ISLAMABAD: Adviser to Prime Minister on climate change Malik Amin Aslam Khan has said that conserving and protecting the environment is not just the responsibility of the government, rather it is a collective social responsibility which they have to shoulder now.
The adviser was talking to IUCN delegation who called on Thursday to discuss mutual areas of collaboration in environmental protection. Federal Secretary Climate change Shahrukh Nusrat was also present in the meeting.
Country representative IUCN Pakistan Mahmood Akhtar Cheema apprised the adviser regarding different key projects being carried out in Pakistan, and said the environmental agency has been instrumental in facilitating the federal government in realising its international commitments.
He said the IUCN has a successful collaboration with the Ministry of climate change, Balochistan government, Pakistan Navy, National Institute of Oceanography, WWF Pakistan, and many other departments on conservation and biodiversity projects
He expressed willingness for further collaboration with the Ministry of climate change in mutually agreed areas.
PM’s adviser on climate change said that Pakistan is blessed with the multiple varieties of wildlife, flora and fauna but unfortunately due to indifferent attitude, lot of species are on the verge of extinction.
“We being the custodian of the natural wealth will take every possible measure to protect and conserve our nature and its resources,” he said.
He said that Pakistan is bestowed with abundant natural resources starting from Himalayan glaciers, lush green plains, fascinating wilderness to golden-sand beaches along its coasts. Pakistan is also a rare country that hosts ten agro-ecological zones.
He shared with the delegates that the government is going to initiate Recharge Pakistan project to store flood water in wetland sites, and the IUCN could join the initiative.
He further said that safeguarding and protecting nature is our shared goal, and therefore, it is better to work in collaboration to build synergies to achieve desired objectives.
