By NNN-APP,
Islamabad : Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani has said that government is cognizant of the challenges and has taken major policy initiatives in the environment sector to cope with the challenge.
Pakistan is a signatory to United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity and has also devised National Biodiversity Action Plan, he said in a message issued here Friday on World Environment Day 2010 being observed on June 5.
“We are observing the World Environment Day at a time when serious dangers are posed to our environment. Global warming and climate change are some of the formidable challenges facing our planet with unimaginable consequences if corrective steps are not taken to control their damages,” the prime minister said.
He said that it is in this context that the World Environment Day, which is a United Nations’ flagship environment event, assumes critical importance.
The day reminds us of our utmost obligation to preserve our environment and save it from imminent dangers through prolonged commitment and timely policy action, he said.
This Year’s theme “Many Species, One Planet, One Future”, , the prime minister said echoes the call of the International Year of Biodiversity to stop the mass extinction of rare species of animals and birds from the planet.
Prime Minister said there is a great need to raise awareness about the vital importance of the millions of species that inhabit planet’s soils, forests, oceans, coral reefs and mountains.
“Our health, well-being and sustainable future depend on this intricate and delicate web of ecosystems, he said, adding,we need to launch mass awareness programs at different levels to put this message across to our youth and succeeding generations.”
This day provides opportunity to focus the attention on environment in order to promote an understanding among the citizens, he said.
Gilani said that scientists estimate that about 150-200 species dwelling on the planet become extinct every 24 hours.
There have always been periods of extinction in the planet’s history but this rate of species extinction is higher than anything the world has experienced for the past 65 million years – the greatest rate of extinction since the vanishing of the dinosaurs, he added.
This mass extinction, he said is due, in large measure, to humankind’s unsustainable methods of production and consumption including the destruction of habitats, expansion of cities, escalating pollution, deforestation, global warming and the introduction of “invasive species”.
Man-induced Climate change is said to have become one of the biggest threats to biodiversity.
The prime minister said Pakistan contributes 1.97 % share to the global floral biodiversity and 1.7 % to global faunal diversity. Pakistan has a number of rarest faunal and floral diversity but is in danger due to habitat loss and over use.
He said it was for the first time in the history of Pakistan that Earth Hour was observed under the official patronage in March this year.
The Government is doing what it can but real change would come about with participation of all segments of society, he said, and added that as we observe World Environment Day today, let us also consider our actions carefully that each of us must take and then commit ourselves to the common cause of preserving all types of life on Earth.
The prime minister invited every one, irrespective of whatever field of life they are, to come forward and contribute to making government’s environment initiatives a success.
It is the collective responsibility to bequeath a pure environment to the succeeding generations, the prime minister added.