Pak strives to reduce waste to avoid negative environmental impact

Islamabad, March 30 (IANS) Pakistan has been striving to reduce waste responsible for the emission of greenhouse gases to avoid negative impact on the environment, Minister for Climate Change Sherry Rehman said.

There is a need to focus on reducing waste and recycling materials to diminish the environmental impact, and the government has been taking measures to cut greenhouse gas emissions and counter climate change, Rehman said here when addressing a seminar on the circular economy.

"Everyone has to do their own responsibility. We need the policy to control plastic waste that is in practice... Recycling of plastic and various things is being done all over the world. Pakistan also needs recycling centres," she said.

She underlined that unmanaged waste is a major problem in Pakistan, saying that all the major stakeholders in the country have to be involved in controlling waste management.

Talking about the impacts of climate change on Pakistan, Rehman said the country is one of the top 10 countries affected by environmental degradation and climate change.

"More than 33 million people in the country were affected by the floods. We have never seen such huge destruction caused by climate change," she said, adding that natural calamity has badly affected the economy of Pakistan with a loss of 9 per cent of its gross domestic product.

In its efforts to protect the vulnerable from climate change, Rehman said that the Ministry of Climate Change had launched the Living Indus Initiative which comprises projects to address climate change, biodiversity and pollution.

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