Conference on sustainable transport begins tomorrow

Karachi: Experts and stakeholders will explore practical opportunities and exchange experiences during a two-day national conference “Paving the Way for Sustainable Transport in Pakistan” starting on December 21.

The event is being organised by the International Union for Conservation of Nature under the UNDP-GEF-funded Pakistan Sustainable Transport Project, which is being implemented by the Ministry of Water and Power. 

Representatives of federal and provincial governments, as well as experts and researchers belonging to national and international organisations will participate in this conference in Islamabad, said the organisers here on Saturday. 

The conference, they said, was designed to share knowledge and generate valuable discussions with respect to all the related aspects of sustainable transport, including the environment and climate change, controlling emissions, management and operations, options for eco-friendly freight transport and institutional mechanisms required to regulate the required actions.

Discussions during the conference will also help to draw action plans to address the growing challenges and issues of transportation in urban centers of Pakistan by building awareness of the link between transportation policies and climate change.

The conference aims at providing key recommendations towards promoting and advocating sustainable transport in Pakistan.

It will also provide practical recommendations for exploring future financial modalities of ongoing Bus Rapid Transit projects implemented by the federal government and provincial governments for the sustainability of transport sector.

To address the transport and related problems in the country, the Pakistan Sustainable Transport Project is supported by Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the Nations Development Programme (UNDP )implemented by Ministry of Water and Power.

The objective of the project is to reduce the growth of energy consumption and related greenhouse gas emissions from the country’s transport sector, while simultaneously improving urban environmental conditions and improving its competitiveness.

The implementing partner of the project is said to be the federal ministry of water and power while the responsible parties include the Government of Punjab through Urban Unit, Planning & Development Division, the Government of Sindh through Transport Cell, Transport Department; federal ministry of communications and IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, Pakistan.