‘Let there be development… but spare the environment’

The key challenges in Sindh are social and economic development without hurting the environment, thereby ensuring that developmental activities are sustainable and environment-friendly, said Sindh Environmental & Alternate Energy Minister Muhammad Shaharyar Khan Maher during a seminar on environment. Maher said the province is blessed with natural resources that include vast areas of the mangrove forests of the Indus Delta, riverine forests along the banks of the mighty Indus, inland wetlands that have been declared globally significant under the Ramsar Convention, and the unique ecosystems in the Kirthar Mountains and Thar Desert. He said many of the indigenous communities are dependent on the use of these natural resources, adding that economic development, urban sprawl and industrialisation during the last few decades call for innovative solutions for addressing the environmental challenges of the province.
He also said the role of health, safety and environment in achieving continued and sustained growth is faced with compounding pressure of production target and shortage of skills. He further said operating under competitive pressure of globalisation, workers in industrialised economies are highly susceptible to life-threatening risks. As many as 5,000 people die every day as a result of work-related accidents or illnesses, as per the report of the International Labour Organisation, he added. The participants of the seminar gained insight into the expanding dynamics of health, safety and environment, and learned about the trends in modern health, safety and environment management.
Mehar said the application of knowledge gained in the seminar would definitely assist in the development and implementation of a national risk management strategy.
He said despite the acute shortage of staff and resources, the Sindh Environmental and Alternate Energy Department as well as the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency are playing a leading role in trying to curb pollution in the province.
“The mechanism devised for the approval/monitoring is absolutely transparent and ensures the participation of all stakeholders, environmentalists and experts from different fields, including the media, and also the general public. This will contribute a lot to the betterment of the environment and minimise environmental hazards,” he added.