ISLAMABAD: (10 August 2021): The environmentalists from academia and civil society have urged for broader collaborative efforts to respond to emerging and critical challenges linked with environment and climate change and better implementation on corresponding polices. They shared this viewpoint while speaking at webinar ‘Role of academia in achieving the objectives of National Environmental Policy’ organized by Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) here.
Senior academician Environmental Sciences, Dr M Irfan Khan, while presenting a detailed outlook existing policy framework of Pakistan pertaining environment and climate change, asserted to include these critical issues in curriculum from primary to university level.
He explained that the departments in our universities are dominated by chemistry and biology majors while we lack scientific research. He said the curriculum in our university is a mixture of biology and zoology. Besides policy, we need to focus on better implementation as well, he added.
Dr Abid Qaiyum Suleri, Executive Director, SDPI, while sharing his thoughts with the participants, said that the environmental science as a subject in universities shows the importance of environmental policy in academia. Taking universities on board, the gap pertaining scientific research could be filled and thus,
SDPI would be happy to provide a platform to fill the gap by getting involved with universities.
“Creating such collaboration is imperative as it could lead to an effective environmental policy to be implemented in provinces,” Dr Suleri said and added that the measure would resolve various implementation related issues at local level.
Dr Fatima Dar, Director CTELI IQRA University, emphasized that an intellectual cadre needs to be created, especially to raise awareness on environment and climate change related issues. She said that curriculum is an alive document that should be open for the incorporating updated knowledge.
Chairman, FBA IQRA University,
Dr Zaki Rashidi, was of view that policy is just one component serves as a starting point for developing a strategy. Besides, there should be an execution plan, dedicated resources and engaging all stakeholders for the successful implementation.
Dr Shams Hamid, Dean, FADSS, asserted that the ethical aspect of the issue should also be focused. Besides, we need to take responsibility and explore local solutions of the issues having impacts at local level. The universities should come up with extra curriculum programs and take messages to common people.
Dr Shafqat Munir, Research Fellow SDPI, while referring to IPCC report, said that we have been told that last five year were the hottest 5 years. The temperatures are rising due to climate change and with it, the glaciers melting is resulting as rise of sea-level which is threatening for the existence of many cities in the world.
“We will have to go further from just policy making to respond to emerging challenges, Dr Shafqat Munir said and emphasized that we should go towards ecosystem restoration as introduced by UN. Pakistan took a major step forward by introducing Billion Tree tsunami program and it will not only help Pakistan but will play role in environment restoration of whole world, he added.
Maryam Shabir, (Environmentalist at SDPI and Shahid M. Minhas, Head CLD, SDPI), also shared their views and highlighted various critical aspects of the topic.
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