LAHORE, The World Environment Day (WED) 2021 will be observed across the province with a renewed commitment to fight population explosion, over-exploitation of resources, excessive land use, lack of environmental awareness and global warming through sustained efforts.
The Day is observed on June 5 every year globally to remind people of importance of preserving nature and saving mother nature from the clutches of environmental degeneration. The theme for the World Environment Day 2021 is ‘Ecosystem Restoration’ and Pakistan will be the global host for the big day.
The Day will be the right occasion for the United Nations (UN) to its unveiling of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.
Though environmental situation has improved a little in the coronavirus-induced lockdown recently, as people have been forced to check social, trade and professional activities, but it is unable to meet the required standards to be environmentally safe for the generations to come.
The Environment Protection Department (EPD) Punjab has declared celebrating June 1-7 as the Environment Week every year with a view to mobilise students, activists, stakeholders and the civil society for the cause of a liveable planet for future.
Speaker Punjab Assembly Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi will be the chief guest at a seminar, to be organised by the Environment Protection Department (EPD) Punjab at the Faletti’s Hotel on June 5 (Saturday).
The event will be attended by Provincial Minister Muhammad Rizwan, Secretary Environment Zahid Hussain, Director General (DG) EPD Mehtab Waseem Azhar, officials, representatives of the non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and stakeholders.
In his message on the WED, Provincial Minister Muhammad Rizwan said that collective efforts were needed to overcome the factors contributing to the rising temperatures on the earth, adding that deforestation, felling of trees, fossil emissions and erosion of green cover were the causes of depleting environment scene in the province.
He said that individual and collective efforts were needed to stem the rot and check the looming danger of an inhospitable earth.
The minister said it was a moment of great satisfaction for the nation that Pakistan had been awarded environment leadership in the world this year, adding that Prime Minister Imran Khan’s efforts to combat pollution and global warming have been acknowledged globally.
Leading the educational institutions, Government College University (GCU) Lahore will hold a webinar to create awareness about saving the environment. Prof Jimmy Adegoke from the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) and Muhammad Ilyas Gill, DG Archaeology Punjab, will be the guest speakers.
The Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) Lahore will distribute plants among the public to raise awareness on environmental challenges to the metropolis and make people understand the importance of green cover in fighting pollution and hazardous emissions.
Other higher education institutions and schools will also observe the day through various virtual activities.
The deputy commissioners (DCs) in districts of Punjab have been asked by Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar to hold different ceremonies to commemorate WED in their respective districts to underline the importance of protecting nature while the NGOs will also observe the day across the province.
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