KARACHI:Sindh Governor Imran Ismail has said that hosting the World Environment Day 2021 in partnership with the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) is a great honour and acknowledgement of efforts of Pakistan in reducing the impact of climate change and global warming.
“We are honoured to host this year’s World Environment Day and lend our support to global restoration efforts,” he said while addressing an event organized in connection with World Environment Day here at Governor’s House, according to a handout issued Sunday. The event was arranged in collaboration with the ‘Clean and Green Karachi’ (CGK). Farah Rehman is the coordinator of CGK.
Ismail said that Government of Pakistan plans to expand and restore the country’s forests through a ‘10 Billion Tree Tsunami’ spread over five years. The campaign includes restoring mangroves and forests, as well as planting trees in urban settings, including schools, colleges, public parks and green belts. He said: “30 different trees had already been planted, spread over one acre, under the urban forest plantation campaign, at Governor House; out of which 12 trees were of fruits and 18 of other species.”
Ismail said that Pollution is not just an environmental crisis but is also a humanitarian crisis, threatening people’s livelihoods, harming health and wellbeing, and the ‘Waste Wise Cities Tool’ is an important and impact focused tool coming at the best time, which will contribute to effective solutions on the ground. “Only with healthy ecosystems, we can enhance people’s livelihoods, counteract climate change and stop the collapse of biodiversity”, he observed.
Farah Rehman of CGK said that the celebration of this day provided them with an opportunity to broaden the basis for an enlightened opinion and responsible conduct by the government, individuals and communities in preserving and enhancing the environment.