Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan, in acknowledgment to its leading role in ecological conservation, has been mandated to host World Environment Day to be held on June 5 in federal capital.
The country received this honour after the international community acknowledges its leading role in conservation of environment despite a developing country.
In a joint press conference, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam flanked by Executive Director United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Inger Andersen here on Monday announced the event would be hosted to raise awareness at the global and local level to protect ecosystems and biodiversity. It would help avert adverse impacts of climate change, he said adding, the importance of the day raised due to launching UN’s decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030 the same day simultaneously. Speaking on the occasion, SAPM Malik Amin Aslam said it was indeed an honour for Pakistan to host World Environment Day and thanked the UNEP for giving the opportunity. He said, “The decade on Ecosystem Restoration has been decided to be held a year back where interestingly it is coinciding on the same date.” Amin said during the COVID-19 pandemic the environmentalists acknowledged the high importance of restoring ecosystem to safeguard the planet. The contagion apprised social advocates that nature has certain limits and standards which, if obliterated, could incur serious impacts in its repercussion. “The outbreak of a zoonotic disease Covid-19 is its clear example for us”, he opined. The SAPM said, “Pakistan will be in the center of the message to bring the world on one page to fight together against adverse impacts of environmental degradation resulting in massive damage and loss to human life, biodiversity and ecology at large.” This year, he said, supposed to be the super year for environment as three international conferences titled 26 meeting of the Conference of Parties (COP-26) to the UNFCCC in Glasgow, UK, COP-15 to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Kunming, China and IUCN Congress on Conservation in Marseille, France would be held whereas the World Environment Day celebrations would be commemorated in the middle of these conferences.
Amin elaborated that the country was already heading towards the green path of conservation as Prime Minister Imran Khan had believed in nature based solutions for ecosystem restoration and environmental conservation and taking steps accordingly.
He said Pakistan was also developing a finance based framework, a new of its kind, which was different from the past practices for environmental conservation. “Pakistan is going to launch its 1st Green Bond of €500 value which will generate finances for ecosystem conservation”, the SAPM said.
Replying to a query he said Pakistan had launched its Ecosystem Restoration Fund in COP-25 Madrid, Spain, which was welcomed by the global partners, adding that World Bank donated US $ 180 million for the fund.
“Pakistan is the only country to realign its fund for nature conservation during COVID-19 pandemic particularly the Green Stimulus package providing livelihoods to Covid-idled masses.”
Addressing the media, Executive Director UNEP Inger Andersen said Pakistan was worstly affected by the climate change impacts which were inflicting damages to the country both economically and environmentally, however, she explained that contribution of Pakistan in global carbon emission was below zero.
“Pakistan due to its willingness in conservation and protection of biodiversity and ecology has emerged as a global leader in conservation”, she complemented.
The UNEP official said, “In 2021, we must take deliberate steps to move from crisis to healing: and in doing so, we must recognize that the restoration of nature is imperative to the survival of our planet and the human race.”
“Pakistan has shown real leadership in efforts to restore the country’s forests; we are grateful for their commitment to host World Environment Day 2021 and lead the charge for all nations to restore our damaged ecosystems through the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.”
The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration is intended to massively scale up the restoration of degraded and destroyed ecosystems to fight the climate crisis, prevent the loss of a million species and enhance food security water supply and livelihoods.
The UNDP resident representative Knut Ostby, parliamentary secretary Rukhsana Naveed and senior officials of the ministry were also present in the media briefing.
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