilever Pakistan, Mr. Salman Tariq, CEO at Davaam, Dr. Mehmood Ali, Associate Professor, Department of Environmental Engineering at NED University, and Ms. Amber Ajani, Manager Environment and Sustainability at the Aga Khan University.
The documentary showcased at the event raised awareness on how our addiction to plastic ends up polluting the deep sea, coral reefs, and other land and marine deposits, and eventually finds its way into our food chain. Celebrated every year on the 5th of June, World Environment Day is a global commemoration to raise awareness on environmental challenges such as air pollution, plastic pollution, illegal wildlife trade, climate change, among others.
Our event primarily focused on solutions to plastic pollution under this year’s theme of #BeatPlasticPollution.As we know, the plastic waste is choking our seas and coasts, threatening ecosystems, livelihoods, and lives around the world. According to the United Nations Environment Programme, more than 400 million tonnes of plastic is produced globally every year, half of which is designed to be used only once. Of that, less than 10 per cent is recycled. An estimated 19-23 million tonnes end up in the lakes, rivers, and seas. Not only that, what is less known is that plastic broken down into microplastics which eventually find their way into the food we eat, the water we drink, and even the air we breathe.
Moreover, many plastic products contain hazardous additives which pose a threat to public health.In his welcome address, Mr. Jamil Ahmed Khan, Senior Advisor in the Office of the President at AKU said, “Plastic pollution is one of the most pressing challenges our world faces today. I appreciate the AKU’s Environment and Sustainability team for bringing awareness to the issue. AKU, along with the other agencies of the Aga Khan Development Network, has committed to net zero emissions by 2030 aligned with the latest climate science.”During the panel discussion, Mr. Ghazi Salahuddin (WWF Pakistan) said, “Our world is swimming in plastic.
