Joint efforts needed to protect Earth

LAHORE:There is a need to highlight and raise awareness of environmental health in human life so that the trend of tree planting should be promoted among people to save land from becoming barren.

These views were expressed by Post Graduate Medical Institute (PGMI) and Lahore General Hospital Principal Prof Dr Al-freed Zafar during a lecture on ‘Invest in our Planet’ here on Sunday.

Industrial revolution, infrastructure development, expansion of housing sector and deforestation have devastating effects on environment. The whole world is facing global warming due to which glaciers are melting rapidly. Shortage of rains and water is affecting crops and raising food security concerns, he said.

He urged the medical students to fulfill their professional education as well as social responsibilities. He emphasised the importance of earth protection. He added that it is the need of the hour to highlight and raise awareness of the environmental health in human life so that the trend of tree planting should be promoted among people to save the land from becoming barren.

Toxic gases in the air, traffic pressure and pollution should also be controlled to save people, he said. The PGMI principal highlighted that climate change is harmful for human health which is creating new diseases and epidemics.

Due to deforestation, innumerable species of animals and birds have become extinct and our earth is facing imbalance, he said and appealed to the media, civil society and the young generation to play their role in promoting tree plantation. Prof Al-freed said in order to maintain ecological balance, “We must make individual and collective efforts for the protection of earth.”