Press release | 04 июн, 2012

A Seminar on World Environment Day 2012 by IUCN in Quetta

IUCN Pakistan organised a seminar on the World Environment Day 2012 in collaboration with Environmental Protection Agency, Government of Balochistan at the Environmental Protection Agency Complex at Quetta.  The theme of the year 2012 is: Green Economy Does It Include You? Mr. Mir Asghar Rind, Minister for Environment, Government of Balochistan was the Chief Guest.

The nations all over the world celebrate the World Environment Day on 5th June each year. The objective of celebrating the World Environment Day is an attempt to bring about a better understanding of the effects of environmental degradation on our planet.

Mir Asghar Rind blamed that foreign trawlers use specific type of nets for fishing in Pakistani waters that are badly damaging our marine life. He said that he himself had observed that industrial waste of Lasbella and Hub Chowk industrial zones and Gaddani Ship Breaking Yard including used chemicals and acids are draining into the sea. He regretted there was no check on smoke-emitting industrial and non-industrial units in Quetta. He pointed towards the departmental negligence of the government departments that are assigned the task for protecting the environment and controlling the emission.

Secretary Environment, Government of Balochistan, Mr. Abdullah Jan said that there is lack of commitment in government sector regarding environment protection. He was of the opinion that available resources in the government sector allocated for environment protection were not being utilised on merit.

Deputy Commissioner Quetta, Mr. Hashim Khan Ghilzai said: Green Economy is a growth engine that is opening doors to sustainable development and resolving poverty issue. He said that oceans are climate regulators adding that due to drainage of industrial waste, chemicals and oils leakages from the ships and boats, acidity in Pakistani waters particularly along Makran belt has increased.

Manager, IUCN Balochistan, Mr. Zabardast Khan Bangash said that 8 percent of the total land of Pakistan had forests and trees in the past which has decreased to 2.5 percent adding that Balochistan province has only 1.7 percent forest area on its total land area. He mentioned that 1.6 billon people across the world have been facing hunger and malnutrition adding that financial crisis is threatening jobs. He was of the view that world is facing financial recession due to unsustainable use of natural resources. He remarked that 60 percent of the ecosystem has been degraded in Pakistan. He said that only adopting green economy could bring us out of the financial crunch. Bangash emphasised on the need to reduce: carbon dependency, ecosystem degradation and water scarcity.

He was of the view that “Green Economy has the potential for Environmental Industries to become drivers of future economic growth”. He further said that green economy could generate 200 million jobs. He recalled that China has created 10 million jobs from recycling of paper, India 09 million from Biomass Gasification and Bangladesh 20,000 jobs from solar home system. He noted that China has used 3.5 million hector of land for organic farming. He said that the West and Europe have been using a specific type of locomotives in their railway system. These locomotives use diesel and simultaneously charge upto 2000 horse power battery which provides a substitute energy supply to move the engine after diesel consumption.

Director General, Environmental Protection Agency, Hasan Baloch and Maulana Mohibullah also spoke on this occasion.

Students from different boys and girls schools delivered speech on environment protection and green economy.

At the closing of the ceremony, certificates were distributed amongst school children who participated in the debate. The chief guest, Mir Asghar Rind distributed the certificates and cash prizes among the position holders of the speech competition and souvenir shields were also awarded to the speakers and organisers.

For more information or to set up interviews, please contact:

Zabardast Khan Bangash, Manager IUCN Balochistan Programme,
IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature)
Quetta Phone: +92 8128240450-2, Fax: +92 812820706
Email: zabardast.bangash@iucn.org