KARACHI: On World Environment Day, that was observed internationally on Monday 05 June, environmentalists identified that Karachi is suffering with top five environmental problems which include, solid waste and sewerage management, massive cutting of urban forests, noise and air pollution, poor water quality and urban heat islands.
Every year under the auspices of United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) this international day is observed globally. The purpose of celebrating World Environment Day is to bring worldwide focus on importance of environment and stimulate political attention and actions for improving the environment. This year, theme selected for the World Environment Day is “Connecting People to Nature” with an aim that preservation of nature is in fact securing our environment for our future generations.
“In 2015, deadly heatwave hit Karachi, since than the city is witnessing severe heat during summer and more heatwaves are expected due to the urban heat islands,” said Nadeem Mirbahar, an ecologist and expert at the IUCN Commission on Ecosystem Management.
He said that recently government initiated development projects, during which roads are being constructed, due to which traffic jams are frequent, which causes noise and air pollution that became more serio8us because of the massive tree cutting and lack of proper garbage collection in the city.
“We need restoration of urban forests, for which we need to plant more trees,” said Asif Sandeelo, an official of World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) Pakistan.
In a statement issued on Monday, MahmoodAkhtarCheema, Country Representative IUCN Pakistan, said that due to massive industrialization and unprecedented economic development, the rural population is moving towards cities, thus more and more people are gradually distancing themselves from nature.
“The economic growth has caused widespread destruction to numerous habitats worldwide within which dwell myriads of animal and plant species. There are numerous studies that confirm the significance of the important link between humans and nature – that people closely connected to nature possess more positivity and vitality compared to those away from nature’s serenity,” said Cheema.
He further said that the nature not only serves to provide nourishments to souls but also fulfills our countless basic needs, by way of its ecosystems and rich biodiversity. Thus, protection and conservation of biodiversity requires a serious thought and consideration.
The whole idea here is to highlight the significance of our involvement with nature.
At the core of this idea is the notion that nature represents a significant source of expertise and humans have much to learn from the billions of years of evolution of the Earth’s living systems. New scientific approaches that combine indigenous knowledge and scientific methods have emerged in recent years – and these may include ethnobiology, ethonoecology, and ethnobotany.
“Connecting with nature also means that biodiversity should be conserved as it is of enormous value to us in both direct and indirect ways. Biological resources – the species and ecosystems on which we rely for food and other natural products – are renewable only if utilized sustainability,” he added.
World Environment day is the biggest annual event for positive environmental action for everyone and everywhere which began in 1972. This year’s theme invites us to think about how we are part of nature and how intimately we depend on it. Such events play a pivotal role in enhancing importance of environment amongst the general populace. Pakistan Navy has always endeavored to secure marine environment for safer and cleaner oceans.