ISLAMABAD: Media should come forward to play its role in creating awareness of growing threats to biodiversity and reveres the loss caused to it, Pakistan Environmental Protection agency (Pak-EPA) Director-General Asif Shuja said on Monday.
Mr Shuja was speaking as chief guest at a certificate distribution ceremony arranged by the Pakistan Museum of Natural History (PMNH) in connection with weeklong celebrations to mark the International Biodiversity Day as well as the International Year of Biodiversity 2010.
“Scientists and environmentalists can point out the problems and suggest their solutions, but it is the media that can highlight them and prepare people for taking measures to overcome these issues effectively for ensuring biodiversity protection and a healthy environment,” he remarked.
Mr Shuja said both electronic and print media were an effective communication tool to educate people, especially students, about various biodiversity and environmental issues and their solutions. Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF) Chairman Dr Manzoor H. Soormo, in his address, highlighted the role and importance of biodiversity in the well being of humans.
He said biodiversity and food security were directly related, emphasising the need for research to understand the functions of flora and fauna in various ecosystems and their protection.
PMNH Director General Dr Syed Azhar Hasan said the future of life on earth depended on biodiversity conservation and every individual should play his role to protect and conserve it.
He said the weeklong activities at the PMNH were aimed at creating awareness about the threats to biodiversity and sensitise media and people to the gravity of the situation.Earlier, the chief guest inaugurated an exhibition of artworks created by students during a three-day workshop entitled “Nature through art”.
On the occasion, Mr Shuja said the exhibition depicted students’ interest in natural beauty. The children have created wonderful art pieces by using different natural things, which a common man generally gives no importance, he added.
The exhibition will remain open at the Temporary Exhibits Gallery of the PMNH for a month.
The PMNH had organised the art workshop for schoolchildren from May 17-24 in order to develop students interest in nature and enable them play with different natural things to create art pieces and highlight the biodiversity day, which is observed every year on May 24.
Source: Dawn
Date:5/25/2010
