Shibli stresses for constituting regulatory authority to deal with environmental issues

Islamabad: Federal Minister for Science and Technology Senator Shibli Faraz on Wednesday stressed the need for constituting a regulatory authority to deal with the overall environmental issues.

He was addressing a seminar on ‘Challenges and Strategies for Effective Plastic Management to Improve Human Health’ held at Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF). The seminar was organised by PSF in collaboration with UNESCO, UNDP, Global Water Challenge, Coca Cola Foundation and New World.

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.

Country Director UNSECO Pakistan 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.