Plastic has invaded our environment at an alarming rate. Not only are plastics Strategies a threat to local and global biodiversity, but micro-plastics have entered our food chain system,” adding, “we are now eating plastic, which is not a substance meant for human or animal digestion or consumption.
Federal Minister for Science and Technology Senator Shibli Faraz stressed the need for constituting a regulatory authority to deal with the overall environmental issues and Strategies with special focus on the monstrous threats being posed to environment and human health
He was addressing a seminar on “Challenges and Strategies for Effective Plastic Management to Improve Human Health” here on Wednesday at Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF). The seminar was organized by PSF in collaboration with UNESCO, UNDP, Global Water Challenge, Coca Cola Foundation and New World.
Country Director UNESCO Pakistan Ms. Patricia McPhillips, WWF Pakistan Senior Director Programmes Dr. Rabnawaz and Chairman Pakistan Science Foundation, Prof. Dr. Shahid Mahmood Baig also addressed the function.
Federal Minister for Science and Technology Senator Shibli Faraz has said that the government is tackling the environmental issues on priority and referred to his government’s initiatives of “billion tree tsunami’ and imposing ban on the use of plastic bags in the country.
Federal Minister said that the environmental degeneration has become a global issue and it is not specific to any country or region. He said that Prime Minister Imran Khan himself was taking keen interest in bringing improvements in this area be it plantation of trees or proper and efficient management of garbage especially plastic waste.
Appreciating the contribution of Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF), Senator Shibili Faraz said that his ministry was prepared to extend financial support to scientists and university students to come up with problem-solving research projects to bring positive changes in the overall socio-economic condition of common man.
Country Director UNSECO Pakistan Ms Patricia McPhillips said that plastic pollution is the most pressing issue and had acquired global dimension. She said that concerted and multi-pronged efforts were required to minimize its devastating effects.
She said, “Plastics have invaded our environment at an alarming rate. Not only are plastics a threat to local and global biodiversity, but micro-plastics have entered our food chain system,” adding, “we are now eating plastic, which is not a substance meant for human or animal digestion or consumption.”
“For more than 50 years, global production and consumption of plastics have continued to rise. An estimated 299 million tons of plastics were produced in 2013, representing a 4 per cent increase over 2012, in just one year, confirming an alarming upward trend. So, imagine where we are today, eight years later, in 2021,” she explained.
Ms Patricia has said that public awareness campaign coupled with efforts at federal and provincial levels are required to effectively tackle the management of plastic waste.
She greeted Pakistan Science Foundation and other partners for organizing the public awareness campaign on environmental issues with specific reference to the proper management of plastic waste.
Senior Director Programmes, World Wide Fund for Nature Pakistan (WWF) Dr. Rab Nawaz highlighted the negative impact of plastic waste on environment particularly human health and said that some regulatory mechanism should be put in place to bring plastic producing industries under some control.
He also gave a detailed view of the devastations of plastic waste from aquatic to human life and said that if corrective measures are not taken its negative impact would be enormous.
PSF Chairman Prof. Dr. Shahid Mahmood Baig in his address highlighted the Foundation’s role in contribution toward research and science popularization programmes.
Referring to the issue of plastic waste management Chairman Prof, Dr. Shahid Mahmood said that the issue has acquired very serious dimension because with the exponential increase in use of plastic goods its disposal become a serious issue for whole world.
He also thanked UNESCO, UNDP and other partners for joining hands with PSF for launching plastic waste management awareness programme wherein universities were engaged in coming up with plausible and cheap solutions to the plastic waste management.
The two universities, Institute of Space Technology Engineering Islamabad and Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences Nilore Islamabad, were awarded for coming up with low-cost efficient projects for plastic waste management and Strategies . At the end of the programme, Federal Minister Senator Shibili Faraz presented souvenirs to UNSECO Ms Patricia, WWF Senior Director Rab Nawaz and Dr. Uzeira from Fatima Jinnah Women University. Chairman PSF Prof. Dr. Shahid Mahmood Baig presented souvenir to Federal Minister for Science and Technology Senator Shibli Faraz.
Source PAKISTAN SCIENCE FOUNDATION