Staff Reporter
President Dr Arif Alvi on Friday called for joint efforts at international level for preservation of environment to make the globe a better place to live for coming generations.
Addressing here at the concluding session of three-day 7th International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Asia Regional Conservation Forum (RCF), the President said world leaders and stakeholders had an important role to play in sensitizing their nations on environmental issues including water conservation and reduction in consumerism and waste material.
President Alvi said Pakistan had lesser ecological footprint as compared to developed countries and was in fact bearing brunt of environmental degradation.
Besides leaders and government, he said the involvement of communities could better address the challenge of global warming.
A comprehensive plan of action initiating from recognition of environmental problem, geo-fencing and devising steps for effective implementation is important to save the world for the sake of humanity, he added.
The president said the government under the patronage of Prime Minister Imran Khan, who had a special interest in environmental preservation, was taking steps towards achieving the goal of a Green Pakistan.
He mentioned the Ten Billion Tree Tsunami project as a positive contribution towards preserving climate along with gaining other biodiversity supportive outcomes.
President Alvi said humanity was dependent on the building blocks of other species including flora and fauna which acted as structural pillars of life.
He noted with concern the alarming extinction of butterflies, bees and dragonflies due to harmful affects of pesticides, which he said would threaten agricultural productivity. He recalled that during his tenure as parliamentarian, he wrote a research paper on the coastal regions of Pakistan with findings that described around 60-70 species of fish totally destroyed to the point of no regeneration.
