Lahore: The EU with the help of WWF and other national and international NGOs was helping preserve the environment and in the last ten years has invested more than 40 million euros in NWFP, Punjab and Sindh stated Imran Ashraf, Development Advisor, European Commission while inaugurating the two-day “An Update on Environmental Issues for Journalists” workshop organised by WWF and sponsored by EC at a local hotel on Monday March 20th. The objective of this workshop is to sensitise the media about environmental issues.

Hammad Naqi Khan, Director Freshwater and Toxics, WWF gave a presentation about water contamination in the country. He said that the media made our Pakistan’s Waters at Risk campaign successful. Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has agreed that a working group with representatives of both government and non governmental organisations be formed for implementing a regulatory framework to protect and improve the country’s water resources.

Rafay Alam, Advocate of the High Courts, gave a comprehensive presentation on the legal issues in conservation in Pakistan. He pointed out problems in the existing legal framework including overlapping jurisdiction of Federal and Provincial EPA, confusion between Provincial EPAs and Provincial Environment Departments, lack of Tribunals and confusion over 30 day waiting period before filing of complaint before Tribunal.
The last speaker of the day, Mubashir Lucman, Executive Director, Business Plus commented on the role of media or rather the lack thereof in creating awareness about environmental issues. He said that the media requires specialised people reporting on the environment.

Concluding the session, Samman Ehsan, Senior Communications Executive, WWF, said that conservation is an attitude. We need to change our attitude to environmental issues and re-assess the importance of environment.

Speaker’s for tomorrow’s session include Feryal Gauhar, who will be talking about the cutting of trees along the Lahore Canal, Rizwan Mahmood, who will explain environmental concerns regarding the New Murree Development Project and Rina Saeed Khan who will discuss communication of forests issues of Pakistan.

Samman Ehsan
WWF – Pakistan
Ferozepur Road, Lahore.
Tel: +92 42 5862360, 5869429,
Fax: 042 5862358,
e-mail: publications@wwf.org.pk