Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani said the government attaches high priority to environment protection and has promulgated several laws, worked out policies and implemented programmes to achieve this objective. In a message on World Environment Day, the Prime Minister said Pakistan was blessed with numerous natural resources and eye-catching aesthetic landscapes.He mentioned that the country’s precious lands - from the snow-covered eaks to the beaches, provide livelihood and shelter to nation of 180 million. We are a growing economy with high dependence on natural resources for energy, agricultural, industry, transport and domestic sectors,” he said.
The Prime Minister said this economic development process was affecting the environment by degrading land, water and biological resources as ample safeguards had not been adopted.
He said besides global environmental problems like global warming, glacier melting, droughts and floods, forest conservation has become one of the most serious challenges because it had become one of the most stressed sectors under the increasing demands for timber, fuel wood and other products.
He said the world community had recognized immense importance of forests as a global environmental agenda four decades ago, but practical measures to protect and develop global forests were not up to the mark.
The Prime Minister said the United Nations recognized this lapse and declared the year 2011 as International Year of Forests to invoke participation of all segments of the society in the noble task of forest protection and development.
He said with reference to IYF 2011, all international programmes and days are attributed to forests and the World Environment Day on 5 June, is a reminder of responsibility in this regard.
Gilani said in all these policies and programmes, forestry remains a central focus. He termed forest development the cheapest business with the highest returns in terms of livelihood, forest products, water generation, land conservation, wildlife protection and overall moderation of global warming and climate change.
He said although federal and provincial governments had made tremendous efforts in forest conservation, yet there was need to maintain forest cover just at 5 per cent of the country’s land area.
He said after the 18th Amendment, major responsibility for conservation and development of forests sector, side by side reforming forest policies and laws to meet the needs of the time.
Gilani said the Federal government would continue to provide additional technical and financial support to the provinces from both the domestic and international sources.
The theme of the World Environment Day 2011 ‘Forests: nature at your Service’ underscores the intrinsic link between quality of life and the health of forests.
“Our government is committed to provide all available resources to the provinces and other partners for improving natural environment of Pakistan,” he said. APP
He said besides global environmental problems like global warming, glacier melting, droughts and floods, forest conservation has become one of the most serious challenges because it had become one of the most stressed sectors under the increasing demands for timber, fuel wood and other products.
He said the world community had recognized immense importance of forests as a global environmental agenda four decades ago, but practical measures to protect and develop global forests were not up to the mark.
The Prime Minister said the United Nations recognized this lapse and declared the year 2011 as International Year of Forests to invoke participation of all segments of the society in the noble task of forest protection and development.
He said with reference to IYF 2011, all international programmes and days are attributed to forests and the World Environment Day on 5 June, is a reminder of responsibility in this regard.
Gilani said in all these policies and programmes, forestry remains a central focus. He termed forest development the cheapest business with the highest returns in terms of livelihood, forest products, water generation, land conservation, wildlife protection and overall moderation of global warming and climate change.
He said although federal and provincial governments had made tremendous efforts in forest conservation, yet there was need to maintain forest cover just at 5 per cent of the country’s land area.
He said after the 18th Amendment, major responsibility for conservation and development of forests sector, side by side reforming forest policies and laws to meet the needs of the time.
Gilani said the Federal government would continue to provide additional technical and financial support to the provinces from both the domestic and international sources.
The theme of the World Environment Day 2011 ‘Forests: nature at your Service’ underscores the intrinsic link between quality of life and the health of forests.
“Our government is committed to provide all available resources to the provinces and other partners for improving natural environment of Pakistan,” he said. APP
