NEW DELHI, Feb 6 APP: Pakistan and India will work jointly to improve environmental conditions in South Asia.Talking to Newsmen on his arrival here this evening, Syed Wajid Hussain Bokhari, Minister for Environment, Local Government and Rural Development said degradation of environmental conditions including high level of carbon in atmosphere, melting of glaciers due to global warming, bad sanitation and pollution were affecting environment of this region.
These are common problems which must be resolved by chalking out joint strategy to provide clean environment to our children, he said adding cooperation from industrialized states will also be sought to control the pollutants in the atmosphere.
Wajid Bokhari is here to attend an international conference on “sustainable development and climate change organised by “The Energy and Research Institute (TERI), an international NGO. Prominent world figures will attend this conference beginning tomorrow.
The Minister said Pakistan had done useful and an effective work in the field and it would share it with other countries including Saarc countries. Pakistan would also moot proposals in the conference.
Wajid Bokhari said he would also meet Indian Minister for Environment and discussed ways and means on how to prevent degradation of environment in South Asia.
Pakistan was also holding a conference on environment in a couple of months where the representatives of regional countries will discuss and chalk out strategy in controlling this menace.
The Minister said a programme had been made to plant 86 million saplings during the next three years in Pakistan. A Task Force set up for improving environmental conditions had already started pushing forward the environment programme of the country.
On a question, he said quantity of water flowing in Pakistani rivers had also reduced due to degradation of environment.
The Three-day conference will be inaugurated by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Wajid Hussain Bokhari will also deliver his speech tomorrow at the conferenc