Afridi calls for a forum for environmental journalists.

ISLAMABAD, June 04, 2009 (Balochistan Times) -- Minister for Environment Hamidullah Jan Afridi Thursday announced Excellence Award for environmental journalists and called upon them to form a national forum for better linkages and effectively highlighting the environmental issues. I am pleased to announce the Green Journalists Award and Excellence Award to acknowledge the efforts of media professionals in this regard, he said, addressing the concluding session of one-day Media Workshop on Climate Change. I also urge the senior professionals to take lead for forming Pakistan Forum for Environmental Journalists (PFEJ) and open more vistas for grooming lot of professional, he said. The workshop on Climate Change and Mountain Ecosystem was jointly organized by the Environment Ministry, UNESCO and UNEP. Afridi said, mass media is an effective tool for changing the peoples opinion, life style, social attitude and values and in the context of environmental degradation and climate change, it is imperative to establish a strong and sustainable link between decision makers, citizens and the media to promote awareness about environmental concerns and promoting the cause of sustainable use of natural resources. There is a need to make the journalists well versed with the environmental issues through training and workshops for their orientation and capacity building, he added. The Ministry would also facilitate to establish the Green Journalists Forums in Islamabad, Provincial Capitals, Northern Areas, AJK and FATA. I would request some of the volunteers amongst you to help us in shaping this networking of the green journalists across the country. He urged the journalists to put in all their efforts to build strong linkages for creating awareness at all tiers of the society and hoped, this support and cooperation would help the Ministry achieve the goal of a healthy and clean environment. The minister said, the workshop would pave way for effective awareness raising at all tiers of society and help achieve the objectives of world agenda of minimizing climate change threats and conservation of mountain ecosystem. Let me take this opportunity to announce that Ministry of Environment in collaboration with the UNEP, UNESCO and other development partners has chalked out a comprehensive programme for capacity building of the media personnel working on environment, he added. He said climate change will have adverse impact on our population, economy and resources, despite the fact that Pakistan is not the major polluter in the world community, but unfortunately the most vulnerable countries. He mentioned reduced agriculture yields, stress on water reserves, increased variability of monsoon, increased risks of floods and droughts, recession of glaciers, upstream intrusion of saline water in the Indus delta which poses high risk to the mangrove forest, coral reefs and fish breeding grounds, increased occurrence of infectious diseases and rise of sea level as the main challenges being faced by Pakistan due to Climate Change. He said our mountain regions provide tremendous untapped potential and serve as pivotal water catchments; support a unique range of biodiversity; nurture a rich cultural heritage; and often, have great potential for the development of hydroelectricity, forestry, tourism and mining. This mountain ecosystem of Pakistan also faces challenges due to adverse effects of climate change thus posing serious threats to sustainable development. The minister, however said, the government is committed to play an effective role in global efforts aiming to mitigate and adapt to climate change. We are fully aware of importance of mountain Ecosystem. Ministry in addition to pursuing research studies on threats to mountains and glaciers has successfully implemented a mega project of Mountain Area Conservancy in order to protect the rich biological heritage of Mountainous areas. Secretary Environment Kamran Lashari described the workshop as step forward towards developing strong linkages among environmentalists as well as setting the future course. I fully agree with the idea of Forum and the Ministry would fully facilitate in materializing this idea, he said. The Secretary proposed to journalists to bring forth a plan for launching the Forum and assured all out support in promoting the cause of environment and raising awareness at different levels.

(THROUGH ASIA PULSE)