Daily Times

Federal Minister for Food Security and Research Syed Fakhar Imam has said the current economy is centred around the agricultural sector, including crops, livestock, fisheries and forestry, and an economy can be termed a sustainable one in the presence of all these factors.

The minister said this on Sunday while speaking as chief guest at the launching of a seven-day awareness campaign on “Eat, move and live sustainability for sustainable living standards and better living in accordance with the environmental standards,” jointly organised by Sweden Embassy in Islamabad and World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

The minister said the climate change has also affected the Pakistani agricultural sector, including major crops such as cotton and wheat, which are in dire need of extreme weather protection.He said the impact of climate change on the agricultural sector, including human life, is a major challenge for sustainable environmental development in the country. He added that sustainable environmental growth is the key to improvement of the agricultural sector on which human life depends.

He said that Pakistan has 200 million livestock, which is very low, adding one of the major reasons behind the decline in livestock in the country is the lack of good food and medicine. He said that at present Pakistan is a country rich in natural beauty and natural resources. “We have six major mountain peaks in the world, despite the existence of glaciers, today we are facing water scarcity for agriculture which is also due to climate change,” he informed.

He said that in the past, forests have been cut down in Pakistan while now the efforts are being made to replant the same. Similarly, there are some rare animals in the northern regions that need to be protected, he further said, stressing on educating the young generation about climate change .

Addressing the occasion, Swedish Ambassador Henrik Parson said sustainable environmental growth is a must for mitigating the major environmental threat to human life. “We have to make good changes in our lives according to the environment and change things that are not compatible with the environment,” he said.

The ambassador said that climate change has its effects on sustainable development life goals and it is also affecting different major aspects of life. He said the agriculture, quality food, water scarcity and other life-threatening factors of climate change needed to be addressed on priority.

He said that the Billion Tree Tsunami and Green Pakistan are the most important projects that would surely play an important role in fostering a sustainable and environmentally friendly life. He said Pakistan and Sweden have a lot of potential for work in the fields of environment and sustainable living.