PESHAWAR - Participants at a seminar on Friday stressed the need for coordinated efforts to overcome the growing climate change issue.
The seminar titled "Raise your voice, not the sea level" was held in connection to the World Environmental Day under the auspices of Refugees Affected and Hosting Areas (RAHA-UNDP) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa programme funded by the European Union in collaboration with the KP Department of Environment, and Environment Protection Agency (EPA) at Pakistan Forest Institute (PFI) University of Peshawar.
The officials of RAHA-UNDP KP programme, community leaders, students of private and public sector schools, teaching staff and notables from UC Jogani Peshawar also present on the occasion. Students of public and private schools delivered speeches and highlighted the significance of the World Environment Day and called for proactive steps to cope with increasing global warming issues in the country.
Hakeem Shah, Director General PFI, said the county needed to evolve an action plan to deal with climate change and prevent environmental degradation. He said growing deforestation is the main hurdle in way to overcome the climate change issues. Ilyas Khan, District Manager, said the RAHA has undertaken an initiative with the support of government line departments and agencies for protection of environment, especially in areas where refugees are settled. Dr Amjad, Deputy Director EPA in his keynote address, said Pakistan is facing numerous challenges due to increasing environment degradation and climate change.
He said laws are existed to protect and safe environment but they needed public support to fully implement them. "This can enable the government and relevant line agencies to address climate change issue," he added. Later on, he distributed gifts and trophies among top position holders of declamation contest.