Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi has said the emergence of Covid-19 has shown how disastrous consequences of ecosystem loss could be as by shrinking natural habitat for animals, we may have created ideal conditions for pathogens including coronavirus to spread.
The Naval Chief made these remarks in his message on World Environment Day which is celebrated on 5th of June every year under the ambit of United Nations to raise awareness about significance of healthy and green environment, said a Pakistan Navy news release here received.
It aims to promote environmental measures for improving the quality of life, especially for our future generations, under the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
This year’s theme adopted for the World Environment Day is ‘Ecosystem Restoration’; a major concern for the mankind.
Admiral Niazi said Ecosystem restoration means bringing back plants and animals from the brink of extinction, from the peaks of the mountains to the depths of seas.
Setting the right priorities, Pakistan has been proactively focusing on measures to protect the environment so as to reduce destruction caused by a myriad of anthropogenic activities, he added.
In the same context, this year, Pakistan is hosting World Environment Day for the first time and numbers of activities are scheduled by various ministries and other public and private entities to generate awareness among masses about the importance of restoration and conservation of the environment.
“There is no denying the fact that ‘Ecosystem Restoration’ is a global undertaking requiring response at a massive scale,” the Naval Chief underscored.
Ecosystem, he said is interaction between living organisms i.e. plants, animals, people with their surroundings (nature, cities, farms etc).
The restoration includes recovery of degraded or destroyed as well as conservation of ecosystems still intact, he added.
Pakistan Navy, he said also celebrates World Environment Day to highlight the significance of environment and undertakes numerous protection measures; focusing particularly on the marine environment.
“PN has launched various initiatives, such as Trees and Mangroves plantation campaigns, banned use of polythene bags in naval premises, collection of solid waste in harbours and installation of Reed Bed Reverse Osmosis Plants for Sewerage Water Treatment in residential areas,” he mentioned.
The Naval Chief said, “While ‘Ecosystem Restoration’ is a global challenge affecting everyone, a number of activities have been planned by Pakistan Navy’s Field Commands to inculcate a sense of responsibility among all personnel to preserve our precious environment.”
“I expect all Units under Command to put up dedicated efforts to make these events a success. Small actions taken by individuals, with unanimity of purpose, can cumulatively create enormous effects,” the Naval Chief said.
Admiral Niazi in his message concluded, “On this day, let us reaffirm our commitment and resolve to ensure a cleaner and safer environment which directly affects our quality of life. I would also urge the industrial community to come together and embrace best practices and principles for the protection and preservation of our shared asset; The Environment.”